Friday Field Notes: 7/11/2025
Happy Friday, folks.
Just finished doing “Dad Camp” with my kids. We learn things, play, and spend time together. It’s a few hours where they’re the sole focus.
When I was running an agency, to do this on any given Friday would have been crazy. I would have been overly stressed about everything I needed to get done. I wouldn’t have actually been present.
In starting my own business, I committed to Mondays and Fridays being MY days. I can work on the business, take any calls I want, or just hang out with my family.
It’s revolutionized how I approach work and made it easy to maintain my sanity. Even if I’m slammed Tuesday to Thursday, it’s still less than half the week.
And the kicker? I still work most Mondays and Fridays. I’m still prepping content, diving into to projects with clients, and doing the things that businesses need to function.
The difference is that I’ve built a business where I have options.
This realization made it important to me that I help clients do the same. If they want to work 60 hours a week because they’ve intentionally made that decision, we build around it. If they want to work 30-hour weeks to enjoy the summer, we build around that too.
Yes, there are trade-offs. If you’re limiting your capacity, you’re also limiting your potential growth opportunities. BUT, in limiting your capacity, you might be extending your ability to stay focused and working on your agency for longer.
When the stress is causing others to crumble, you’ve gone with a more relaxed route that helps you endure the hard times.
Neither way is right or wrong. What matters is that you’re building your business the way YOU want to. I don’t care how many coaches and peers tell you there’s a specific way to do it. There isn’t.
What matters is that you’re continuously thinking strategically. And this is even more important if you’re reducing hours.
If you only have 16 hours dedicated to working ON the business in a week, you have to be very selective of the work you choose to do. Make it count by being intentional.
Have a great weekend!
Lessons of the Week:
1. The Cobra Effect
The British once offered bounties for cobra heads in India to curb the growing problem.
The result was locals breeding cobras to turn in their heads.
A policy designed to reduce the cobra population had the opposite effect.
Lesson: When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.
(Also known as Goodhart’s Law.)
2. Halon’s Razor
Simply: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
Something more people likely need to keep in mind these days.
And yes, sometimes it’s not stupidity, it’s just ignorance. Just remember that ignorance is a choice.
3. The Qustion-Action Matrix
Questions, without action, are just philosophers. And action, without great questions, are those grinding themselves to death.
Aim to be (and hire) world-changers.
Quote That Slaps:
“Your questions choose the path that people will follow and focus their search for answers.” - James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner
Content Roll Up:
Have a great weekend!
Comment and share any of your learnings this week!
