We Don’t Do That

The four most powerful four words I use in sales conversations: 

We don’t do that. 

The words build trust. There’s relief when they hear them. 

And it’s always a moment when they realize you’re not BS’ing them.

Clients come to me all the time. They kick things off by explaining what they do and what they want.

And sometimes, what they want? It’s just not what we do.

So I’m blunt: We don’t do that. If that’s what you’re looking for, we’re not going to be a good fit.

You’d think that would throw them off, but it’s usually the opposite. I can see the tension drop. They relax. The defenses go down. They’re not bracing for a pitch full of fluff.

And that’s when the real conversation starts—what they actually need, how we can help, and how we can hit their goals doing what we’re great at.

That honesty creates trust. It clears the air. But hey, if anyone’s got tips on how to drop the defenses even faster, I’m all ears.

Falling Short? Look to Practice

When I misstep or stretch too far and lose, in reflection, I often find that practice is what’s missing.

I wanted it. But I didn’t earn it.
I didn’t do the reps. Not enough of them, anyway.

Luck plays a part, but preparation matters more.

When things feel out of rhythm, this should be your first thought: Am I practicing enough?

Practice isn’t just play—it’s focused effort, aimed at achieving something meaningful. It requires a plan. Without one, you’re only getting better at doing things the wrong way.

It’s best done alone, in the quiet, where you can get in the zone and truly refine your skills.

So when you feel like you’re not good enough or things aren’t going the way you want, ask yourself:

  • Have I put in the practice?
  • Am I out of practice?
  • When was the last time I committed to meaningful practice?

Chances are, the answer will point you in the right direction.

There for a Reason

“You’re there for a reason.”

The words hit me like a brick wall. Ice cold, straight to the point.

My mentor delivered them when my agency was struggling to find its footing. At the time, I dreamed of transforming mom-and-pop businesses into prominent brands. I wanted to give them resources they’d never had.

When I told him this, he short-circuited. It was a total WTF moment. He stammered, then said:

“They’re there for a reason. And you’re not going to be able to help them. What you want isn’t what they want.”

See, my clients weren’t paying their bills. We couldn’t grow our accounts even if they were. I wanted more for them than they wanted for themselves.  

He continued:
“You’re there for a reason too. You’re not the fix for their business acumen. You’re not in control of their desire.”

That shifted my perspective instantly.

We are all where we are for a reason—our actions, decisions, or even inaction got us here. The trick is recognizing that reason and deciding what to do next.

In my case, I had to face a hard truth: my goals and my clients’ realities didn’t align. I wanted something for them they didn’t want for themselves. That disconnect kept me stuck.

The same applies to all of us. If the reason you’re “there” doesn’t align with your goals, then you’re fighting yourself.

You’re there for a reason. And so am I.

Complacency kills.

Complacency kills. 

Google search is on a path to become gloried yellow pages. 

The way people look for information is evolving. 

Most Google searches are people answering a question with no buyer intent. That traffic is being siphoned off to ChatGPT and the like. 

A new habit is forming. 

Next year, Google’s predicted to be below 50% for ad search share for the first time in a decade. TikTok, Amazon, Perplexity and other AI tools are chipping away. 

This means that traffic is dwindling for anyone overly reliant on Google’s SEO traffic and ads, and you should explore other channels. 

Will Google die? Nah. 

Will you be left holding the bag if your competitors embrace the other channels? For sure. 

If you were late to the game with SEO and Google ads to begin with, don’t make the same mistake. 

It Doesn’t Matter

It doesn’t matter. 

The small things holding you back, they don’t matter. 

The little voice inside saying, “but what if they think…”

Regardless, of what you do and what happens, it doesn’t matter. 

The only reason it matters, is because you’re making it so. 

It doesn’t have to be that way. 

You choose how you want it to be. It’s your game. 

Play it your way. Because after all, it doesn’t matter. 

Write It Down to Gain Control

Sometimes life comes at us too fast. Everything is vying for our attention, from apps to people. And while at work, we go from one task to another. Pow, pow, pow— just knocking stuff out.

But this overstimulation can make you anxious. Next thing you know, you’re unable to focus. You’re frustrated. And down and down you go. Maybe you have an anxiety attack. Maybe you feel exhausted. Maybe you burn yourself out entirely. Either way, you’re heading in the wrong direction.

