Why do you do it that way? One of my favorite questions to ask in a business is, “Why do you do it that way?” You would be amazed at how often the answer is some version of, “We’ve always done it that way.” Businesses accumulate things over time. AContinue Reading
The Tree Frog I almost missed him. Tucked between two leaves, this little tree frog had found the perfect place for an afternoon nap. While everything around him buzzed with activity, he had apparently decided he’d done enough for one day. I stood there longer than I probably should have,Continue Reading
The Meadow One of my favorite places to wander with my camera is a meadow near my home. This year, thanks to weeks of spring rain, it has been especially beautiful. Everywhere I looked there was something blooming. Bluebonnets, Indian paintbrush, milkweed, daisies, and dozens of flowers I still can’tContinue Reading
The Bee Doesn’t Ask the Queen As I stood watching the bees work their way through the wildflowers, it occurred to me that none of them seemed uncertain about what to do next. They moved with purpose from bloom to bloom, gathering what they needed before returning to the hive.Continue Reading
I spend a lot of my free time on the greenbelt near my home in Austin, camera in hand. After the incredible rains we’ve had across Texas this year, the wildflowers have been nothing short of spectacular. I’ve spent hours wandering the trails, photographing blooms, watching bees move from flowerContinue Reading
The Succession Plan That Only Lives in Your Head New survey data confirms something I see in almost every service business I evaluate. Owners believe they have handled succession long before they actually have. Fintech company Revenued published research this month comparing small business owners to the people who expectContinue Reading
Most Owners Want Freedom, Not More Time As we come into the 250th year of the US of A, a place where we have the freedom to create our own, most owners think they want more time. What they actually want is freedom. The problem is that most businesses areContinue Reading
What Becomes Possible When the Structure Finally Holds Most operational work gets framed around efficiency. Faster decisions. Better systems. Cleaner handoffs. Those things matter. But they’re not what owners are actually chasing. What they’re chasing is quieter and harder to name. And it usually only becomes clear once they’ve stoppedContinue Reading
The 7-Day Liberation: What Absence Actually Tests Most owners frame a week away as something they’ll take when the business is ready. When the team is stronger. And the systems are tighter. When the timing is better. The timing is never better. Because the timing was never the real obstacle.Continue Reading
The 3-Day Test: What Your Business Reveals When You Step Away Most business owners assume they understand how their company operates without them. They do not. Because they rarely create the condition to find out. The 3-Day Test is a simple diagnostic. Step away from the business for three fullContinue Reading