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Larry G. Potter
Here’s the gentle nudge I want to offer today: you’re allowed to raise your standards and lower what you tolerate.
That doesn’t mean becoming hard or inflexible. It means getting honest about the kind of work, pace, and relationships that actually support the life you’re building. It means choosing clear expectations over heroics, clarity over resentment, partnership over people-pleasing. It’s leadership.
If this resonates, try a simple reset:
Name it. Make a 5-minute “tolerations” list—deadlines you always compress, clients who ignore requests, habits that drain you. No judgment. Just see it.
Choose one upgrade. Pick the smallest item on the list and raise your standard one notch. Examples: “I book projects with a one-week buffer.” “I send a weekly checklist so I’m not chasing documents.” “I don’t quote on the spot; I follow up within 24 hours.”
Communicate with warmth and certainty. “To deliver accurate work without rush fees, I schedule X days for month-end. Here’s our shared timeline.” Your tone can be kind and human—and still firm.
Protect your new standard. Expect a wobble. People test fences they can’t see. Hold steady for two weeks and watch how quickly the world adjusts.
Celebrate the space you create. Use it for rest, thinking time, or something joyful with the people you love. That’s the whole point.
Raising your standards isn’t about being “worth more” someday; it’s about honoring your value today. The ripple effects are real: better clients, better work, better energy. And the quiet, steady confidence that comes from keeping promises to yourself.
These can significantly impact your business:
1. Focus on Your Top Three Priorities Identify the top three initiatives that will propel your firm forward the fastest. Whether it's acquiring new clients, optimizing internal processes, or enhancing your service offerings, concentrating on these key areas ensures your efforts are directed towards what truly matters. Everything else can be deferred because these are often distractions that don't contribute directly to your core objectives.
2. Avoid the Trap of "Playing Business" It's easy to get caught up in activities that feel productive but don't actually advance your business. Creating the perfect social media page or obsessing over minor website details are examples of playing business rather than being a business owner. While these tasks might seem important, they shouldn’t overshadow actions that directly impact your growth and success.
3. Execute and Iterate Execution is key. Once you’ve identified your priorities, focus on executing them effectively. Don’t wait for perfection—take action, learn from the process, and make improvements as you go. This iterative approach allows you to adapt quickly and stay ahead of the curve.
Written steps show how the work runs. Tracking shows if it’s working. One keeps the foundation steady, the other keeps the direction clear. Together, they give you freedom. And in the quiet of your own work, the questions surface: if someone new stepped in tomorrow, would the flow hold? Do you truly see the signs of health in what you’ve built? And when you look at the way things move today, are you leading from structure or simply holding it all in your head?
Discounting destroys value.
Lowering your price attracts people who will never respect your work.
Reputation buys loyalty.
When people believe in you, they will pay more and wait longer.
One broken promise can erase ten years of consistency.
Protect your word like it is your most valuable asset. Because it is.
Relationship capital outlasts any single transaction.
When people trust you, one deal turns into a lifetime of deals.
Trust is earned in actions, not words.
Anyone can say the right thing. Few consistently do the right thing.
Your bank account is a scoreboard of trust.
If people trust you, sales flow. If they don’t, every deal feels like pulling teeth.
Price problems are usually trust problems.
Customers only haggle when they doubt you can deliver.
Trust compounds like interest.
The longer you deliver with integrity, the more powerful your reputation becomes.
Not because budgets suddenly loosen overnight.
Not because luck finally swings your way.
But because you decided to operate differently.
Most people are quietly bracing for another “hard year.”
They are lowering expectations.
Pulling back.
Waiting to see what happens.
That is exactly why 2026 has the potential to be a breakout year for those who see what is coming.
Every time the market tightens, something else happens at the same time.
Weak positioning gets exposed.
Noise gets filtered out.
Decision makers pay closer attention to who actually knows what they are doing.
This is when clarity wins.
2026 will not reward the loudest business.
It will reward the clearest one.
The business owner who understands their niche better than anyone else.
The business owner who is visible before others, not scrambling.
