I Tore It All Down

“Chris, whatever you touch turns to gold.” - said a well-known online entrepreneur.

In those days, I was high on my own supply (as they say). 😅 

I had multiple eight-figure companies, a luxurious life, great income, and admiration.

Oh, the dream!

Or is it?

That’s what most people spend themselves achieve.

Some parts were good. It also had significant costs, so I tore it down. Not because I’m some genius. My soul was spent.

Most won’t be impressed if they look at my life.

I'm not on big stages.
I have no large social following.
I don't have a massive email list.
I don't have a bustling business.
I don't have a killer real estate portfolio.
I'm not selling thousands of copies of my book.

Most may be unimpressed with where I'm at in life.

It's rather lowly. It's slow. It's unglamorous.

I pursued those things before. Not only that, I measured who I was based on those things. And unfortunately, the bar moved non-stop. 🙃 

My value (or though I thought) was tied to what I had and what I produced. Because of that, I could not find rest for my soul. My value and worth plummeted as soon as I got off the treadmill.

After the spiral and untangling all those issues, I decided not to do that again.

So… What I’m not building…

..Not building another empire. (There’s nothing wrong with having a big business.)

I've torn it all down, and I'm rebuilding something with a different focus.

Here's a snippet of what it looks like that might inspire you. Instead of focusing on building an empire (or something similar), consider changing to:

Focus on Building Healthy Practices, Habits and Systems

A practice is an intentional action (daily journaling and meditation).
A habit is an automatic action (brushing teeth-hopefully).
A system organizes various elements to create structure (reading, reflecting, free writing system for knowledge creation).

You already have practices, habits and systems.

Are they intentional? Mine were (not really).

I spoke to an entrepreneur not too long ago. He said he wants to make a ton of money.

When I asked him why. His answer? “Because…”

Ask yourself “why” enough times, and you’ll get to the root if you’re honest.

Our practices, habits and systems reflect what we value and who we are.

Our internal state determines our motivations, which determines our actions.

My internal state has changed, and therefore my motivations, practices, habits, and systems on my healing journey, as well as my peace, joy, and contentment.

That's all a long-winded way to say I'm operating more from my true self and my unique abilities and desires vs. chasing the need to build something to display my glory.

Take the notion of money away. What would you dedicate your time toward?

Focus on Building Family (or deeper relationships)

As time with my kids is limited, I intentionally build them up: nurture them, be there for them, develop them, mentor them, coach them and be what they need in the moment as the priority.

Here’s an example of what they look like:

Every Wednesday, I sit down with my two younger boys (Jayden and Judah, 15 and 14) for deep conversation and a check-in. We go through some scripture and talk about their emotional and spiritual well-being. This is a dedicated set-aside time for them.

Then we make pizza and watch some silly action show. 🦾 

As a family, we set aside twenty-four hours from Friday at 5 pm to Saturday to rest, be present and be together. No screens or work. It's a time as a family to rest, reflect, and feast(and play pickleball).

We've had some profound conversations that are bearing great fruit. I’m super proud of all my kids.

You might say, "Chris, I don't have time for all that." I'd politely say, "You don't have time not to..."

Focus on Building an Agile Business

An agile business is a business that is intentionally built for high leverage and margin. An agile business is more adaptable.

My previous business costs seven figures a month to keep the lights on.

An agile business isn't necessarily a "small" business. Instead, the principles it's built on:

It's built lean.
It serves your fellow human well.
It's built from the owner’s strengths.
It has a heavy recurring base of revenue.

I encourage you not to build to impress other people but rather to serve to enjoy and, as a byproduct, be rewarded in every possible way.

What we acquire and achieve doesn’t equate to a fulfilled life. Money and status don't guarantee meaning or happiness. It has utility, for sure. But it's not the end of all.

Living rich is an inside job. Don’t feel you need all the big stuff. Instead, focus on what matters: your health (all aspects), your family, and contributing your talents to the world-with margin.

To me, that’s a life worth building!

What are you building? Does this letter shift your perspective at all? Lemme know.

Much love,

C