A mentor of mine had developed an impressive dynamic approach to business development, where he consistently launched new ventures with remarkable efficiency. What I took from his strategy I applied to my own efforts which all anchored on the nail of importance on sticking to structured, time-bound process. A system where a new concept moves from ideation to market in 18 months, followed by another 18 months of focused refinement and scaling. That’s 3 years dedicated to one major effort followed by the final stretch of an additional year entirely dedicated to a smooth, seamless operational handover. This disciplined approach underscores my mentor’s belief that impactful goals, whether launching a company, crafting a screenplay, or producing an album, can be achieved within a four-year timeframe and absolutely no idea, however how big, should ever take longer than 4 years. Hiss philosophy - now pridefully stolen — promotes focused execution and empowers us to realize our aspirations with clarity and momentum.

Comfort breeds stagnation - it’s lazy’s little cousin — and If you're too comfortable, change is not only needed, it’s mandatory. Don't just stick to the easy shots. Challenge yourself, even if you risk failure. That restless feeling from predictability? It's a sign to disrupt your routine. Embrace change and live in it.

As I began to focus more on creating leaders out of individual contributors, I found many believed direct reports were essential to becoming successful leaders. One former colleague, initially wanting a management role, discovered he could lead effectively through influence. By rallying teams with sponsor support, he drove initiatives that benefited both himself and others. He mastered persuasion, realizing he valued leadership's influence, not management's responsibilities."

Whether you're streamlining operations, overhauling your tech, or just hustling sneakers with your buddies, getting to that "business as usual" sweet spot feels amazing. Nothing “beats the We made it!" feeling. But here's the thing: that feeling? It's a trap. "Business as usual" shouldn't be the goal. Your processes, workflows, everything you do, should constantly improve and evolve. The world's changing way too fast for business as usual to keep you ahead of the curve. What worked three years ago is ancient history and even 24 months ago is pushing it. If you're still measuring success with the same old yardstick, you're not growing. You're coasting. And coasting is the opposite of success in today’s world. "Business as usual" is a myth. We all need to be pushing for new capabilities, new services, new ways of doing things, just to stay relevant. That’s how you really scale, and that’s how you really win.

I spent a bit of time as a lead engineer at one particular ad agency, and it was without a doubt, the most demanding experience of my career. Even today it feels both recent and distant, a crucible that tested every aspect of my professional abilities. Nothing I produced seemed to meet their exacting standards; every deliverable was subject to relentless revisions and I was subjected to relentless feedback, even when I was confident the work was exceptional. And in a paradoxical manner, that intense experience made every subsequent job feel significantly easier. Where others encountered challenges, I thrived, receiving praise for work that would have been deemed inadequate at the agency. They pushed me by demanding the impossible, perfection, and that push —continuous shoving — extracted the very best from me. And, strangely, despite the hardship, it's the only place I'd consider returning to.