Following up on my email yesterday about the best and worst coaches you've ever had... One subscriber sent me a response that was too good not to share. With his permission, I've removed identifying details. Two basketball coaches. Same player. Completely different outcomes. Coach #1: Ages 7–11 "My AAU basketball coach had this amazing way of lifting up and getting the best out of each player. I was my own harshest critic. I'd beat myself up over mistakes and play with fear. Instead of being...
7 days ago • 2 min read
'm curious. What coaches do you currently have in your life? And what coaches have you had in the past? Think about it. Maybe you had a basketball coach in high school. A mentor early in your career. Someone who helped you navigate a difficult period in your life. I have coaches in different areas of my life. I have someone I learn philosophy with. I've had coaches for working out. And yes, even as a coach myself, I've had people coach me on coaching. Some of those relationships have been...
8 days ago • 1 min read
Everything in your life either drains your energy or gives it back.For the things that drain you, you have four options:🗑️ Eliminate it. (Cancel the meeting that should've been an email.)🔄 Accommodate it. (Batch all your invoicing into one morning.)📈 Get better at it. (Learn to give feedback, so it stops feeling awful.)🤝 Delegate it. (Hand off your scheduling to someone else.)The things that give you energy deserve a spot on your calendar too.A walk around the block in the middle of the day,...
15 days ago • 1 min read
Hi everyone - I’m Andrew and I’m a coach. (And yes, I am restarting this newsletter.) 🙄 🥱 (yawns) Oh great, another coach who read a book about leadership and now wants to tell me how to run my company. Wait. I know. Many coaches don’t run their own business, so they have no business getting their nose into yours. (Looking at you, coaches who’ve never made payroll but have a beautiful slide deck about it!) But I do. I own a commercial cleaning business, so I know the reality: I’ve put my own...
22 days ago • 1 min read
you think I don't know what's going on?! Recently, I had an employee lying directly to my face!! At first I was a little confused why something didn't match up, but as I dug into it, I realized someone lied directly to my face. How could this be? How should I react? In that moment I realized I had a very clear choice. A choice that I had bene preparing for years. What I had been preparing for what how to react in situations that call for me to show up as a leader, a role model and not sink...
about 1 year ago • 1 min read
oasis on your journey We often come to the wrong conclusions when we think about ourselves. We think: If only I were more disciplined. We think: If only I had more energy. We think: If only... We think: I’ve been created without what I really need to succeed. If only I had a few more tools, a little more talent, a couple fewer flaws—then I’d feel like I’ve arrived. And sure, you’ve heard what I’m about to say before.But have you actually internalized it? There comes a moment when two paths...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read
warning: only pull when a real emergency. WHEN "THEY" WANT THE FIRE ALARM TO GO OFF One of my clients had a security audit done on his software, using one of his friends as a consultant. The consultant came back with a serious concern—a glaring vulnerability. The kind of thing that could maybe trigger a lawsuit or a full on system failure. My client’s response? “Okay, thanks for bringing this up. We'll have to address this immediately. How's the fam doing?” The consultant stared at him,...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read
tale of two founders I just realized last night (11:43 p.m.) that I was five weeks away from running out of cash. No more payroll, no more runway, no clear path. I went home, but I didn’t sleep. The next morning, the pressure was unbearable. I couldn’t bring myself to tell my investors. I couldn’t face my team. I tried to work on a plan, but the fear, the exhaustion, the burnout—it was all too much. Last night, I ended up in the ER thinking I couldn't breath. The doctors found nothing wrong....
over 1 year ago • 2 min read
preventing burn out "Wow, that was the best night I’ve had in months!" - Quote from a founder I work with. AVOIDING BURNOUT Lately, I’ve been focused on helping founders avoid burnout. With fundraising tougher than ever and investors laser-focused on profitability over raw growth, founders are feeling the squeeze. More pressure, more work, and often—less time for themselves. One thing I encourage? Leveraged social events. LEVERAGED SOCIAL EVENTS Here’s what my founder did: He’s a massive rock...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read