More Stuff Isn’t It |
There comes a point where the game changes. |
You hit numbers. |
And for a minute… it feels good. |
Then it doesn’t. |
Because more stuff does not equal more meaning. |
The things that actually stick are not sitting in your garage or on your wrist. |
They are the moments you almost put off. |
The trips you almost delayed. |
The truth is simple. |
Some opportunities do not come back around. #9  |
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What they didn't have was money.
Jobs tried to get a loan from the bank. Rejected. He went to Atari, where he used to work. They passed. He called Hewlett-Packard. They told Wozniak his computer idea was interesting but not something they wanted to pursue.
Apple was running on fumes.
Then a former Intel executive named Mike Markkula heard about what they were building and how they were surviving only on fumes.
He visited the garage, saw the vision, and wrote a personal check for $250,000.
That one funded moment changed everything. The Apple II launched. The Mac followed. Then the iPod, the iPhone, the iPad. Today Apple is worth over $3 trillion.
All of it traces back to one person saying yes, when everyone else said no.
The idea was always great. The talent was always there. Funding is what turned the garage into a global empire.
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They avoid it. |
But that is not the full picture. |
Debt by itself is not good or bad. |
It depends on what you are doing with it. |
There is a big difference between using money to survive… and using money to expand. |
One drains you. |
The other multiplies you. |
Benefits: Higher response rates, builds trust quickly, opens doors with decisionmakers and creates warmer sales conversations
Do it this way:
1. Research the person before messaging them.
2. Mention something specific about their role, business, or content.
3. Keep your message concise and professional.
4. Focus on starting a conversation, not forcing a sale.
This saves time by focusing only on relevant prospects, improves networking quality, increases chances of meaningful conversations and creates more predictable lead generation opportunities
Use filters such as industry, location, title, and company size, search for people who match your ideal client profile, save names and begin engaging with their content first and reach out with relevance rather than randomness.
Why? Converts attention into leads, builds authority and trust, grows your email/database list and creates ongoing follow-up opportunities.
How To Begin:
1. Create a checklist, guide, template, or mini training.
2. Solve one specific pain point your audience has.
3. Add it to your profile Featured section and banner.
4. Mention it in relevant posts and conversations.
Small improvements in the right areas often create major long-term results.
Example: Posting often is not enough. The strongest content educates, builds trust, and guides people toward a next step.
Benefits:
✅ Positions you as an authority, attracts better quality leads, builds trust before sales conversations and increases inbound enquiries.
How to do it:
*Stay consistent with helpful, relevant content.
*Publish guides, newsletters, articles, or insights.
*Include a clear call to action where appropriate.
*Share practical tips that solve real problems.
Most people think tax season ends when the return gets filed… It isn’t. | ||
Filing is NOT the finish line. It’s the starting point for smarter tax planning.
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Managing can be surprisingly isolating. You’re expected to support others, but you don’t always have a built-in space to work through your own challenges. Over time, that lack of outlet can make everything feel heavier and harder to navigate. That’s where having a strong community makes a difference. Peers, mentors, or even a small group of managers you trust can give you perspective, help you think through tough situations, and spark new ideas you might not reach on your own. Sometimes just talking something through is enough to get unstuck or see a clearer path forward. These relationships don’t just help you solve problems. They help refill your energy and keep your thinking fresh. |
Key question: “Who are the people you can turn to when you need perspective, support, or a new way of thinking?” |
So how can you stay effective and energized when so much is being asked of you? |
Be more selective |
When everything feels important, you feel the need to be involved in everything, which will likely become unsustainable. Instead, start being more deliberate about where your presence actually adds value. There are moments where your input will move things forward quickly, and others where your team can handle it without you. For example, you might choose to stay closely involved in early-stage planning or high-stakes decisions, but step back during the execution phase. Creating space doesn’t mean stepping back completely. It means choosing where to engage so you can show up with more focus and energy when it matters most. |
Key question: “Where does your involvement truly make a difference, and where can you step back?” |
Build small moments of recovery into your day |
Most leaders think about rest as something that happens after work. But when your days are full and fast-moving, waiting until the end of the day to recharge isn’t enough. Look for small ways to reset throughout your day. That might mean taking a few minutes between meetings to step away, blocking short breaks to think without input, or simply avoiding back-to-back scheduling when possible. These moments won’t dramatically change your workload, but they will help you maintain a more consistent level of energy instead of running on empty. |
Key question: “Where can you create small pockets of recovery in your day to maintain your energy?” |
Focus on progress |
When expectations are high, everything might feel urgent – an environment that creates a reactive mindset, where you’re constantly moving from one task to the next without a clear sense of progress. Here’s where you want to shift your mindset: regularly step back and identify what actually moved forward. What decisions were made? What problems were solved? What progress did your team make? Asking these retrospective questions helps you and your team stay grounded in outcomes rather than urgency. It also creates a sense of momentum, which is a key driver of motivation and energy over time. |
Key question: “Are you measuring your days by how busy they feel, or by the progress that’s actually being made?” |
Because right now, most are getting this completely wrong.
