Destroy the Bar

My friend was beyond frustrated. He had just fired an employee, but right before that, another stopped showing up. My buddy owns a successful landscaping company. "Travis, if you know anyone who wants to work, let me know. We pay good money."

"You bet," I responded. "What particular skills are you looking for?"

"Someone who will show up and show up on time. That's it. We can teach the rest."

The bar has never been lower. In a field that requires certain skills, my business owner friend simply needs people who will show up. I asked if he cares about people being hard workers. "Well, that's preferred, but the most important part is that they are present. I'll take that!" Again, the bar has never been lower.

Sarah and I spent the last two days in a lake town at a waterfront hotel. The boys are at Grandma and Grandpa's house, so we have a few rare days of alone time. We've had a blast catching rest, sun, and relaxation. We've also hit a bunch of the local restaurants, bars, and coffee shops. Let's just say the results have been wildly mixed. Translation: The bar has never been lower!

Between the service, food quality, hospitality, cleanliness, and timeliness, it's been a wild experience. Very few places are doing things well. Yet, despite that, many appear to be succeeding. I found myself wondering what would happen if someone set up shop with an explicit goal of being excellent. They would take over this little world! Why? Because the bar has never been lower.

I'm not picking on this particular town. I see it every day in every city, including my own. "Good enough" seems to be the motto of our day, creating a sleepwalking culture where businesses look to the left and look to the right, trying to determine how little effort must be exerted to stay on par with their peers. If the bar is low, expectations can remain muted and still eke out a victory they call survival.

I'll share an example of someone who doesn't give two rips about the bar. Sarah and I walked into a little deli. It was bright and vibrant, with a ton of energy.....you could feel it. The front of the store was stocked with a unique mix of products. The back half, though, was where the magic happened. There was a deli counter on the left, with two women ripping out gorgeous sandwiches and slinging little tubs of homemade salads. As I approached the counter, one of the women greeted me like I was her long-lost nephew. She was patient while she excitedly helped me navigate my choices.

The second woman was eager to scoop me up a few salads to pair with our sandwiches. She, too, couldn't have been more cheery. Lastly, with sides in hand, we turned to the right, where we were greeted with a counter full of handmade desserts. Another woman was there to joyfully ring us up and close out our experience. Even before we tasted the food, we were served an experience. By the way, the food was ridiculously good! This place is striving for excellence, and I suspect they are finding success. They see how low the bar is, then crush it.

That's our mission today. Recognize how low the bar is, then destroy it.

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Knowing Your Worth

I witnessed something atrocious yesterday.

As I was waiting to get a haircut, the other barber in the shop had a peculiar interaction with a customer. This customer asked the barber for a jar of hair product, and the barber quickly obliged by grabbing it off the shelf and handing it to him. "How 'bout I give you $11 for this?" The barber looked stunned; stunned enough that she froze and looked uncomfortable. The shelf price is $24, by the way (it's the same product I use). A few more interactions happened, but I didn't hear. She eventually responded, "$11 is fine." But then, I heard him ask, "Well, what does it cost you?"

While cutting another man's hair, my barber jumps in, "It costs her $12." The man, being ever so thoughtful and generous (tongue in cheek), said, "I don't want you to lose money. I'll give you $12." I can't put in writing the things I wanted to do to that jerk. He couldn't have been more demeaning in his approach. In short, he treated her like a single penny of markup on the product from her cost would have been unfair to him. Again, I wanted to do things that would have landed me in jail.

Whether you're an entrepreneur or work in a traditional job, I cannot stress enough the importance of knowing your worth. Sure, some people think they are worth far more than they are (you know who I'm talking about!). However, most of us far undervalue ourselves....especially small business owners. Yesterday, that barber grossly undervalued herself. Selling product is a meaningful part of her business's revenue stream, and some jerk weaseled his way in and undercut her.

I have a rule in my coaching/consulting services. If I quote a package for a prospective client and they ask for a discount, I won't let them hire me....not even at full price. Their request means they don't value what I'm bringing to the table, at least not to the level of what I'm charging.....and that's okay. My services aren't for everyone. Some people don't want my services at all. Some people want my services, but at a much lower price. Neither of them should hire me. It means I'm not the right person for them. I'm not mad at them for it, and I certainly don't take it personally. But that's not the right client for me.

It reminds me of a moment I had early in my coaching career. One of my friends suggested that I immediately double my rates. Hesitant, I told him I would tentatively give it a shot later in the day, as I had two consultations. I quoted both prospects the same price, roughly double as my friend suggested. The first prospect said it was the biggest discount in the world and asked if we could start immediately. The second prospect said it was a massive ripoff and people would be stupid to hire me.

Whatever you do, it's not for everyone. Your hourly wage. Your annual salary. Your sales commission. Your fee. Some people will laugh at you, calling you a ripoff. Others, though, will see what you really bring to the table and will eagerly pay you to serve them well. Know your worth, and don't let a couple jerks knock you off your path.

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The Three Invisible Legs

Warning: Non-traditional post….and a bit longer than normal. I felt conflicted, but ultimately decided I needed to take this tangent today.

Shockwaves were recently sent through my community when a popular restaurant unexpectedly closed. It's a newer restaurant that's known to be quite busy. Social media was abuzz, with many commenters dumbfounded by how a business as busy as this can't make it financially.

There were, of course, the obligatory comments about tariffs, evil landlords, how there are already too many restaurants, and people not "supporting" small businesses (which is ironic considering the place was constantly packed).

Several people sent me news articles about the closure, asking for my perspective. As a society, we judge how good a business is doing by how much traffic it has. After all, it's tangible. More people equals more revenue, and more revenue equals more profit.

