How I Built This: Joel Clark of Kodiak Cakes
When he was 8 years old, Joel Clark loaded bags of his mom's whole grain pancake mix into a red wagon to sell door-to-door. By the mid-90s, he and his older brother had upgraded to selling the mix out of a Mazda sedan and calling it Kodiak Cakes. As he tried to scale the business, Joel made some risky business decisions and almost went bankrupt, but eventually got the brand into Target—a major turning point. Today, Kodiak Cakes is approaching $200 million in annual revenue as one of the best-selling pancake mixes in America.
Now is a Great Time to Practice Mindfulness
The practice of mindfulness is a big part of my daily routine. A big question I get from my team is how to practice mindfulness. It’s not about bypassing feelings, but leaning into them. This article explains why leaning into our feelings are beneficial and ultimately make us all better leaders.
"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing."
—Theodore Roosevelt
The Best Time to Work Out
In a new study conducted by The Physiological Society and the American Physiological Society, it was found that there actually is an optimal time to work out. This study focused on men with Type 2 diabetes and found that participants had better results when working out in the afternoon as opposed to earlier in the day.
Good to Great
Why be a good company when you could be a great company? Stanford researcher and consultant Jim Collins breaks down how to create long-term sustainable performance in order for a company to achieve their greatest potential.
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Resiliency and Grit in Adverse Times
I was joined by my friend and LIFEAID co-founder, Orion Melehan, on The Active Life podcast where we discussed what it takes to build a business through challenging times.
Defining Your Purpose
There has been an overwhelming reckoning with questioning purpose over the last year. What may be a small piece of life is actually a very important practice of longevity. Studies have shown that a defined purpose results in improved stress response.
"Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion."
—Jack Welch
State of the Fitness Industry
Two-Brain Business conducted a comprehensive study on the current state of the fitness industry. A 59-question survey was sent to a 30,000-person email list as well as their Facebook group. The data that was collected from 6,000 gyms was analyzed by an outside consultant and packaged by Two-Brain Business.
Blue Ocean Strategy
The fitness space is crowded and now more than ever business owners are challenged with figuring out how to think outside the box to separate themselves from the competition. This book gives you the tools to create your own wide-open space or blue ocean.
HindeSight | No. 54
Eric Roza on Make Pods Great Again
CrossFit CEO joined Make Pods Great Again to discuss the current state of CrossFit. He talked about how his journey has been since taking over, obstacles and challenges he has faced in his personal life, and the new Open format and how he approaches the Open personally. He even gave listeners the scoop on the hire of the new Chief Technology officer as well as spent some time discussing his thoughts around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within the CrossFit Community.
Building a Morning Routine in 6 Steps
Having a morning routine has always been important to me and my success in building LIFEAID. We talk about them often in our weekly meetings and I encourage everyone on our team to find a routine that works for them. If you are struggling to create a morning routine for yourself, this is a great article to help you build one.
"The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you’re not going to stay where you are."
—J.P. Morgan
Strategies for Success in 2021
2020 was a trying year on all businesses, but specifically small businesses. This year, there will still be challenges to overcome, but approaching business with strategic thinking can help navigate these hurdles with more confidence and success.
Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to do is Healthy and Rewarding
While exercise was essential for our prehistoric ancestors, it’s not essential for the lives of the common man. However, even though we don’t rely on hunting and gathering, that doesn’t mean exercise isn’t something that should be part of our daily lives.
More on Exercise and Evolution
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A Letter from Us: Wrapping Up 2020
In hindsight, 2020 has been an educational and transformative year because we’ve been forced to look at everything so differently and so much more decisively than in past years. We’ve never taken our success for granted, but we all know we don’t look at success with the same level of scrutiny we apply during tougher times. Closing out, we hope 2020 brought you more highs than lows and a clearer picture of what your goals are personally and professionally in 2021.
Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris: The Ultimate New Year's Resolution
Meditation teachers Susan Piver and Jeff Warren talk about the ample evidence that you are more likely to achieve your long-term goals if you pursue those goals not out of self-loathing or shame (which is the not-so-subtle subtext of the whole ‘New Year, New You’ slogan) but instead with self-love -- or self-compassion.
How To Set Your New Year Intentions
2021 will be here before we know it and while I am not a big fan of the idea of resolutions, I do believe heavily in intention. This article outlines how to create your intentions for the new year.
"If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is a compromise."
—Robert Fritz
Goal Setting: A Scientific Guide to Setting and Achieving Goals
How many times have you set goals, only to be disappointed when they didn’t come to fruition? One of my favorite authors, James Clear (he wrote “Atomic Habits”) put together a comprehensive guide about how to set achievable goals.
The Five Minute Journal
Despite what’s going on around me, one of my non-negotiables is my morning routine. I start my day with three questions prompted by my The Five Minute Journal which allows me to ground myself for the day ahead.
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8 Roles of an Entrepreneurial Leader
Sean Castrina discusses the 8 roles an entrepreneur must be willing to be to find success.The good news is, it’s all about being flexible and open-minded.
1000 True Fans
To be a successful creator you don’t need millions. You don’t need millions of dollars or millions of customers, millions of clients or millions of fans. To make a living as a craftsperson, photographer, musician, designer, author, animator, app maker, entrepreneur, or inventor you need only thousands of true fans.
