I got emotional. Alright… more than a little. But that’s what happens when I see Jodi cry. During our podcast with Stephanie Buckley, owner of Petit Jean Coffeehouse — voted the #1 coffee shop in Arkansas two years in a row — we actually had to stop recording just to pull ourselves together. Stephanie’s success doesn’t follow the normal playbook. She isn’t in a busy downtown. There’s no drive-through line wrapped around the building. What she has is community. Not the trendy version. The real thing. She knows her customers. Their kids. Their stories. People don’t just come for great coffee — they come to see their friend, Stephanie. That kind of connection leaves a mark. Then the conversation shifted. I mentioned that a lot of women in business carry constant mom guilt. When they’re working, they feel guilty for not being with their kids. When they’re with their kids, they feel like they’re letting someone down at work. I see Jodi wrestle with this, and honestly, I don’t always know what advice to give. Both ladies looked at each other… and started crying. After we gathered ourselves, Stephanie shared what changed everything for her: Make your kids the reason you work. She included her boys in the business. Starting the coffee shop was actually their idea. And when a previous business began taking too much time away from her family, she sold it. Nothing was more important than being a mom. “Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work.” — C.S. Lewis And Andy Stanley said it this way: “Your greatest contribution to the world may not be something you do, but someone you raise.” You can build a hundred-million-dollar business and people will call you successful. But the legacy that really matters is hearing your children say: “They were a great mom.” “They were a great dad.” That kind of legacy outlasts money, recognition, and success. When your why has names, success looks different — and it lasts forever. Be Principled, Caleb

For over a month, I’ve been hearing stories coming out of. Northwest Arkansas about farmers losing their contracts with Tyson. I didn’t fully understand the issue, but I knew someone who did. So I reached out to Heather Keenen. She owns her own real estate firm in Northwest Arkansas and is also a longtime cattle and poultry farmer. She has been vocal about the fight between Oklahoma and the poultry industry, but more importantly, she has been a voice for the farmers. She has stood up for those most affected by political jockeying and judicial strong-arming — the farmers. The greatest entrepreneurs in the world. The ones who wake up early, work all day, and never take a vacation. Because if they do, someone in the world might not eat that day. What a powerful purpose. As we talked, you could hear Heather’s passion. All these farmers want is to be left alone to work their land and leave a legacy to their children and grandchildren. The courage to speak truth is a rare trait in today’s world. Being a voice for others who do not have one is one of the most honorable acts a person can do. It gives struggling people hope — hope to keep working, hope to keep fighting, hope that tomorrow will be better, hope that they will win. Maybe the odds are stacked against you. Maybe the mountain is too steep. But this country was built on long shots. It was built on a few men having the courage to speak truth to the most powerful king in the world. It took courage and leadership to wage a war no one thought they could win. Now, 250 years later, we look at those men with admiration. Their pictures hang in our buildings because they gave us hope, strength, courage, and purpose. I don’t know what will come of the issue in Northwest Arkansas or whether the farmers will have their contracts restored. But I do know this: people like Heather will keep fighting and speaking the truth. And if I know anything about farmers, it’s this — They never give up. Be Principled, Caleb

I get it. That principle sounds off. You can’t possibly want to be the dumbest person in the room. Hang on, I’ll tell you why it’s true. As I was listening to Kevin Hern tell his incredible story of coming from nothing in Atkins, Arkansas, a question hit me. I asked him, “It sounds to me like you refused to accept that you would inherit the choices other people in your family had made, that you weren’t born into those choices. Was there a moment that triggered you to get out of those circumstances?” He responded that it’s really about the role models you have around you and that sometimes they are people you wouldn’t normally expect, like your mom or dad. For him it was his uncle Gerald Johnson, who came from the same small town and rose through the ranks to become CFO of Tyson Foods. At age 18 Kevin asked his uncle how he became so successful coming from Economy, Arkansas. His answer was simple: “Always surround yourself with people who are smarter than you.” To add to that point, Kevin mentioned that Warren Buffett has said he has been successful because he was always the dumbest person in the room. Hern elaborated that he found that to be true because if you think you are the smartest person in the room, you stop learning. No one wants to tell you anything because you think you know it all already. The most humbling experience you can have is being the dumbest person in the room yet taking all the responsibility. You take on the failures and you share in the successes. I have found that to be true myself. When I sit across the table from someone I’m interviewing, like Congressman Hern, I know I’m not the smartest person in the room. But I have a sensational appetite to learn, to grasp the concepts and principles they are talking about. I never go into a transaction without coming away learning something. One more thing Congressman Hern said is the American Dream is not about the destination, it’s about the journey. Some people believe they are owed the American Dream. There’s no such thing. The American Dream is different for everyone and everyone has their own journey to take.

Today marks the first full week of the new year. Like me, you probably feel a mix of excitement, eagerness, and optimism for what lies ahead. A new journey. New places. New opportunities as we travel down the road of life and business. But for many of us, we get stopped before we ever really get started. We remember how badly we stumbled last year—the screw-ups, the disappointments, the failures, and the fears. And the thought creeps in: Is it even worth the effort if this year is just going to look like last year? Starting new and fresh is always good, and it can lead to great things. Let me give you an example. In 1888, at just thirteen years old, Winston Churchill entered Harrow School, one of the most prestigious schools in England. Upon taking his entrance exam, he failed miserably. The headmaster took pity on him and admitted him anyway. Although excited for the opportunity, Winston finished at the bottom of his class—and by bottom, I mean dead last. He wasn’t considered very bright, was small for his age, and fell ill more often than most boys. Eventually, his father recommended that Winston pursue a military career, where the Churchill name had earned fame and glory. Winston leapt at the opportunity and applied to Sandhurst, the British equivalent of West Point. There was only one problem: he had to pass the entrance exam. He failed it. Then failed it again. Then failed it a third time. Finally, on his last attempt, he passed and was admitted. It was a fresh start—and one Churchill refused to waste. He identified the gaps in his education and consumed every book he could find just to keep up with his classmates. By the time he graduated from Sandhurst, he finished 8th out of 150. What would the story of Winston Churchill be if he had allowed his early failures to define his future? What would the fate of Britain have been if he had looked backward instead of forward? Thankfully, we don’t have to answer those questions. The past didn’t define who Winston Churchill was—or who he was meant to become. And it doesn’t define you either.

I hope everyone has a memorable, magical day with your family!