Today, I want to discuss what I refer to as the three invisible legs of business. Like a real three-legged stool, a business needs all three of these legs to stand firm. If one or more is missing (often the case), the business is at risk of faltering. With that setup, here are the three legs:

First, capital structure. This refers to how the business is funded. Some businesses require little capital to launch, creating little to no capital structure tension. However, if a business owner relies heavily on debt, the financial burden of this capital structure can feel heavy. Consumers can't see how this dynamic silently and brutally plays out behind the scenes. The moment a business owner creates the capital structure is the moment a certain level of risk/pressure is introduced (or not).

Second, overhead. One of the other hallmark moments that defines a business's financial fate is when its overhead is established. Think about these as fixed costs. Rent, utilities, insurance, software, labor (for non-service businesses), etc. These expenses must be paid whether or not a single penny of revenue is generated. And depending on how the business owner approached this, it can feel anywhere from light as a feather to an anvil tied around your ankle.

Third, gross margins. This is one of the least understood nuances of business.....even among business owners. The gross margin is how much profit each good or service generates when sold. For example, if a retailer buys a t-shirt for $10 and sells it for $15, it generates a 33% gross margin ($5 profit divided by $15 sale price). However, the underbelly of gross margins in most people's businesses is that they don't account for the full cost. Let's use the same t-shirt example. Not only do we need to include the cost of the shirt, but also the card processing fees, tags, bags, and any other nuances. Let's say these costs account for an additional $3. Instead of a $5 profit, it's actually only $2.....which is a 13% gross margin. Margins matter so much! If a business doesn't have satisfactory margins, they won't even be profitable if they sell a billion dollars worth of goods!

This is where all three invisible legs get slotted together. There needs to be enough sales at a high enough gross margin to overcome the capital structure and overhead.....plus enough to provide a sustainable profit. All three legs matter so much, and this is where many businesses are whiffing. It's a simple concept, but difficult to execute.

I’ll close with an example:

Business A generates $45,000 of monthly revenue at a 35% gross margin. That’s $15,750 of gross profit. After subtracting $11,000 of overhead and $4,000 of debt payments, it has $750 of profit remaining.

Business B generates the same $45,000 of revenue, but at a 50% gross margin. That’s $22,500 of gross profit. After subtracting $7,000 of overhead and $1,000 of debt payments, it has $14,500 of profit remaining.

It looks the same from the outside, but behind the curtain, Business B is making nearly 20x as much profit on the same amount of sales. These dynamics can be staggering!

Consumers, hopefully you find this interesting and make you see things differently next time you go into a business. Business owners, please focus on these three legs; your survival and success depend on it.

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Never As Good As We Believe

May was an epic month for us at Northern Vessel. We experienced unprecedented growth and achieved things we never thought possible. We sold 1,100 gallons of our signature oat milk cold brew latte alone. Unreal developments, and I'm so grateful for all of it.

At the same time, however, we encountered and discovered gut-wrenching problems that knocked us down a peg or two on the ego scale. This is a universal principle I firmly believe in: No matter how good we might think we're doing, we're never as good as we believe. Danger lurks behind every corner, and our successes often mask the warts.

I'm not trying to go all Debbie Downer on you today. In fact, I think this is the most encouraging message of all. There's ALWAYS room for improvement. That's why some of my favorite coaching clients are the ones who are already doing well in their finances, businesses, and careers. No matter how good they might think they are doing, we WILL unearth some warts when we pull back the layers. Translation: There's no cap on their potential!

One of my clients is in the process of paying off more than $80,000 of student loan debt, $2,000/month, month after month. Not too shabby, and they hope to be done in less than 40 months. Common sense would suggest they are doing pretty awesome, but ultimately, they aren't doing as well as they believe. My job was to help them dig deeper and find their warts. After a few small but meaningful tweaks, their 40-month payoff plan has been reduced to 17 months. That's the power of realizing we're never as good as we believe. I'm excited for them!

Whatever area of your life this piece makes you think about, just know that you have far more in you. The only thing it requires of you is the humility to look deeper and genuinely desire to see the warts under the surface. Once you find them and address them head-on, you'll be able to hit a new, unprecedented trajectory.

As for us at Northern Vessel, we have our work cut out for us to correct some of these flaws. We owe our customers excellence. No matter how good people tell us we are, we can't quit striving for an even higher standard, in every aspect of the business. We owe that to our customers......and ourselves. You do, too, in whatever discipline you happen to find yourself in. Today's a great day to push forward.

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Excellence, On Display

I spent yesterday morning observing my town's farmer'’ market, wearing a few different hats. First, I'm on the board of directors for the organization that hosts the market. Second, I have multiple clients that operate booths at the market. I spent the day watching, chatting, and taking notes.

First, my town's farmer's market is Thriving, with a capital "T." It's amazing to watch how it's evolved over the years, blossoming into a destination. That's a difficult task, considering it's only a 20-minute drive away from one of the top three markets in the country. For years, my town's farmers’ market was a consumer's consolation prize for not driving to the Downtown Des Moines Farmers' Market. Now, however, it's THE go-to for many people.

That sort of transformation doesn't happen by accident. Rather, it's a byproduct of excellence. That's not a simple endeavor, though, as each company operates independently. Each experience is different. Every booth, every product offering, every pricing strategy. All it takes is a handful of bad vendors to spoil the reputation of the market. On the flip side, it takes multiple examples of excellence to establish a winning reputation for the market.

What I witnessed yesterday was widespread excellence. There are no coincidences. When businesses are excellent, people flock. When they aren't, they don't. I've written about this before, but an entire segment of our population preaches "support small business." They shout it from the rooftops, casting a shadow of guilt, manipulation, and obligation upon the broader audience. What they have to sell may or may not be any good, but we should "support" them because they are small (and local).

The irony of this phenomenon is that almost everyone is small and local. As I witnessed the behavior of the market-goers yesterday, they flocked to the excellent businesses and largely avoided the "support small business" businesses (which often correlate with a lack of excellence).