The business owner who has built trust, authority, and demand long befor any email goes out.
Picture this for a moment.
You start 2026 with a real pipeline.
Not maybes.
Not hopes.
Actual conversations already happening.
Business owner recognize your name before you reach out.
Inbound messages show up weekly, sometimes daily.
Clients come in warmer, faster, and easier to close.
You stop negotiating fees.
You stop justifying your value.
You stop feeling like you have to prove yourself on every call.
Your content does the heavy lifting.
Your positioning does the filtering.
Your systems create momentum even when you step away.
That is not fantasy.
That is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
Here is the part most people miss.
The best years are built before they arrive.
They are not declared on January 1.
They are engineered months in advance.
Those who will dominate 2026 are already making different decisions right now.
They are investing when others hesitate.
Building when others wait.
Positioning when others hide.
They understand something simple but powerful.
When the market feels uncertain, certainty becomes magnetic.
This is not about grinding harder.
It is about thinking bigger, moving cleaner, and operating with intention.
There is a version of 2026 where you are busier than you want to be.
More selective than ever.
More confident in your business than you have been in years.
That version exists.
The only question is whether you decide to step into it.
One thing ALL execs care about: “What am I not doing that my peers already figured out?”
Whether you’re selling something niche, new, or in a crowded space, you can’t just pitch the tool.
You have to make prospects realize they’re missing something.
Talk about what your customers are doing differently and the results they're getting because of it.
But don't frame it like this: "Our customers are using our tool and getting X results."
Frame it this way: “A few other leaders in the "your" space are shifting budget into first-party content hubs, and they’re seeing a 20% lift in inbound pipeline because of it.” Or whatever space your are in.
You don’t get rich by doing more of the wrong thing.
You get rich by fixing what everyone else ignores.
Stress creates blind spots.
When you’re in the weeds, you can’t see the leaks draining your business.
Leverage comes from clarity, not chaos.
When you tighten operations, growth multiplies.
The fastest moves often feel the smallest.
Simple shifts in process usually create the biggest wins.
The firms that stand out aren’t flawless. They’re visible. They show up consistently. They create authority by letting people see them, not by waiting for perfect.
In this market, credibility doesn’t come from perfection. It comes from presence.
More activity is not the same as more progress.
If your systems are broken, doing more only multiplies the waste.
Efficiency is wealth.
Small tweaks in process can pay out bigger than massive effort.
The obvious is often invisible.
Stress blinds you to simple fixes hiding in plain sight.
The right perspective collapses years of trial and error.
One seasoned eye can spot what you’ve been missing for months.
An impression refers to the number of times your content (like posts, articles, or ads) is displayed to users, regardless of whether they interact with it. This metric is crucial for understanding the visibility of your content on a platform.
Brand Awareness: High impressions indicate that more people are seeing your content, which helps increase brand recognition and awareness.
Target Audience Engagement: Analyzing impressions can help identify which posts resonate with your audience, allowing you to tailor future content for better engagement.
Content Performance: Impressions can serve as a benchmark for measuring the reach of your content. More impressions often lead to higher engagement rates if the content is relevant.
Lead Generation: Increased visibility can lead to more inquiries and connections, ultimately driving potential leads to your business.
Market Insight: By monitoring which types of content generate the most impressions, you can gain insights into industry trends and audience interests, helping to shape your marketing strategy.
Competitive Analysis: Understanding your impression metrics allows you to compare your performance against competitors and adjust your strategies accordingly.
By focusing on increasing impressions, you can enhance your overall marketing effectiveness and drive better business outcomes.
The drop-off comes as retailers finish stocking up for the holidays, and now face an uncertain economic climate due to tariffs.
“Retailers have stocked up as much as they can ahead of tariff increases, but the uncertainty of US trade policy is making it impossible to make the long-term plans that are critical to future business success,” NRF’s VP for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said in a statement.
It refers to companies passing along higher costs but not hiking prices conspicuously, through such measures as introducing restocking fees when returns had been free, and either raising purchase thresholds to get free shipping or eliminating free shipping altogether.