Let's look at recruiters:
They’re using it like a job title.
“Recruiter in Manufacturing”
“Executive Recruiter | Finance & Accounting”
“Helping companies hire top talent”
“CEO of X Search”
None of that positions you.
It tells us what you do but it doesn’t tell me why we should care. And in a market where everyone sounds the same, that’s a problem.Because if your headline doesn’t immediately signal value, outcome, and specificity, you’re going to get ignored.
Here’s the shift:
Your headline should NOT be your title.
It should be a positioning statement.
And the simplest way to fix it is this:
Who you serve + the outcome you help them achieve
That’s it.
Not what you do.
Not your industry label.
Not “recruiter for X.”
Who you help and what changes because of you.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
Example 1: Helping manufacturing leaders in the Carolinas make the right finance and operations hires- so they can protect margin, performance, and momentum
Example 2: Adding revenue-generating partners to AmLaw 200 firms with long-term strategic fit
Those are different.
They signal:
• Specific buyer
• Specific problem
• Specific outcome
And more importantly, they create recognition.
The right people read it and think, “That’s for me.”Everyone else moves on and THAT is hat’s the goal.
Because LinkedIn is no longer a people-first platform. It’s a relevance-first platform.
If your positioning isn’t clear, the algorithm doesn’t know who to show you to and neither does your market.
So if you want to become the go-to in your niche, don’t start with posting more.
Start with fixing the way you’re positioned.
Your headline is the first signal.
I heard from a business owner recently who thought their taxes were "pretty optimized." |
Their CPA was responsive. Their returns were filed on time. Everything seemed fine. |
Then they went through a tax strategy review. |
Here’s what they found: |
They had been overpaying for years. Nobody was proactively looking for opportunities throughout the year. |
The strategy work just wasn't happening.  |
Your identity is the story you tell yourself about who you are.
And that story drives every behavior, decision, and result in your business.
Limiting identities create limiting results:
“I’m not a salesperson” → Poor sales
“I’m just getting by” → Survival mode
“I have to do everything myself” → Burnout and small business
Empowering identities create empowering results:
“I’m a CEO building equity” → Strategic decisions, long-term growth
“I’m a high-performer who charges what I’m worth” → Premium pricing, quality clients
“I’m a specialist known for [niche]” → Focused positioning, referrals
The shift happens through:
Define who you need to become to achieve your goals naturally
Write your “Future You” identity paragraph in present tense
Read it daily to rewire your self-image
Make one decision per week from that new identity
Watch as behaviors and results shift to match
Your self-image is the ceiling on your success.
Raise the ceiling. Step into who you’re becoming.
Your action this week: Write your “Future You” paragraph describing the person you’re becoming. Use present tense (”I am...”). Make it powerful and specific. Read it every morning for the next 30 days. Then make ONE decision this week from that identity instead of your old one. Watch what changes when you stop trying to achieve goals and start becoming the person who achieves them naturally.
Now answer: Who is the person who achieves that goal naturally?
Not what do they do. Who are they?
Example:
Goal: Build a $200K book with 90% retention.
Who achieves this naturally?
Someone who:
Values quality over quantity
Builds deep client relationships
Thinks strategically about retention
Operates like a CEO, not just a producer
Invests in systems and team
Charges confidently because they know their value
Step 1: Set a goal (”I want to make $100K”)
Step 2: Work really hard
Step 3: Hope it happens
Result: It doesn’t. Or it happens briefly, then you slide back.
Here’s why that doesn’t work:
Goals are about outcomes. But outcomes are driven by behaviors. And behaviors are driven by identity.
The hierarchy looks like this:
Identity → Beliefs → Behaviors → Results
Your identity determines what you believe is possible and natural for you.
Your beliefs determine what actions you take (or avoid).
Your actions determine your results.
If you only focus on goals (results) without changing identity, you’re fighting upstream against who you believe you are.
Example:
Goal: “I want to make $150K this year.”
But your identity says: “I’m not really a businessperson. I’m just a person trying to help people.”
Belief that flows from that identity: “Aggressive selling feels inauthentic. Real success happens organically.”
Behaviors that flow from that belief: You avoid asking for the sale. You don’t follow up persistently. You undersell your value.
Result: You make $70K. Again.
The goal failed because it conflicted with your identity.
Tax preparation reports on what happened last year. By the time your preparer reviews your return, there’s almost nothing they can change. The tax strategies that save money require decisions made during the year.
Your CPA closed your 2025 taxes. Stryde builds your 2026 plan. Those are two different conversations, and only one of them changes what you’ll owe next year.
The reality? Businesses overpay constantly. Subscriptions auto-renew. Tax codes change. Fees get tacked on invisibly.
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They post content, add connections, and remain active, yet often feel invisible, overlooked, or disappointed by limited results.
The challenge is that LinkedIn success is rarely built through posting alone. Real momentum often comes from how well you engage, support others, create conversations, and build trust over time.
There are practical ways to turn everyday LinkedIn activity into stronger relationships, increased visibility, and better business opportunities.
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