People don't care about supporting you; they care that you're excellent. If you're excellent, they will come. If you aren't, they won't. This is always painfully obvious in a farmer's market setting. Sure, you can talk down to everyone (on social media or in person), telling them they need to support you, but the cream always rises to the top. If you lack excellence, you'll suffer, and it has nothing to do with you being a small business.

Farmer's markets are the great equalizer. Everyone is on the same playing field. Most vendors have the same booth size, the same hours, and the same foot traffic. What they do with that opportunity, however, is what really matters. Those who are excellent will thrive. Those who aren't will either learn to become excellent, or fizzle out.

Next time you're at your local farmer's market, keep your eyes open for these dynamics. It's a fun way to walk through the market! Oh yeah, and while you're there, find some excellent businesses and allow them to serve you well!

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Happy Anniversary, Wall!

Yesterday was a huge day for us at Northern Vessel. No, it wasn't the anniversary of our opening. No, we didn't hit any particular milestones. No, we didn't launch any new products. In fact, practically nobody even knew it was a significant day. As of right now, the only ones in the know are me, the other two owners, our team, and now, you.

Yesterday was the first and only one-year anniversary of not having a car crash through our shop's walls. We've been open for nearly three years, and until yesterday, we've never gone 12 months without having our space devastated by a speeding vehicle.

It's easy to laugh about this today, but the truth is, we've always laughed about it. No, we never found it particularly funny having our business and the safety of our guests/staff put at risk by the misdeeds of reckless people. The truth is, though, we only had two choices: laugh about it or cry about it. We chose laughter.

Regardless of what industry, discipline, career, or role we're in, we WILL be faced with brutal challenges. Obstacles, tragedies, misfortunes, and many other similar words that reek of misery. These types of things are inevitable, but our reaction to them isn't. The onus is on each of us to respond well.

Sure, we could have played the victim card. Our beautiful shop was devastated by a car in August 2023, bringing all our good momentum to a halt. We had everything going for us, then BOOM! (literally), all that good work turned into wreckage. We closed for a few days before reopening with our beautiful glass windows replaced with ugly plywood.

You can probably imagine how euphoric it felt to finally have a fully operational shop in March 2024 when the construction was complete. We were so happy to be back to normal! We spent the next several weeks re-building momentum, preparing for what was sure to be an amazing summer.

Then, in the worst form of deja vu, terror struck again in May 2024 when a second car crushed us again. Devastating! However, we again chose to laugh. A poor attitude wasn't going to fix anything. Instead, we endeavored forward, committed to the vision of providing world-class hospitality despite the new eyesore and hindered operation.

Yesterday, though, we celebrated one year of being car crash-free. We rejoice in the fact our shop is beautiful, our team is thriving, and our guests are joyful.

Nothing will go the way we plan (or hope), so we must continue forward, one step at a time. While I'm talking about a coffee shop, I'm not really talking about a coffee shop. This is our lives. This is our finances. This is our businesses. This is our careers. This is our relationships. We can laugh or we can cry. We can give up, or we can carry on. We can be a victim, or we can push forward. There are a million things that can bring your dreams to a halt. Don't let them. Laugh, persevere, and keep up the good work.

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A Terrible Daughter

I spent yesterday meeting with approximately 50 leaders from all over Colombia, discussing the importance of organizational standards. Standards in transparency, communication, governance, and financial responsibility, to name a few. It was a wonderful day, and I learned so much from the various leaders (each with his/her own perspective and discipline).

At one point in the meeting, my friend Gary asked our guests to stand and share their opinions on why these standards matter. One particular woman, a middle-aged attorney, said something that struck me. I wrote it down, as it was something I wanted to sear into my brain. As with most of my meetings here, my involvement is facilitated through translators, and we're blessed to have three amazing translators with us. (Side note: I'm constantly in awe of how these three women navigate this craft so well!). Here's what this guest said that knocked me off my feet:

"Disorder is the daughter of improvisation. Without standards comes chaos, and eventually failure."

Standards mean everything! I regularly write about the importance of being excellent. Whether you're trying to thrive in your career or successfully run your business, the key is excellence. Excellence, excellence, excellence. However, excellence is born from standards.

Or, as I visually represented to our Colombian team later in the day, you can't have excellence without standards, and you can't have growth without excellence. Standards > Excellence > Growth. Therefore, everything begins with standards. If we try to be excellent without having standards, we've failed before we even start. If we try to grow without being excellent, it's like a house built on sand.....it will eventually collapse.

What are your standards? This is a question we must each ask ourselves. Whether it's in the operation of our family's finances, our careers, our parenting, our marriages, or our businesses, it all begins with standards. My friend TJ says it best: "We don't rise to the level of our aspirations. We fall to the level of our standards." If you tell me what your standards are, I'll tell you what your ceiling is.

My clients who set rock-solid standards will inevitably thrive. Yes, they will be met with stress, tension, turmoil, and unwanted surprises; that's life! However, when standards are established, and then met, success (as dictated by their standards) is nearly inevitable.

My encouragement today is to think about your standards. What standards have you set in the way you approach the various aspects of your life? I can tell you my life is thriving in the areas where I set high standards.....and struggling in the areas where I failed to set standards. I need only look in the mirror to reflect the harsh reality of this principle. Standards mean everything.

I'm so grateful for all my Colombian friends and the memories we made yesterday in Medellín. There are days we will take the to grave with us….yesterday was one of those days for me. After 14 straight hours of meetings, mission, and memories, we ended the night with a little impulsive decision to jump into the rooftop hot tub at our hotel (in the rain, nonetheless). This is the view that concluded our day.

