A Month of Learning and Growth
Owning a business comes with a lot of humility. (I’ve grown to believe it’s a necessary component of growth.)
Every mistake made—whether big or small—comes down to leadership. That responsibility can be draining.
Big mistakes can be life-altering.
They can mean saying goodbye to long relationships with team members, shutting down a store, or absorbing a $60,000 loss—costs growing businesses can’t easily afford.
And small mistakes? They’re often just big mistakes waiting to happen.
A wise friend once told me, “We are all two mistakes away from ruining our lives.”
Two mistakes. TWO MISTAKES!
I’ve never felt this more than in owning my own business. From week to week, our focus shifts, which leaves plenty of room for many, many small mistakes to build up.
I wish I could tell you it gets easier—that there’s a mountaintop moment where everything finally clicks: no small mistakes bubbling up, no missteps with funds or focus, everything perfectly aligned. But the truth? Building a business is not for those looking for that kind of answer.
It’s about embracing the climb—and sometimes rolling back down. It’s about learning, persisting, and persevering. It’s about discovering how much you can take, getting back up, and doing it all again—and somehow learning to love it. Those sleepless nights and sweaty days? They’re part of the reward.
And this past month, we’ve been leaning into the perspiration.
How We’ve Been Turning Lessons Into Action
This past month has been all about diving deep into new ideas and systems to make our work even better. It’s been a period of intense learning, and we’re excited to share what we’ve been up to.
I have been immersing myself in the world of marketing. I’ve been reading Ogilvy on Advertising by the legendary David Ogilvy—a true leader in marketing. Beyond that, I’ve been growing my collection of the greats in marketing, and listening to countless podcasts, soaking up all the wisdom on everything from brand strategy to effective communication.
Meanwhile, Christian has been focused on building a stronger foundation for how we operate. He’s been studying The Toyota Way, which outlines the famous manufacturing philosophy. This has inspired us to begin implementing new systems designed to streamline our processes. It’s a lot of work—retraining, continuous monitoring, and refining—but it’s all aimed at creating more efficiency and higher quality in everything we do.
We believe great work doesn’t come from coasting; it comes from constant learning and a commitment to improving. These books, systems, and insights aren’t just ideas—they’re tools to help us build something more resilient and sustainable.
Looking Ahead
If the first half of this post was about the weight of leadership, the second half is about what keeps us moving forward: curiosity, learning, and the drive to do better. The mistakes will still come—big and small—but each lesson and each improvement helps us climb a little higher, steadier, and smarter.
We’re excited to see how these changes shape the months ahead, and even more excited to keep sharing the journey. After all, growth isn’t a destination—it’s a practice.