• The importance of balancing work and personal life, questioning "hustle culture" mentality

• The value of strategic thinking and decision-making vs. constant task execution

• The role of a business leader as the "bankroll" and edge-finder, rather than always being in the trenches

• The need for dedicated time for system building and strategic thinking in business operations

• Austin reflected on over-traveling while his wife was pregnant and stepfather ill

• Discussion on the pros and cons of intense "hustle culture" mentality

• John shared insights on changing relationship dynamics after quitting cannabis use

• Importance of acknowledging team members who go beyond expectations

• Discussed the lifecycle of corporations and how leadership changes impact company direction

• John emphasized the importance of his role in finding and maintaining the company's competitive edge

• Analogy of blackjack card counting team to explain different roles in a business (spotters, gorillas, bankroll)

• The value of strategic thinking and decision-making vs. constant task execution

• Examined unconventional sales strategies of a competing painting company

• Discussed the impact of travel industry marketing on societal perceptions of vacation

• Explored the concept of "mean reversion" in business performance and longevity

• Amer shared insights on viewing calendar commitments as "reps" for personal growth

• Discussion on the importance of alone time and self-reflection

• John emphasized the value of reading and strategic thinking time

• Amer to explore joining an executive group for professional development

• John to send Amer a book about the blackjack business for business strategy insights

• Team to recommit to sharing topics in the WhatsApp group for podcast preparation

• Members to consider implementing more strategic thinking time in their schedules

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The meeting begins with Austin welcoming the group and wishing Amer a happy 17th birthday. The conversation quickly turns to playful banter about Amer's youthful appearance and the various factors he attributes to his lack of aging, including olive oil, cologne, and frequenting pawn shops.

John shares that he recently became fascinated with learning more about Osama bin Laden after watching a documentary with his wife Trish. The group discusses the various accounts and evidence around bin Laden's death, noting the challenges in verifying certain details due to conflicting eyewitness testimonies and lack of conclusive proof.

The conversation shifts to discussing strategies for creating engaging online content, with Amer sharing his approach of using attention-grabbing elements like music, visuals, and storytelling to hook viewers before providing valuable information. John expresses concerns about the ethics of such tactics, highlighting the potential for deception and the need to be transparent about the true purpose of the content.

Amer encourages John to consider incorporating more writing into his routine, suggesting it could help him organize his thoughts, reduce repetition, and effectively communicate his ideas to others. John acknowledges the potential benefits and agrees to explore incorporating more writing, such as creating essays and handbooks to share with his team and business partners.

The meeting concludes with the group discussing plans to meet in person in a few days, where they intend to play a geography-themed game together. The conversation ends on a lighthearted note, with the participants exchanging more playful banter.

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• Austin is preparing for a senior management retreat and franchise training in September, coinciding with the birth of his first child

• John and Amer reflected on recent periods of "coasting" in their businesses and recommitting to growth

• The group discussed balancing business growth with personal development and life milestones

• Austin and John will lead workshops at an upcoming event:

  • Austin on coaching/leadership (20-30 minutes)

  • John on small business finance basics (45-60 minutes)

• Austin has a senior management retreat coming up at a golf resort

• Austin is planning franchise training in September, coinciding with the birth of his child

• Austin's company (Rydel) is on track to hit sales targets, but with little margin for error

• They have an ambitious goal of 16 new franchises for 2026, which would grow the business by 50%

• Amer and John discussed recent periods of "coasting" in their businesses

• Both recommitted to growth and pushing themselves out of comfort zones

• Amer is focusing on improving his social media presence and storytelling skills

• John is excited about scaling his business and the conversations/opportunities that will unlock

• Austin emphasized the importance of time and notification management for sales teams

• Discussion on balancing business growth with developing team members and maintaining integrity

• Austin's stepfather has been diagnosed with severe cancer

• John is expecting a son in two months

• Austin to finalize plans for September franchise training, considering his child's birth

• John to assess team performance over next 2-3 weeks to determine event attendance

• Amer to continue developing social media presence and content

• Group to reconvene at upcoming event and continue supporting each other's growth

A conversation between John & Amer.

• Discussed Toronto Maple Leafs' strategy of investing heavily in a few star players ($42M on 4 players out of $82M salary cap)

• Debated merits of this approach vs having more depth throughout the team

• Parallels drawn to business hiring strategies and resource allocation

• Amer's ideal customers are less solution-aware, allowing him to educate and guide them

• John's painting business benefits from more solution-aware customers who understand quality differences

• Discussed challenges of marketing to and converting different customer types

• Amer struggling with creating content that attracts ideal customers vs general popularity

• Discussed idea of showcasing "day in the life" of ideal customers before/after working with Amer

• Importance of focusing on depth with existing customers rather than just width of new customers

• John emphasized importance of cash flow and equity over vanity metrics like revenue or "number of doors" owned

• Discussed pitfalls of overleveraging in real estate and other industries

• Debated merits of new vs used vehicles for service businesses, considering total cost of ownership

• Analyzed pros/cons of different service businesses (painting, landscaping, excavation, etc.)

• Discussed challenges of businesses requiring significant equipment investment

• Explored ways Amer could potentially improve cash flow in his coaching business

• Amer to create a focus group of ideal customers to get feedback on content/marketing

• Amer to explore ways to go "deeper" with existing customers rather than just wider

• John to share relevant Warren Buffett letters on growing an insurance business with Amer

• Both to continue analyzing their businesses for opportunities to improve profitability and cash flow

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• John uses a "player board" approach to visualize business decisions

• Incorporates concepts like worker placement, resource management, and tech trees

• Financial modeling over a 5-year period to project cash flow and expenses

• Decisions (e.g., expanding to new markets) are evaluated based on projected revenue and free cash flow

• Implementing point systems and achievements for door-to-door marketers and sales reps

• Example: Points for knocking on doors, generating leads, closing sales

• Immediate buy-in and increased engagement observed when gamification is implemented

• Draws parallels to video game achievements (e.g., Xbox, PSN trophies)

• Employee (Keith O'Brien) at Rippling began spying for competitor Deal

• Rippling set up a trap using a fake Slack channel called "deal defectors"

• Spy was caught accessing the fake channel, leading to a dramatic confrontation

• Case involves international elements, with mentions of escaping to Dubai to avoid legal papers

• John's analysis of expanding to Penticton vs. focusing on existing markets (Kelowna, Vernon)

• Considerations: market size, infrastructure utilization, revenue projections

• Vernon expansion projected to yield highest revenue ($4.61M) compared to Kelowna ($3.8M) and Penticton ($4.4M)

• Walking or running to clear thoughts and make decisions

• Financial modeling as a foundation for strategic choices

• Balancing short-term vs. long-term cash flow in decision-making

• Amer to explore implementing a CEO dashboard for better business overview

• John to share more details about his financial modeling approach

• Team to consider integrating gamification elements into their sales processes

• Further discussion on applying board game concepts to business strategy