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Getting to the Excellence Part

I recently discovered that an old friend runs a business. I had no idea he even had a business, which perhaps should have been my first red flag. In any event, I discovered his business upon seeing a social media post from said business, venting about how people need to do a better job "supporting" small businesses. In short, his business was struggling, and unless something changes soon, they may have to shut their doors.

Curious, I did a deep dive into his last 12 months of social media posts. Here's what I found: 50% of the posts were about supporting small business, 40% of the posts were them taking stands on various political topics, and 10% of the postswere related to the business.

I reached out to my friend, offering to help. "Dude, I can't even tell what your business does from looking at your social media." Clearly annoyed, he responded, "People should already know what I do."

He asked if I had any ideas, seemingly open to outside ideas/perspectives. As a matter of fact, I had many......but one stands out above all others. He needs to get to the excellence part.....period. Just be excellent. Serve people well. Add value to his customers. Treat people with hospitality. Do amazing work. At every step of the conversation, he wanted to return to the idea that people need to "do a better job at supporting small businesses."

The same day, I talked to another friend who is struggling at work. He believes he deserves to be promoted, but gets continually overlooked. "Have you been excellent?" I asked. He just stared at me for a few seconds. "Well, I show up to work if that's what you're asking." After some prodding, here's what I discovered:

• He shows up to the office right on time.....never early.

• He NEVER stays past 5PM. If there's a project hanging in the balance, it can wait until tomorrow. "I don't work for free."

• He doesn't respond to messages outside of business hours.

• He admittedly does just enough to get by.

There's nothing excellent about that. I'm not advocating for his firing, but at the same time, I'm not sure why anyone would want to promote someone who doesn't exude excellence.

When all else fails, be more excellent. Are there people out to get us? Maybe. Is life fair? Not at all. Are crappy things going to happen to us? Without a doubt. But through all that noise, excellence stands out. Excellence is the linchpin to everything. There are a million things we cannot control, but our level of excellence is one we can.

So, today, whether you're an employee or a business owner, let's get to the excellence part. Excellence always wins.

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Must Be Nice

"Must be nice." Ah, gotta love that phrase. "Must be nice" is a politer way to say "You got lucky" or "I'm jealous." It's also a phrase that signals the beginning of the end. The mere utterance of these words signals that your inputs are detached from your outputs. Using this phrase means outcomes are not correlated with executon. Mentioning this phrase means you've lost before you've even had a chance to play the game.

These words were said to me on Saturday afternoon on the heels of the Downtown Des Moines Farmers' Market. My friend saw our huge line as he passed through the market and had some "feedback" for me afterward. He gave me permission to write about it, so that took away some of the sting. In short, though, he attributed our long lines to good fortune. Right place, right time.

He's not alone in this sentiment, and this doesn't just apply to Northern Vessel. If you've built something that matters (whether it be a business or career), there are countless people in your life who are sopping with jealousy. Or, in the words of one of my business owner clients, "Travis, you're the only person in our lives we can even talk to about this stuff. You're the only one who will genuinely celebrate with us." He, too, gets lots of "It must be nice" comments. Jealousy is everywhere.

The truth is, it does feel nice. It feels wonderful to create something that matters. However, ahead of that niceness is a ton of blood, sweat, tears, pain, suffering, failure, and growth.

In this conversation, my friend asked what I attributed our success to. I think there are a lot of reasons for it, and they all revolve around inputs, not outputs. While most people believe in obsessing about the outputs, we believe in obsessing over the inputs and merely measuring the outputs.

Here are some of our inputs:

• We're obsessed with finding the right people. It's extremely difficult to get hired at NV. TJ's standards and expectations are brutally high.

• Financially, we believe in paying our team ridiculously well. TJ hasn't given me permission to share specifics (yet!), but we created a compensation structure for the farmer's market that boggles the mind. Interests are aligned, and our team is incentivized to crush it.

• In turn, the work is a grind! It's like going to battle. Our team goes into market days knowing they will be wreckedby the time we're done. My hope is they look back on that experience and say, wow, that was awesome!

• Unreasonable hospitality. It's not good enough to quickly serve a coffee. Anyone can serve a coffee. But can you make people feel a certain way while doing it? The experience is everything.

• Constant obsession with getting better and more efficient. "Good enough" isn't good enough. Every team member has the green light to propose ideas for "better."

I pray you get rid of the phrase "It must be nice" from your life, and keep all the "It must be nice" people at arm's length. Whatever you're into, obsess about the inputs and measure the outputs. Keep going! "Nice" is coming.

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5.2

Yesterday marked a hallmark day in my year: The first day of farmer's market season! This is the third year Northern Vessel has set up shop at the Des Moines Farmers' Market (regularly voted one of the top five markets in the country). 

Our operation is simple, but difficult. The simple part is that we only sell one product: our signature oat milk cold brew latte. The difficult part is scaling it to levels that challenge common sense and any form of reasonableness.

The market is open from 7am-12pm on Saturday mornings, May through October. Five hours, once per week, for six months. 26 bites at the apple. You get one shot to make the most of that precious time. Heading into our first year, we had no idea what we were doing. We essentially winged it, figured out what didn't work, tweaked, tested, and repeated. Eventually, we plateaued at a point where we could sell 2.8 drinks per minute. It was a massive success! We were proud of our achievements and thoroughly enjoyed the process.

Heading into our second year, we knew our peak was around 2.8 drinks per minute, but we aspired to do it better. A better experience, more fun, more hospitality, a better overall vibe. We wanted that three-minute experience to be the highlight of someone's day. 

By the third week of our second season, we realized our minds were far too small. After testing (and failing) new ideas, our constant tweaking yielded results we never even imagined. In the heart of that season, we capped out at 5.2 drinks per minute.....it was bonkers.

In this last offseason, heading into the third year, we looked at it differently. No matter how close we think we are to our peak, we realize we still haven't even scratched the surface of what's possible. This mere notion led our team down a rabbit hole of obsession. For the past few months, we've tested new ideas and debated countless tweaks. What if this person stands here? What if those cups are positioned there? What if we used this other piece of equipment to fill cups instead of the normal one? What if a different person fills that role?

