Hi Reader, Michael Porter – the godfather of business strategy said: “the essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.” He’s saying that you need to do a few things really well and outsource the rest. You don’t want to overextend yourself. You need to stay focused. But, it’s deeper than that. He’s also talking about building a strategic, competitive advantage over other players in your field. What are those things that you’re known for – that only you can do? For example, if you make great...
9 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, I recently re-listened to an episode of How I Built This with Guy Raz from last year. In this episode, Guy sits down with organizational psychologist, Adam Grant. This quote from Adam struck a chord: "The [entrepreneurs] who managed to have repeat success and bounce back—and forward—from failure are the ones who invest their egos in their future growth as opposed to their present comfort." It’s easy to protect your ego by retreating when you experience setbacks. But real growth...
16 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Your values aren’t just words – they’re the foundation for meaningful decisions in your life and business. When you let your values guide you, you create alignment between what you do and what matters most to you. For example, one of my values is "Play" and I use it to remind myself to meet obstacles with a smile, to choose to have fun solving a new puzzle (work problem), to frame setbacks as new opportunities to learn and stretch my skills. I’ve found that when my actions align...
23 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, As a small business owner, your time and energy are precious resources. One way to protect them and amp up your productivity is by creating Standard Work – clear, repeatable process for your most essential tasks. Think of Standard Work as the foundation of your operations. By documenting how you do something (like onboarding a client or processing an order), you set yourself up for consistent output. Once the process is in place, you can focus your mental energy on improving it...
30 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Sales and profit are obvious factors that drive your financial performance as a business. But, if you have a leaky bucket, adding more water won't get you very far. Therefore, you need to improve business performance to lower costs, create efficiency, and protect your profit margin, so you can continue growing your business with confidence. Strong operations and execution can patch the leaks. In this article, I share 2 metrics to help you reflect on your business’ operational...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Here’s the thing about work: there’s always more to do. No matter how much you accomplish, your to-do list will keep growing. That’s why working at a sustainable pace isn’t just a luxury – it’s a necessity. It’s easy to push yourself too hard, thinking you’ll catch up “after this one thing is done." But habits are built (good or bad) with every choice. Burnout is sneaky. It whispers in your ear to "keep going," fooling you into running at max capacity. I’ve had to find ways to keep...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Building your business should be an act of continuous improvement. That’s probably intuitive enough – with every action, you learn more, and you do better every time. But, it’s not just about smoother, more efficient operations or navigating your learning curve. It’s also because, at some point, what you’re doing won’t be enough. At some point, you’ll level out, only gaining something marginal from your output. You might still be generating sales and turning a profit, but...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, With 2024 in the rearview mirror, I’ve been reflecting on the books 📚that influenced me the most last year. Here are three that reshaped how I think about life, work, and leadership: 1. "Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout" by Cal Newport Slow Productivity emphasizes that great things take time. In a world obsessed with speed, rushing often leads to mistakes and burnout. It reminded me that sustainable progress beats hurried effort every time, which is...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Even the best systems can fall apart when life throws you a curveball. Maybe your schedule changes, new priorities emerge, or your original plan doesn’t fit anymore. That’s okay. Adjusting doesn’t mean you failed—it means you’re paying attention. Think of it as routine maintenance. Just like a car needs an oil change, your systems need check-ins and tweaks. For example, when my kids started school this fall, my morning routine fell apart. I wanted to be present—helping them get...
2 months ago • 1 min read