Summary I’ve learned that top talent always knows exactly how much they’re worth. If I want to hire the world’s best director of marketing, I can’t expect great candidates to respond to a job offering only $70,000 a year. The first number someone sees in a job post creates a lasting impression about how much…
Summary If I want a high-performing team, I need to give them the freedom to reset and recharge. People often misunderstand flexible or unlimited paid time off. They think it only attracts lazy people, but that's not true. From my experience, flexible paid time off attracts two types of people: really high performers and really…
Summary One of the best investments I can make as an entrepreneur is paying outstanding people extremely well. The gap between an average and the best in some jobs, like taxi driving, is pretty small—maybe double the difference at most. But when it comes to positions like marketers or engineers, the difference between the best…
Summary I need to know enough about every part of my business so I can tell if someone is not doing their job well or being dishonest. It's important for me to understand each function, at least enough to spot problems or performance issues. If I don't know how to do a particular job myself,…
Summary Whenever I think about making a change in my business, I remind myself that every change comes with a cost, but there’s no guarantee I’ll get a return on that cost. If I change something—whether it’s my brand, my process, or my strategy—there’s always a period where things feel uncertain or get messy, and…
Summary I’ve learned that business is basically the same at the top—every big business has a head of marketing, head of sales, head of HR, and head of IT. If you think starting a new business will magically make you happy, you’re probably going to be disappointed. The core stuff doesn’t really change. What actually…
Summary If you want your team to act the way you want, use secret shopping as a tool. When I worked at Smoothie King as a blender tender, my boss said he would send in secret shoppers, even though each visit cost about $120. Whether or not my boss actually paid for a secret shopper,…
Summary I’ve learned that keeping things simple in business isn’t just about being basic—it takes real work and discipline to do it right, but it pays off with more profit, clearer strategy, and better results. Focus on one most compelling point when communicating about your business, whether it’s marketing, sales, or product delivery. This helps…
Summary I used to read a ton of self-help books but saw no real change in my life, which taught me that learning means little without real execution. Many people focus on finding the perfect plan, but having strong conviction and sticking to a reasonable strategy is more important than picking the “perfect” path. When…
Summary I always plan my whole week by Sunday. If I don’t, I feel like I’ve already lost control of my week. Every Sunday, I schedule all my meetings, workouts, rest times, breathing exercises, project work, dinners, date nights, and even things like when I’m going to wash my hair. The reason I do this…