As this season approached, that 5.2 drinks per minute number lingered in our minds. This time, though, we didn't look at it as a ceiling, but rather a floor. In our minds (or perhaps imaginations), we believed we could blow by a previous record that never seemed possible to begin with. Our new goal: 7.0 drinks per minute for five hours. Yesterday was our first test. In yesterday’s market season opener, with unseasonally low temps, we landed at 5.2 drinks per minute.....tying our previous peak-season record. Now, we tweak.

I love this team!

I have much more to say about this, but I'm quickly running out of real estate. I'll pick that up soon. In the meantime, here's my takeaway. Whatever you think is possible....is. Whatever you think isn't possible.....isn't. And whenever you think you've reached your peak, you haven't even scratched the surface. Keep tweaking!

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Back Against the Wall

There's an interesting theme I've noticed over the years. I think about this often, and it was brought up to me by a friend yesterday. When successful business owners or entrepreneurs are interviewed about their origin stories, they don't usually say, "Yeah, life was pretty good, and I was really content where I was, but I threw it all in the trash so I could start over and significantly increase the stress and risk in my life."

Rather, it's usually something more along the lines of, "I lost my job, my girlfriend broke up with me, and I was living in a dump, so I figured, 'why not give it a shot?'" I might have exaggerated that a bit, but there's usually an inflection point of pain that precipitated the career move.

Why is that? Why is it that people who built something amazing didn't start until life punched them in the face? That's a rhetorical question, as I have my own theory: OK is the worst place to be. When we're OK, we're just good enough not to want to rock the boat of life. OK means we're probably not overly miserable, overly impoverished, or overly hungry for better.

I'd argue that OK robs us of a thirst for meaning. OK allows us to say, "It could be worse," and then take steps to prevent "worse" from happening. Sure, I might not be happy, but at least I'm not miserable! Thus, we hold on to "not miserable" like our life depends on it.

On the flip side, I'm watching person after person who experienced profound pain, loss, suffering, and uncertainty pursue a much different path. A scary path. An unknown path. A non-linear path. It's the hardest thing they've ever done, yet at the same time, they report it's the most meaningful they've ever lived.

It's also funny how this group of people wouldn't wish away their painful inflection points, as that would mean wiping their eventual decision to pivot in life. Looking back, the worst thing they ever experienced led to the best.

And all it took was for their backs to be put against the wall. I don't feel bad for people who were put in absolutely terrible gut-wrenching back-against-the-wall positions. I feel bad for the people who have experienced a lot of OK without the pain. Perhaps it's time some of us put our own backs against the wall and use it as an opportunity to live the life we're meant to live. I’m not saying everyone should turn their lives upside down and abandon their jobs, but for those of you silently suffering in the discontent of OK (you know who you are), I’m talking to you!

Whether you're OK, living in deep meaning, or have your back against the wall as we speak, keep fighting for it! It's worth it. I hope you have an amazing day!

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Getting It Right, Not Being Right

TJ and I have had many intense Northern Vessel conversations over the past three weeks. We've faced (and continue to face) many challenges. All in all, though, these are good things. In just 2.5 years, we've already outpaced our year-seven projection. This is an amazing blessing, but that sort of blessing comes with many trials. TJ and I have an interesting relationship. I've been somewhat of a mentor figure to him over the years, which turned into a big brother / little brother type situation, turned best friends, as well as business partners. On top of that, in my new role as head of operations, I report to him as my boss. It can be tricky!

On this surface, this might seem like a recipe for disaster. That's a lot of landmines to maneuver. However, our dynamic works very well together. It's not due to luck. Rather, a few important dynamics make all the difference in the world. First, we both care deeply about the mission. Ultimately, even when we disagree, we're on the same team and have the organization's best interest in mind. The second, though, is the most important. It's a line in the sand he and I drew more than two years ago, and it's at the center of everything we do. In fact, TJ brought it up yesterday during a particularly intense conversation. 

Neither of us is in the business of being right…… we're in the business of getting it right. The best idea wins, period. This steadfast boundary changes everything. It's not about ego, one-upping the other, or winning a debate. The only thing that matters is getting to the best possible outcome, regardless of our path to get there. Sometimes, he's right. Sometimes, I'm right. Sometimes, neither of us is right. However, we usually get to the right place, and through our trust in one another to be in the business of getting it right, we end up in a far better place for it. 

In my opinion, this is the only mode to operate life. It can sometimes be humbling, even embarrassing, but everyone wins when the best outcome is reached. I see this in my coaching all the time! If one spouse is in the business of being right, the couple won't ultimately reach its potential. This dynamic is usually caused by arrogance, pride, or stubbornness. It's destructive to both the finances and the marriage. On the flip side, if both spouses are in the business of simply getting it right (regardless of who is more right), they will absolutely crush it. I've seen this play out over and over and over, spanning more than a decade with some couples. 

As you navigate your day, be in the business of getting it right, not being right. I promise it will change your life....and your relationships!

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Paying for Outcomes, Not Inputs

I saw the most wonderful TikTok video yesterday! The text on the screen said, "I paid this guy $500 to remove a tree, and it took him less than a minute....I think I overpaid." Behind the text was a video of an enormous crane tearing this massive stump, massive root system and all, out of the soil like it was a small weed. It was thoroughly impressive! The entire point of this video was to show how ripped off this person was because they paid $500 for a job that took just a few minutes.

This is where people get so twisted up. The prevailing thought process in our culture is that when we purchase something, whether a service or a product, we're paying for the cost of the physical inputs and/or the time that went into it. In reality, though, we're paying for an outcome.

