It's Not A Trend Until It's Too Late

I turn 30 in 30 days and I've been reflecting on a transitory decade from adolescence to adulthood. During this period I’ve been fortunate to manage a handful of businesses, each one seemingly more challenging than the last. I am perpetually humbled. Here are a few tricks that got me through:

1 Roll up your sleeves, get your hands dirty, bury yourself in the mud. No podcast or textbook or blog (ahem!) prepared me better than real life.

2 Practice patience. All great businesses experience peaks and valleys. Remember that Warren Buffett has owned Coca-Cola stock for the equivalent of 220 million 5-second TikTok videos.

3 Catch your breath. I take elongated pauses before speaking to avoid interruption, which also provides a split second for reflection. Awkward at first, but productive conversations will follow (credit to Certus CEO Dave Bradford).

4 Never stop learning. If I am critical of last quarter, then I am winning this quarter.

5 Your parents misled you, talk with strangers.

6 It’s not a trend until it’s too late.

7 Get comfortable having uncomfortable conversations. I silence anxious late-night thoughts by confronting the topic tomorrow. Relief thereafter is bliss.

8 Set aside time to work ON the business (not only IN the business). Actually, I have continuously failed at this objective. It’s my next decade priority.

9 Meet a great life partner who will smile back at you on the bumpy ride.