"Change is not a threat, it’s an opportunity. Survival is not the goal, trans-formative success is."
—Seth Godin
Mentally Strong People: The 13 Things They Avoid
This may be an older article, but it very much applies to the times we’re experiencing right now. Mental toughness is important now more than ever as we navigate changes as business owners.
Meeting the Challenge of Disruptive Change
All businesses are facing challenges right now, especially small businesses. This article gives business owners a framework to navigate disruption with the intention of getting back on the path of growth.
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How Jeff Bezos Built One of the World’s Most Valuable Companies
Sunil Gupta, Harvard Business School professor, says that Bezos’s obsession with the customer and insistence on long-term thinking are approaches that other companies and senior executives should emulate.
Target Sales Just Shocked Wall Street—Here’s How CEO Brian Cornell Did It
More speed requires more skill. Retail jobs, traditionally high in stress and low in pay, are now more challenging—and rewarding—under this new hybrid of physical and digital shopping.
"Have fun. The game is a lot more enjoyable when you’re trying to do more than just make money."
—Tony Hsieh
How Tony Hsieh Used Happiness as a Business Model to Change the World Forever
The former Zappos CEO's legacy lives on in the entrepreneurs he has inspired and the industry he has changed.
How to Build Habit-Forming Products
Nir Eyal answers explains the Hook Model--a four-step process embedded into the products of many successful companies to subtly encourage customer behavior. Through consecutive "hook cycles," these products reach their ultimate goal of bringing users back again and again without depending on costly advertising or aggressive messaging.
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Life of the Beverage Industry
I sit down with Matt Beaudreau, host of The Essential 11 podcast, and talk about how my ignorance and a lack of prior experience in the industry actually lent itself to be one of the reasons Orion and I found success.
4 Mindset and Growth Strategies to Help You Grow Your Business Revenue
Business growth is not constant. There are hiatuses along the way, and if we don’t see the bigger picture, we can get lost in the patches of shade and twists in the road. The key is to keep focused with the right mindset and growth strategies in our arsenal.
"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed no hope at all."
—Dale Carnegie
50 Signs You Might Be an Entrepreneur
It takes a certain type of person to be an entrepreneur. Do you agree with this list?
The Soulful Art of Persuasion
A revolutionary guide to becoming a master influencer in the age of distrust, through the cultivation of character-building habits that are essential to personal growth and sustained business success.
Become Authentically Persuasive
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Finding Peace Amongst the Chaos
Recently, due to the fires ripping up and down the west coast, Aaron’s entire home and property was burned to the ground, leaving 3 generations of his family homeless. Despite that, Aaron's personal life philosophy and approach to hardship is allowing him and his family to find peace amidst the chaos.
Be a Schedule Builder, Not a List Maker
Have you ever looked at your to-do list at the end of your day only to find it longer than when you started? Time blocking is a great way to plan an efficient day of getting stuff done.
"If you are depressed you are living in the past if you are anxious you are living in the future, if you are at peace, you are living in the present."
—Lao Tzu
How Michael Strahan's NFL Career Helped Him Become a Savvy Business Leader
The Hall of Famer developed a critical entrepreneurial skill during his 15-year football career: the ability to thoroughly study and prepare.
How to Lead Like Michael Strahan
Wisdom of Sundays : Life-changing Insights from Super Soul Conversations
Oprah Winfrey shares insights from thought leaders during her Super Soul Tour.
HindeSight | No. 48
Growing in Health, Wellness & Business
Cody Mooney and ROMWOD Owner Scott Perkins join us for a transformation story that touches on growth in health, wellness, and business.
Box Co-Founder Aaron Levie Says These 3 Things Are Key to Thriving in a Disruptive Environment
Disruption can be a challenge, but it doesn’t have to be the difference between thriving and failing.
"Optimism is the one quality more associated with success and happiness than any other."
—Brian Tracy
How To Be A Mental Health Leader For Your Team
If there is one good thing that has come from 2020, it is the heightened conversation around mental health. Forbes explains how to be an advocate for your team.
How To Be A Mental Health Leader For Your Team
85 Best Business Books in 2020 for Entrepreneurs, Creatives & Professionals to Read (and Grow)
Need some time away from the screen? Ryan Robinson put together an extensive list of business books guaranteed to expand your mind.
Check out the complete reading list here.
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Something you should know about the LIFEAID team is that we are big readers. Maybe it's because our Co-Founder, Aaron is always sharing wisdom from the latest business book he's reading or because the team is stacked with a bunch of over-achievers, either way, we want to invite you to join us on our quest for knowledge.
To kick off the year, the first book on our list is "Start with Why" by Simon Sinek.
In this book, Sinek dives into why brands like Apple are so powerful and continuing to build momentum every day. It's not about the product they produce at all, because at the end of the day, brands like Apple aren't actually selling computers. Whether you are building your personal brand or starting a business, he challenges readers to think deeply, tapping into the intention around the brand rather than the actual product. It's about approaching business the opposite way as everyone else and that all begins with asking the simple question of WHY?
There is a reason why Simon Sinek's 2009 TED Talk around the book is the third most viewed of all time. If you're ready to get fired up and kick off the year with inspiration, this is an excellent place to start. Hope you're prepared for a page-turner!
You can get "Start with Why" online through Bookshop Santa Cruz, our local bookstore.