In the video mentioned above, they weren't paying for the person's time, and they weren't paying for the cost of the equipment. They were paying for the desired outcome of no longer having that ugly tree stump in their yard. That's it. It doesn't matter how much the business's time or equipment costs. Is having a stump-free yard worth $500 to them? Yes or no? That's the only equation that matters.

I occasionally get the same thing in my coaching. All of my coaching is quoted on a flat-rate basis. The client shall get x number of meetings over y number of months, plus access to me between meetings, for $z. Once in a blue moon, a prospective client will ask me for a formal breakdown of my time (prep, meeting, follow-up hours, etc.). Why? They want to determine what my hourly rate is to determine if my price is fair. Problem: I'm not selling my time. I'm selling an outcome: impact….hopefully life-changing impact. Either a prospective client believes the impact I can make in their life is worth more than the fee I charge, or they don't. If they don't, they absolutely shouldn't hire me.

Coffee is another example. I recently had a friend tell me our Northern Vessel signature oat milk cold brew lattes are a ripoff at $6.50. "What are you putting in them, gold!?!?" Well, close, but no. Housemade cold brew concentrate, oat milk, and simple syrup. "And that costs you $6.50?!?!" People aren't actually paying for coffee, milk, and sugar. They are paying for an outcome. In this case, the desired outcome is an experience. It's the community, camaraderie, atmosphere, hospitality, memories, and, yes, a hopefully delicious drink experience. If this outcome is worth more than $6.50 to someone, they should consider buying one, but if not, they shouldn't!

Whether you're wearing your consumer hat or business hat, always remember this principle. We aren't paying for physical inputs or time.....we're paying for outcomes. Know what you're really selling, and sell it with confidence. Know what you're really buying, and buy it with confidence. What outcome are you trying to obtain? Does xyz product or service provide said outcome and cost less than the value this desired outcome adds to your life? If so, amazing!

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The Chicken and Egg of Hospitality

We've been pushing the boundaries a bit more with our recent Northern Vessel social media content. Instead of focusing on coffee, we're venturing more into our core principles and practices around hospitality and mindset. In a recent Instagram post, we used a negative quote concept. This is done by showing what the normal narrative is (crossed out), followed by how we perceive it. Here's what it said:

• Hospitality = Service / Service is about the transaction, while hospitality focuses on the experience.

• Hospitality is only for the service industry / Making people feel seen and valued works in any field, not just for coffee shops or restaurants.

• Hospitality is one way / It's a cycle - When people feel it, they're more likely to share it with others.

• Hospitality requires extravagance / The simplest acts often leave the biggest mark.

• Hospitality is just being nice / It's about creating a genuine sense of welcome and connection.

As expected, someone chimed in on the comments, right on cue: "I will be hospitable when the average guest treats industry workers like humans and not machines."

It looks like we have a bit of a chicken-and-egg type scenario here. As customers, we must apparently earn the right to be treated with dignity. If we treat the service providers well enough, we'll earn the right to also be treated well. In reality, if they treat their customers like trash (which is increasingly more common), the customers will feel disrespected - the opposite of valued - and the relationship will be damaged.

Consumers, if you frequent businesses that treat you like this, I encourage you to run away and never go back.

Businesses, if you have team members who possess this attitude, I strongly encourage you to clean house. This will pollute your culture faster than anything.

There's a flip side to this chicken-and-egg scenario. Let's say you're engaging with someone with a poor attitude. I can almost guarantee that treating this person as poorly as they are treating you is a one-way ticket to a disastrous outcome. Or, you can take the opposite approach by showing genuine hospitality. The beautiful part about hospitality is that it's contagious. Someone with a terrible attitude who is met with hospitality has the potential to reverse course. I've seen it play out again and again. I've witnessed people clearly having a bad day, ready to take it out on the next service worker in their path, only to be met with beautiful hospitality. Almost instantly, this person's attitude begins to shift. Fast forward just a few minutes later, and this once-grumpy customer starts showing hospitable traits to other customers. Hospitality spreads!

Hospitality shouldn't be an act of quid pro quo. Instead, it's a simple act of dignity, respect, and honor. Genuine hospitality belongs in every setting, every industry, every discipline, and every situation.

Sure, you could withhold hospitality from someone until they earn it. That's one way to approach life. Or you could freely give it, knowing you're doing the right thing, and watch the beauty that unfolds.

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Excellence Is All Around Us

Do you know how much time, money, and energy we spend on businesses and people who are anti-excellent? Too much, too much, and too much. It's not that we don't appreciate excellence, but rather, we seem to be obsessed with this notion of "supporting" businesses and people out of a twisted sense of pity, guilt, and obligation.

There's an irony in our behavior. While we're busy tolerating mediocrity (or worse), excellence is all around us. It would be one thing if all there were were subpar businesses and people. Luckily, though, that's not the case. Wherever you reside, excellence is all around you!

In just the past few days, I had lunch at a killer pizza joint (excellence!), spent time with an amazing educator who is finding new ways to drive impact with teens (excellence!), purchased 30 pounds of high-quality meat from my favorite meat market (excellence!), spent several hours with our Northern Vessel baristas (excellence!), had a date night at the newly crowned "best brewpub in America" (excellence!), got a haircut by my always amazing barber (excellence!), picked up a few new reads at my favorite little bookstore (excellence!), and watched my kids be instructed by their rock band teacher (excellence!).

I could have easily spent my time, energy, and money "supporting" other businesses, but to what end? To encourage mediocrity? To artificially prop up someone who hasn't earned it?

Here's how I look at it. We only have so much money, time, and energy to go around. Every dollar, hour, and calorie we spend on one thing is a dollar, hour, and calorie we don't get to spend on another. If that's true, then we each have a series of critical choices before us each day.

