A weekly dispatch on the three things every small business has to get right: Operations. Marketing. People. Real stories about the structural breakdowns that keep good businesses stuck — and what it looks like when you finally fix them.
I stopped chasing
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Hello Reader, I was standing in cloudy water off the coast of Kona (Hawaii) when my son started waving at me from the shore. I said "what, what?" and he called out, "there's a turtle." So I stopped. I went still. This sea turtle lifted its head, looked right at me, and kept swimming closer. I did not lunge for it or chase it for a photo. I just gave it room. So cool. So, so cool. (the video above isn't of this moment - it's of a different sighting) It has been a minute since I wrote, and that turtle is a good piece of why. I have been away and fully present with my family for an extended time that also held my youngest graduating summa cum laude in three years, a 6.0 earthquake we rode out from the couch, a volcano we missed erupting by three days, and more sunsets than I can count. It got me to thinking. It's just like this in our business. I, too, spend plenty of days chasing. The next client, the next yes, the next thing on the list, moving fast and hoping all that motion makes it happen. But the turtle did not come to me because I lunged. It came because I built a little space and stayed steady inside it. The reason I could be that present is that the operations underneath my business were steady enough to run without me hovering. The systems did their job. I did not have to chase the work. So here is what I would gently offer, the same thing I keep telling myself. Look at the parts of your business you feel like you have to chase every single day. The follow ups, the scheduling, the little tasks that eat your mornings. Those are usually the parts begging for a system. Build the space, and the work can come to you. If you want the whole story, the graduation, the earthquake, the secluded beach, I put it all on the blog. Read the full post here. One more thing. I have been diving heavily into automating business with AI, learning how to help businesses use it inside their daily operations. More on that soon. What is the one thing in your business you are tired of chasing? Hit reply and tell me. I would truly love to think it through with you. Shell, Yes! Here's to your success, _______________________________________________________________________ “It’s Just Like This in Our Business”A weekly dispatch on the three things every small business has to get right: Operations. Marketing. People. Real stories about the structural breakdowns that keep good businesses stuck and what it looks like when you finally fix them. |
“It’s Just Like This in Our Business”
A weekly dispatch on the three things every small business has to get right: Operations. Marketing. People. Real stories about the structural breakdowns that keep good businesses stuck — and what it looks like when you finally fix them.
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