⚡️6 On Sunday :: #24

In a nutshell:

1. We all have bad days, and we all get through them 💪🏼

2. A key tactic for sidestepping drama 🎭

3. Finding your “why” for hard work 😓

4. Trading your money for time ⏳

5. How 1% can lead to the greatest victories 🏆

6. Uncovering the Beginner’s Bubble 🫧

1. If You Are Reading This, Your Survival Rate Of Bad Days Is 100% 💪🌟

My 5 simple steps for getting back on track.

I was descending a twisty Malibu canyon at 47mph,
→ when I heard the noise.

The sound of escaping air from my front tire.

It was milliseconds between that sound and wondering:

→ When I'd stop sliding on the road
→ How much of my bike was left
→ How angry my wife would be
→ If any cars were coming
→ Where my shoes were

It was a bad start to the day.
But I've crashed before.
On my bicycle,
In business,
In life.

1. Embrace the Struggle:
↳ Acknowledge your feelings
↳ It's normal to have tough times

2. Reflect and Learn:
↳ Identify what went wrong
↳ Find lessons in the challenges

3. Remember What You Have:
↳ Count your blessings
↳ Feel each one deeply

4. Take Action:
↳ Implement changes based on your reflections
↳ Small steps lead to big improvements

5. Stay Resilient:
↳ Remember past victories over bad days (100%)
↳ This is the time when character is forged

If you choose, every bad day can be a chance
to deepen your resolve and resilience.

2. Does Your Professional Peace Get Hijacked By Drama? 🤯🛡️

Try the Grey Rock Method (and it's not for aging Metallica fans)

Ego and entrepreneurship can go hand in hand.
But I have no room for toxicity or narcissism.

When I cross paths with these personalities, this is my favorite strategy:

Simply be as uninteresting as possible.
Like a random grey rock.

Throw a wet blanket over that small flame.
Without the fuel of drama, these folks
...will often fizzle out and fade away.

Here are my 4 go-to steps for becoming a Grey Rock:

1. Be Neutral → all facts, no emotion, no opinions
 
2. Limit Interaction → stick to text vs. IRL to control the environment
 
3. Canned Responses → use generic replies like "I'll think about that"
 
4. All Business → stay professional and avoid personal topics
 
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events;
small minds discuss people.
- Eleanor Roosevelt

3. I Think About This Fisherman Story At Least Once A Week 🎣💭

(and I'm not even into fishing)

A middle-aged investor is on the brink of a breakdown.
His partners book him a non-negotiable trip
to a small Mexican fishing village.

After a week of decompressing,
the businessman noticed the same fisherman,
heading out each morning and returning with his catch.

"Wow - that's quite a haul. How long does that take you?"
asked the businessman.

"About three hours," replied the fisherman.

"And what do you do with the rest of your day?"
asked the businessman.

"I go home and play with my children.
I read for a bit, and I play the guitar.
I'll have a meal with my family,
share a beer with my friends,
and make love to my wife."

Shocked, the businessman explained that if he stayed out longer,
he'd catch more fish, and soon enough afford a bigger boat.
Eventually, he could buy more boats, hiring fishermen.
He could scale the business to a large fleet,
Raise capital, make millions, then retire.

"Wow!" exclaimed the fisherman.
"How long would that take?"

"Only 15-20 years," replied the businessman.

"And then what would I do?" asked the fisherman.

"You could go and play with your children,
read for a bit, and play on the guitar.
Have a nice meal with your family,
share a beer with some friends,
and make love to your wife."

4. A Concept I'm Obsessed With 💡🔍

Renewable vs. finite (and it changed my life).

Entrepreneurs often go through two stages:
(if they're lucky enough to make it that far)

1. Time rich → cash poor
2. Cash rich → time poor

But here's the harsh truth:

we all have the same amount of time,
and it's running out.

I heard time described as a fossil fuel.
It may seem abundant in the moment,
but it's guaranteed to run out.

Money, on the other hand, is renewable.
Like wind, solar, or hydropower...
If you have enough time,
You can make more.

From this perspective, trading my time for my money,
is a trade I'll make all day long, whenever I'm able.

→ But especially if it's for something I don't enjoy.

5. 1% Doesn't Sound Like Much, But It Can Change Everything 💯✨

Marginal Gains won the Tour de France (they can help you win, too)

→ Team Sky revolutionized cycling with marginal gains.
↳ Focus on 1% improvements in every aspect of your business.
↳ Small changes add up to significant success over time.
↳ Optimize Every Detail

→ Team Sky looked at everything: bike design, nutrition, sleep.
↳ Analyze each part of your business operations.
↳ Improve processes, tools, and strategies incrementally.
↳ Measure and track progress

→ Marginal gains require precise measurement.
↳ Use data to track your improvements.
↳ Regular reviews help you stay on course or adjust as needed.
↳ Foster a culture of continuous improvement

→ Team Sky’s riders and staff embraced constant learning.
↳ Encourage your team to seek out and implement small changes.
↳ Celebrate minor victories to build momentum and morale.
↳ Invest in Innovation and Learning

→ Innovation in equipment and training propelled Team Sky.
↳ Invest in the latest technology and training for your team.
↳ Continuous education keeps you ahead of the competition.
↳ Make sure you have the tools to succeed (equipment & software)

Entrepreneurial success lies in small, consistent improvements.
Often, it is as simple as that 1% you change every day.

6. The Most Dangerous People? Not Those Who Know Nothing ⚠️🧠

It's the ones who know just a little. Here's why:

It's called The Beginner's Bubble Effect.

This is when people overestimate their skills early on,
and get into a state where confidence outpaces competence.

This famously happens with college students:

→ 64% feel ready to work in a team
→ 66% believe they have critical thinking skills
→ 65% think they’re good at written communication

Yet less than 40% of employers agree.

Even in professional careers...
→ Doctors’ mistakes rise after 15 surgeries.
→ Pilots’ accidents peak around 800 flight hours.

And for all of us...
→ Financial literacy confidence peaks in early adulthood
(but doesn’t match actual knowledge)

"Experience is a hard teacher because it gives the test first,
and only then provides the lesson."
‒ Vernon Law

Be curious,
keep learning,
always humble,
and don't let early
success trick you into
blinding overconfidence.

🤯 You got to the bottom of this trope? Of the 10,000 subscribers, I bet you’re an outlier.

It’s impressive and way better than I do on all the newsletters I subscribe to. Here are a few fun facts:

→ I don’t really have a ‘plan’ for this newsletter
→ I don’t have a ghostwriter or other help
→ I don’t even look at metrics (open rates, etc)

BUT I love to hear if anything I write resonates with anyone. Even better, if helps you in the smallest way.

📌 I reply to all messages - unless they get sucked into my spam folder.

Once in a while, somebody on a call or over coffee will tell me they subscribe and enjoy it. But I won’t get to have coffee with most of you, so hit ‘reply’ and let me know if any of this has value for you (even if it’s just entertainment value), and if so, I’ll keep doing it. Thanks! ❤️