I'm not asking you to choose winners and punish losers. I'm merely suggesting we should expect excellence, encourage excellence, demand excellence, receive excellence, and reward excellence. Doing so has a powerful impact on the world around us. It forces businesses and organizations to either become more excellent, or fizzle out. It's simple. It's profound. It's impactful.

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What is Excellence?

I'm preparing for what may be the most anticipated talk I've ever given. The audience will include CEOs and other leaders from some of the most well-known organizations in the Midwest. The topic? Excellence.

I'll be exploring how organizations can practice excellence in their day-to-day operation. Not by simply talking about excellence, but actually putting one foot in front of the other.

As a consumer, what does excellence look like to you? What would an organization do that would make you stop and think, "Wow, that was amazing!"

My mind immediately gravitates to Chewy, an online pet supply company. This story has lived rent-free in my head ever since I first heard it. One of the things Chewy is most known for is its monthly subscriptions to pet food and other frequently-used supplies, which systematically show up at the consumer's door. These products are needed, like clockwork, month after month. But then, something tragic happens: the loss of a pet. It's inevitable.

This is when a potential gut-wrenching moment happens. A family is mourning the loss of its pet, and a fresh bag of dog food shows up at the door (along with a new charge on their card). Talk about rubbing salt in the wound.

The customer calls Chewy to cancel the subscription, explaining their pet recently passed away. Chewy, in its relentless pursuit of excellence, reacts with empathy. First, it reverses the charge on that customer's card while simultaneously canceling their subscription. Second, it tells the customer NOT to send the supplies back. Instead, please bless a friend or loved one with them. Third, Chewy sends the customer a bouquet of flowers, communicating its condolences for their recent loss. That's excellence in practice.

I have a first-hand story to add to the mix. About six weeks ago, one of our periodic Northern Vessel customers stopped by the shop with his dog. During the interaction, one of our baristas offered the dog a treat. The man declined, citing that the dog only eats one particular kind of treat. The barista made a mental note.

Six weeks go by, and the man returns to the shop, again accompanied by his dog. And again, our barista offers the dog a treat. The man declined, citing that the dog only eats one particular kind of treat. This time, though, the barista was prepared. He pulled out the exact treat this man's dog could have and presented one to the sweet dog. The man was shocked.....and grateful. Our barista, in my humble opinion, showed excellence.

What about you? Would you share a personal story of excellence with me? What experience moved the needle for you? How did it impact your relationship with that organization? I thrive on these stories, and I firmly believe my future audience will, too!

Always seek excellence. Whether you're going to the grocery store, getting your vehicle serviced, grabbing a cup of coffee, or getting your hair cut. Anyone can perform a task, but why not choose excellence? Oh yeah, while you're at it, choose to be the excellence other people deserve!

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Ripping Off the Facade

Running a business is a lot like parenting: While it seems like everyone is an expert, we’re all just winging it. It seems daunting and overwhelming because, well, it is. But then it gets somewhat easier, eventually, while still being forever difficult. This is a gross misconception I see with a lot of young business owners. Not young in the sense of their age, but young as it pertains to their experience running a business. We’re led to believe that owning our own businesses means we get to set our own hours, be our own boss, work less, and have more fun. While these things can be true, they typically aren’t. Young business owners can quickly become shell-shocked, morphing into feelings of inadequacy, helplessness, and a constant state of being overwhelmed. Imposter syndrome starts to set in and we might spend our days (and sleepless nights) wondering if we’re cut out for this whole entrepreneurship thing. We wake up feeling like we might just be the next Jeff Bezos, then go to bed later that day wondering if we’re about to be homeless. 

Can you relate to that? Based on the hundreds of conversations I’ve had with business owners, I think most can. Today, I want to remove the facade from business ownership. Whatever you think business ownership is, it is. But all that insecurity, doubt, and struggle you carry with you? It’s that, too. Just because you might feel inadequate, overwhelmed, and underequipped doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be a business owner. These are common experiences; I’d argue healthy experiences. All meaningful work should push us, challenge us, and stretch us, including (and especially) business ownership. We should regularly do things we’ve never done before, wondering how we got into this precarious situation. 

What sets successful business owners apart from the rest are a handful of clear characteristics:

• The stomach to fight through the ups and downs, knowing there will constantly be more fires to put out.

• A grand vision for where you’re trying to go, willing to sacrifice the near-term shiny objects for your biggerpurpose. 

• The humility to know you can’t do it all on your own.

• The willingness to do things you’ll inevitably fail at.

• The curiosity to ask questions and learn new ideas/skills that seemed foreign to you yesterday.

• A commitment to understand your numbers and have a firm grasp of your financial structure.

• An unwavering desire to serve people well and add value to their lives. 

Even if you possess all those characteristics, it’s still going to be hard! Very hard! But that’s what makes business ownership so beautiful. If it were that simple, everyone would do it. And if it were that easy, everyone would do it well.

If this sounds like you, don’t let fear (and imposter syndrome) be what stops you.

If this doesn’t sound like you and you’re currently a business owner, don’t be afraid to step back into traditional employment. Moving away from business ownership doesn’t define you as a loser, just as moving toward business ownership doesn’t make you a winner. Work that matters is work that matters……period. Please never let someone else tell you what your meaningful work should be. 

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Tell the Others

My social media feed was inundated with "support xyz business" posts all day today. I'm starting to believe the algorithm is just trolling me at this point. Oh well, I suppose it provides great content ideas.

Regular readers probably know that I despise the idea of "supporting" businesses, as if they are some form of non-profit charity that can only survive if we treat them with pity and use our own self-directed guilt to give them money.

Today, I want to explore one of the actually beneficial alternatives to "supporting" businesses. Let's call it "tell the others." First, if a business in your life consistently adds value to your journey and repeatedly earns the right to serve you again, allow them to serve you again. Allow them the opportunity to earn that right, then reward them with the opportunity to earn it again.