Other companies and/or their CPAs are combating higher costs w/o resorting to these practices and instantly increasing their bottomline.
It's not that they're bad at their job.
They're great at compliance.
Filing returns.
Meeting deadlines.
Keeping you out of trouble with the IRS.
But compliance is not the same as tax planning.
Filing an accurate return doesn't mean you're paying the least amount legally owed.
It just means you're paying what the forms say based on the information provided.
The blind spot? They don't look for what's missing.
They don't ask, "What strategies didn't we implement this year?"
They don't calculate, "How much could we have saved if we'd planned?"
They don't suggest, "Here's what we should do differently next year."
Tax preparation looks backwards.
Tax planning looks forward.
The tax code is designed to reward business investment — if you know how to use it.
You can’t scale what you haven’t mastered.
Build one business into a system before adding more.
Multiple streams without discipline = disaster.
They don’t give freedom, they create stress.
Your economy is yours alone.
Don’t let family, friends, or social media tell you how to build it.
Control is the real goal.
Money without control is just another prison.
Section 179 and bonus depreciation allow you to deduct qualifying equipment purchases in the year you buy them — rather than spreading the deduction over several years.
But here's what most business owners don't know:
We've seen business owners rush to buy equipment in December, thinking they're saving on taxes — only to find out the deduction didn't help them at all.
The timing matters.
The type of equipment matters.
Your income level matters.
Before you make any big purchases, you need a tax plan.
GMG analyzes your specific situation to determine tax strategies you can take advantage of, like accelerating purchases, which actually makes sense for you.
Calendar-year corporations: Pay the fourth installment of 2025 estimated income taxes, completing Form 1120-W for the corporation’s records.
Employers: Deposit Social Security, Medicare and withheld income taxes for November if the monthly deposit rule applies.
Employers: Deposit nonpayroll withheld income tax for November if the monthly deposit rule applies.
Employers: Use the free app to capture benefits before the 15th your CPA probably missed!!
January 12
Individuals: Report December 2025 tip income of $20 or more to employers (Form 4070).
“Most of my jobs come from referrals.”
That’s great.
It’s great UNTIL the well dries up.
Referrals aren’t a growth strategy. They’re luck.
The firms that keep scaling don’t just rely on who happens to know them. They’re intentional about building visibility so the right people know them before the referral even happens.
That means getting in front of decision-makers consistently. Showing authority in your market. And turning your expertise into content that builds trust while you’re focused on running searches.
When you do that, referrals become a bonus, not your lifeline.
Experts say the trend is driven by a desire for control in an unpredictable job market and increased access to technological advancements ( BusinessRefund.com ) smoothing the path to entrepreneurship.
Most business owners default to drilling more wells.
They work longer hours, hire more staff, or pile on more projects.
The real leverage is in spotting inefficiencies.
Tiny changes to process often multiply results faster than “doing more.”
Stress blinds you to obvious fixes.
When you’re stuck in the weeds, you miss the big moves.
Different questions create different results.
Ask “how do I eliminate waste?” instead of “how do I grind harder?”
Most owners don’t realize they qualify for multiple state and federal incentives. We do one thing: find them money.
Here’s a quick glimpse of what we uncover every day:
• $26,000 per employee with WOTC
• 5- to 6-figure refunds with R&D Credits
• Massive depreciation boosts for building owners via Cost Seg
Checking your eligibility takes less than 60 seconds, and there’s zero cost to run it.
See What You're Eligible For CLICK HERE
If you’re paying taxes, you should be getting every dollar you deserve. Let’s find them.
Larry G Potter, Senior Advisor
1 (847) 872-4047
Lgpotter33@gmail.com
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12/15/2025 @ 3pm ET
 Back in the oil rush days, everyone was racing to drill faster. Burning time, money, and energy chasing wells. |
John D. Rockefeller looked at the chaos and asked a different question: |
That shift cut barrel costs from $2.50 to $0.96. |
Lesson? The money isn’t always in working harder. |
Here are the 6 biggest ones:
Fix these issues, one at a time, and you’ll almost certainly increase response rates.
