Resources to run a better business.

A challenge for you, if you’re up for it. Think about a problem you’re currently facing in your business. Not enough leads, gross margins out of whack, quality issues in delivery….whatever it is. Ask yourself, “Do I already know what I need to do to fix it?” Most of the time, the answer is probably yes.

Right now, many of my clients are in a prolonged problem-solving mode. They’re dealing with economic uncertainty. They’re grappling with questions around AI. They’re trying to build tangible plans in a moment when it feels like there’s very little to hold onto. Important activities? Yes. But they can wear you down. After a while, you start to only see the limitations, the challenges, the blockers to progress.

You’ve probably gotten the message by now that it’s annual planning season. But if you’re getting caught up on all the things you could be doing in the business and not sure which things you should be doing, here’s a tip: Focus on your business model.

First week of October. You’re just kicking off Q4, ready to finish the year strong as you glide into the holiday season. The thing is, you should already be thinking ahead to 2026. How do you want to feel when you wake up on January 1st?

Hey, it's almost Q4. You’re about to set the goals that will carry you through the end of the year and set you up for success in 2026. Out of curiosity, will your big goals for next quarter look very different from the big goals you're working on now?

It’s annual planning season. And right now, some business leaders feel like their annual plan looks like this: ???????????????????????????????????????? Been there? Me too.

I was trying too hard. That's what a friend of mine told me. "Stop talking about what you're going to do," she said. "You don't actually know how you're going to fix this." “You have to sit in the messy middle.” She was right.

I’ve completed 4 Ironman Triathlons, 12 marathons, and countless other races. I’ve raised tens of thousands of dollars for charity, earned by putting one foot in front of the other. Fiercely competitive? Absolutely. Unless…..Unless I’ve fallen behind. My biggest flaw as a runner is that I don’t do well if I need to make a comeback.

My very first job—well, more like an unpaid internship—was scrubbing scuff marks off the floor. My grandfather, Dave Herche, was an extremely important role model in my life. He was a leader in his church and spent a significant portion of his life volunteering (both my grandparents did). When Dave retired from his furniture business….he didn’t really retire. Instead, he found a new role: self-appointed head of maintenance at his church.