It's like my friend Teresa at West Forty Market, a local meat market. Teresa doesn't ask me to support her business. Instead, she simply serves me with excellence and earns the right to do it again. She always delivers. I could probably get better prices at Target or Costco, but what Teresa offers is more valuable than what I could get from the big box stores. The product quality is phenomenal. It's always a great experience. Teresa is extremely knowledgeable and answers all my questions. She treats people with genuine hospitality. I always walk out satisfied and grateful I decided to visit. Teresa has earned the right to serve me, and continues to re-earn the right each time I visit. That's what business is all about.

Once that piece is locked in, the "tell the others" component comes into play. It's simple. If a business has continued to earn and re-earn the right to serve you with excellence, it's an act of generosity to share said excellence with people around us. Why would I want to keep such a beautiful thing a secret? The people I care about deserve to be served as well as I do. Thus, I tell the others.

Teresa at West Forty Market is a great example. I just told 1,000+ people about her. That's an act of generosity, but not generosity to Teresa. It's an act of generosity to the people I’m telling. The people I care about deserve to be served as well as I do. They deserve a little meat market that serves a top-notch product, with a great experience, by someone who will treat them with hospitality. You deserve that.

What Teresa gets out of it isn't "support." Rather, she might earn the right to serve some new faces with excellence. And if she does, she might earn the right to do it again. And if she does, they, too, may tell the others....and the cycle repeats. That's how real businesses are built.

Whatever amazing businesses in your life have earned and re-earned the right to serve you, tell the others. Share the good news. It's an act of generosity. Not generosity to the business, but to the people who deserve that type of excellence in their lives as well.

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Growth For Growth’s Sake

I recently enjoyed lunch with an old friend. He's a former colleague who went on to create his own business. Over the years, his business has grown substantially, to the point where it now provides an income that far exceeds anything he or his wife ever imagined. To put it bluntly, his family is well taken care of.

That's the setup for what I'm about to say. He's stressed, stretched thin, and running out of steam. He's a grinder, and it's all catching up to him. In the same conversation, he mentioned to me that his goal is to grow the business by x% in 2025. My response: "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you striving to grow so much when you're already stretched so thin and running on empty?"

"Isn't that what I'm supposed to do? If you're not growing, your dying."

My friend is stuck in a success paradox. He's created something that's truly successful, but simultaneously, he created a life and career that can't provide peace and contentment. In his effort to gain security, he unintentionally self-sabotaged himself to the point where he can never enjoy it.

I need to clarify one thing. This guy loves what he does. He's living his calling, his meaning, and his purpose. He's doing exactly what he's meant to do, and that's awesome! However, at the same time, he's caught in the trap.

My next question was simple and straight to the point: "What do you really want?"

Not surprisingly, he said things such as being a present father, a supporting spouse, getting more involved in his church, feeling more peace, and finding more time to get away with the family.

His current business allows for all of this! He's already there! On the flip side, pursuing x% growth in the season ahead will most certainly hinder these goals. Therefore, he has a simple choice to make: meaning or money. Growth for growth's sake is a money grab, an ego grab, or both. But it's not meaning.

Whether you own a business or not, I think this concept can and should hit close to him. Growth for growth's sake. More for more's sake. Newer for newer's sake. Bigger for bigger's sake. Fancier for fancier's sake. These all lead us to the same place. When we strive for more just because "that's what we're supposed to do," we inadvertently self-sabotage our bigger purpose and our true goals.

As we walked out of the restaurant, I told my friend I hope his business doesn't grow in 2025. I hope it stays exactly how it is: amazing. If so, he'll position himself to do everything he says is important to him. Sure, more feels good. It's shiny. It's sexy. It's stokes our ego. But meaning always trumps it. Every. Single. Time.

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Stepping Across the Line

Whenever I write about my disgust in the "support small business" movement, I suffer a momentary wave of panic that I'll lose some of my small business owner subscribers. After all, my ideas on the subject are about as counter-cultural as they come. I've lost my fair share of readers from this position, but I'm grateful for everyone who has stuck with me and has been willing to hear a different perspective.

With that context in mind, I have a fun story to share. One of my small business owner friends recently reached out via text. He confessed there were many days where his finger hovered over the "unsubscribe" button out of frustration, but for whatever reason, he decided to give me the benefit of the doubt. He's a big believer in "supporting" small businesses. This isn't news to me, as I've watched him spout off that destructive narrative for years on his social channels and in his marketing.

Here's what he said next! "A while back I decided to give your idea a try. Instead of asking people to support me, I just tried to be more excellent. Do better at marketing. Treat customers better. And give people more reasons to come to my business instead of someone else's (or the big box stores)."

I'm loving this so far! Let's continue: "And it worked! My revenue has doubled in the last 6 months and I wonder why I spent so much time worrying about people supporting me. As you say, excellence always wins."

Yes! Yes! Yes! By the way, I've seen a shift in his business from watching their social media. The change is palpable. They carry themselves with a newfound confidence, and it's clear they are in the business of serving people well.

They now realize customers don't owe them anything. Customers don't exist to serve them, but the other way around. Their sole responsibility is to earn the right to serve people, serve them with excellence, and earn the right to serve them again. And if they do that well enough, earn the right for those people to share the news with others.

This is exactly what my friend has done, and his business and family are thriving as a result. He used to act entitled to people's business and feel victimized by a lack of support. Today, he and his team add a ton of value to many people's lives; they are thriving!

This is the way business should be done. I'm not arrogant enough to think I will single-handedly change the world here. However, together, we have the potential to bend the culture and slowly move the needle in this area. My friend is certainly making a difference in his little neck of the world.

Whether you own a business or work for an organization, today is another opportunity to be excellent. If we do, the rest will take care of itself.....eventually. No excuses, no justifications, no entitlement. Just excellence.

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