More likes, more comments, more views, more validation.
But here’s the truth no one wants to admit:
Attention doesn’t equal impact.
Engagement doesn’t equal income.
Validation isn’t the same as value.
Chasing numbers is like running on a treadmill. You burn energy, but you don’t actually move.
What moves the needle isn’t the size of your audience, it’s the depth of your alignment:
That’s what creates business that lasts.
So let me reframe this for you:
Instead of posting to impress strangers, post to solve problems.
Instead of obsessing over “going viral,” focus on going deep.
Instead of needing to be seen, build a brand that can’t be ignored by the people who matter.
When you’re in alignment, the right people will always find you. And when they do, you’ll actually be ready for them.
It is not a matter of if. It is a matter of when.
Smart is not enough.
Talent and education mean nothing if you have no one to lean on when things break.
Pressure blinds you.
In the middle of crisis, the solution is often invisible until someone else points it out.
Access is survival.
The right phone call, at the right time, can keep your business alive.
We get it. Managing a business in today’s landscape is no small feat. But here’s the good news: there are some powerful tools available to help you overcome these obstacles, free up cash flow, and keep your business moving forward. Let’s dive into some of the most common challenges—and how a few lesser-known tax strategies can actually give you a leg up.
What if there was a way to reduce some of those costs with help from the IRS? The government actually offers some surprising tax incentives specifically aimed at businesses like yours. While these incentives can’t cut the cost of goods or energy bills directly, they can free up cash flow and provide much-needed relief. By utilizing tax credits and advanced deduction strategies, owners can uncover extra cash to help cover operational costs and put money back into the business.
One of the toughest challenges right now is managing skyrocketing expenses. With everything from raw materials to energy costs on the rise, it’s no wonder so many feel like they’re just barely getting by. Add in the costs of maintaining and upgrading equipment, and it’s easy to see why profit margins can feel razor-thin.
A Smarter Way to Fund Your Innovations
Here’s where things get interesting. Believe it or not, those tech upgrades and process improvements could qualify you for tax credits. Yep, even if you don’t think of yourself as a "tech company," your investments in product or process innovation may be eligible for credits that lower your tax bill. The best part? These credits apply year after year, meaning you’ll continue to benefit as you invest in your business’s future.
On top of that, owners who have invested in facilities or equipment can often take larger, faster deductions on certain assets. This means you could see a return on those investments sooner than you’d think, helping to offset the high upfront costs of staying cutting-edge.
Every business owner knows that compliance is a necessary part of the game. Whether it’s keeping up with safety regulations, environmental standards, or quality control, meeting these requirements is non-negotiable—and it’s often a big drain on resources. And while these investments are crucial for the well-being of your employees and customers, they don’t exactly come with an immediate payback.
How Tax Strategies Can Help Here, Too
Meeting regulatory standards can sometimes mean overhauling processes, updating facilities, or investing in new safety measures. Surprisingly, the costs associated with these improvements may also qualify for tax incentives. Not only can you reduce your tax liability, but you’ll also free up resources to reinvest in other areas of your business. So while compliance may be a cost, it’s also an opportunity to make sure you’re getting every dollar of tax relief available.
When we talk about these tax incentives, we’re not referring to loopholes or “tax tricks”—these are legitimate government-backed programs designed to support American businesses. By taking advantage of tax credits and deductions available to you, it’s possible to ease your financial pressures and keep your business moving forward. Think of it as reclaiming some of the money you’re already investing back into your company.
It’s not always easy to uncover these benefits on your own—especially when you’re focused on running a business. Working with a team that understands these specialized tax incentives can make a world of difference. They can help you identify qualifying activities and assets, ensure your documentation is in order, and maximize your savings, all while allowing you to stay focused on what you do best.
So, if you’re ready to address the financial hurdles in your business, consider exploring these tax strategies. With a little help, you can create the breathing room you need to keep up with rising costs, invest in the future, and meet compliance demands—all while keeping more cash in your pocket.
See how Stryde Savings and our Tax Management System have delivered tangible financial benefits to a diverse range of clients.
