As hardcore anglers, most of us wake up thinking about fishing seven days a week anyway. But as Thursday morning hits, those thoughts start to ramp up — and by Friday, all you can think about is what lake you’re hitting, what bait you’re throwing, and how big that fish is going to be. Since most of us work during the week, the vast majority of anglers fish on the weekends, just like I used to. Back when I was in the automotive industry for 23 years, I had no choice but to fish only on Saturday and Sunday because work came first. I remember fishing all weekend, rolling into work on Monday exhausted, and repeating that cycle for about 40 weeks out of the year. The bonus for anyone who works in the fishing industry is simple: we’re around water 2–4 times a week. Content isn’t something we chase — it’s something we naturally create, because we genuinely live what we do. It’s a blessing, for sure.

Don’t pour every dollar into trying to create demand for your product if the demand doesn’t exist. Instead, find markets with proven demand and build a better version of what’s already selling. Otherwise, you’ll burn your money chasing demand that may only exist in your head. Let the market tell you what it wants—don’t let your ambition lie to you.

80% of your problems come from 20% of your people. 80% of your results come from 20% of your people. Remove the wrong 20% → profit explodes. Empower the right 20% → culture thrives.

1. No repeatable sales system 2. No KPIs or accountability rhythm 3. Wrong people in key seats 4. Owner is stuck in operations, not strategy If you fix these four, scale becomes inevitable.

I have always lived by a very special motto that shaped who I wanted to become in the world of business and what personal standards I set for my own growth mindset. It helped me suppress my ego—not that I ever had much of one—but I always believed the old saying “egos sink ships” was true. I witnessed it firsthand, standing on the bow of a ship sinking fast because of the massive egos on board. That experience taught me to chase personal goals and success purely for my own benefit, not for affirmation from others. I learned that when you remove the need for external validation, you live a much more content, focused life—and you scale much faster. My motto is this: “Don’t climb mountains so the world can see you. Climb mountains so you can see the world.” If you fully understand and absorb the meaning behind that quote, you’ve already won half the battle of becoming a successful human being—one who doesn’t rely on the world to fuel their fire. More importantly, you won’t allow the world to distort your vision of what true success looks like for you.