Half impresario, half eminence grisé; I build & grow companies, and help others do the same.
Washington, DC
Joined August 2010
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2025 will be one of our best years yet. Caveat: This is not to say it won’t be without similar or different struggles of former years.
But struggles are a crucible; through temperament we learn how to harden, then shine. We learn how to navigate more productively.
So, 2024 gave us a great opportunity to practice this. Entrepreneurs learned to bounce higher, work smarter, improve all of our skills.
No magic business lesson here — there isn’t one. We just didn’t throw in the towel. We tripped; we got up. Faster each time.
I’m happy to be here with you, today, dear reader. I believe in you (and myself, too).
To a ferociously abundant 2025. 🥂
#thanksbezos #2025 #HTTC
2/3: And so each morning, I contemplate: "how can I increase my service to others?"
Or, tying back the first part: how can I sow better seeds to yield the richest harvest?
1/3: Each day, I sow. Each harvest, I measure the return — sometimes feast, sometimes famine.
And then I go again, improved. Eighteen years of entrepreneurship later, I'm still learning.
The measure of our impact in life is simply how abundantly our harvest provides.
The average human works 1760 hours per year.
Companies take on average ten years to unicorn/IPO.
The average company goes public with ~2,000 employees.
10 years is 17,600 hours of human power X 2,000 employees = 35 million hours.
First thought: Founding a business is just creating something that helps other people enough for them to open their wallets, and convincing enough people along the way that it's worth their time.
Final thought: founders, I think we need to spend more time identifying real problems that people will open their wallet for, and less time working towards things that are just solutions for our own immediate problems. We'll convince more people that way.
Once upon a time in 2024, the founder of Ever Boots said to me, “you need to be our brand ambassador. You have a great looking body, and the smile!”
I said, “done, and I’ll do it for free — send me some boots.” Then I called Anne Giebel…
and the rest was history. I always say, I’m easy: compliments will get you everywhere. Here’s some proof.
This shot, 1 of 5, is called “Popstar & Boots.”
#notjustforwork #ashtanwearsboots #popstar