But what if you could slow everything down. What if you could gain control of what’s happening?

I have a trick.

Write it all down.

You see, when your phone rings while typing that email and an incoming slack message catches your attention, your focus is pulled in three different directions. It makes it tough to get anything done. And your mind is like an engine. And just like an engine every time you switch focus, you switch gears. You’re grinding them. And by the end of the day, you’re frazzled and your brain is mush.

So the first trick is to write down the task you’re working on. I recommend a sticky note. Even if it’s on your calendar. Write down the task, and stick it in front of you no matter what. What’s on that sticky note is the only thing you’re supposed to be working on. When you finish the task, toss it in the trash.

Next, write down everything you do. I do this in a journal. I know, it sounds a bit crazy, but it works. You literally write down everything you do. One day may take up pages. Doesn’t matter. And I mean everything. If you’re writing the email to Carl and the phone rings with your mom on the other line and you take that call, write down “Email to Carl” and “Phone call from Mom” as soon as those tasks are complete.

The idea here is to create space so you can get into a rhythm. Going from one task to the next without a break is hard. And sure, you can take breaks in between. But it’s the accumulation of small tasks that’ll get you. Not the big ones.

Writing soothes the mind. You’ll find your breath and balance between your work. And you’ll also gain a sense of control.

It’s Right Around the Corner

When you get down on yourself or find yourself in a rut, know that this too shall pass.

If you keep going, there’s something right around the corner. But you have to keep moving.

Most of the situations we find ourselves in are temporary. For the ones that aren’t, you have the power to get out of them. It’s all a mindset.

We’re never trapped. We only appear to be.

And when you move, do what you can to head in the right direction.

Sometimes any direction can be good depending on the situation you’re in. But trust yourself. You’ll know.

Get Clear About What You Want

For some it’s simple. They know exactly what they want. They communicate it, they work toward it and most of the time they achieve it.

For others, it can be more difficult. They honestly don’t know. It might be a complete blank or a bit blurry. But if they look hard enough, they’re honest with themselves, they’ll discover what they want.

It’s paramount to happiness. And it seems so simple. But ask yourself right now, what do you want? Is it crystal clear?

And this could be what you want out of your day, week, month or life.

It doesn’t have to be rock solid. It might be. But it doesn’t have to be.

It’s important that you know this. Because when it’s aligned with those around you, whether that’s your company or family, life gets into a rhythm. Things become easier. And your smallest efforts have a resounding impact.

You’ll achieve more, feel connected to yourself and those around you and above all, you’ll be a little happier.

So get clear on what you want. And don’t be afraid to let others know what it is. Your happiness might depend on it.

Do You Change or Are You the Changer?

Just because you see something happening, doesn’t mean you need to let it happen. You can be the catylst for change.

All too often I see people that complain about being treated a certain way, whether it’s in a business situation or in a personal one, yet they follow suit and treat others the same way.

If you don’t like people being mean to you, don’t be mean to others.

If you don’t like people leaving you hanging or canceling plans, do everything you can not to be this person.

Wishing for things to change vs. actually taking the actions necessary to create change are night and day.

Be the changer.

Use Streaks to Form & Break Habits

Early on I noticed creating a streak made things easier.

When it came to habits, I would think less. It was just there. It was nearly automated.

The power is in the streak, the consecutive number of days we’ve done something.

And this is the same whether it’s flossing teeth, meditating or even writing.

The problem is when we break the streak, we tell ourselves it’s just this one time. Then another day goes by, and we tell ourselves we’ll do double the work to catch up. And this goes on and on. Now what you have is a negative streak.

The good news is you get to break that. But you have to distinguish it. You have to think to yourself, I have a negative habit. I’m in the habit of not (fill in the blank).

Sure, looking at the positive is great, it’s better to go toward something than away from it. But when you find yourself in a negative rut. Look at the inverse of what you want to accomplish. That’s what you’re doing at the time. What’s it going to take to change your current state? What’s it going to take to create a positive habit that’s in line with what you want in life?

For instance, if you’re not exercising, you’re in the habit of just that, not exercising. You may have an incredible streak where you haven’t worked out in years. All it takes is one trip to the gym or even just a walk around the block to break this streak.

So when you find yourself having trouble forming a good habit or breaking a streak where you thought you had one, look at the inverse, define the negative habit and break the negative streak. Then flip it and start tracking the positive streak.