• CEO coaching impact at Rydel → ex-CEO facilitator drove future-only focus, defined 8 KCIs tied to a 2031 revenue goal; owners present progress tomorrow

• Org alignment → mitigate siloed thinking as team scales (3 → 120 relationships), assign single-threaded KCI owners, and demand outcome-focused, data-backed cases

• Marketing leadership → new head prioritizes reliable data, base ad-spend momentum, and annual ROI thinking; December 19 staffing gap forces ad budget decision

• Alternative considered → split stations but run between each to simulate fatigue; consensus leans to true solo baselines first

• Capability clarifications → Amer can complete 1,000m ski/row by pacing vs intervals; confidence-building needed via measured tests

• Role split in race → teams rarely go 50/50; align to strengths (e.g., sled push load feasibility), and choreograph transitions together

• Performance goals → stretch: top 25; sub-60 min likely unrealistic given current run pace; use Ottawa trial to set aggressive but real targets

• Ottawa trial → Feb 15 in-person dry run to test pacing, transitions, and failure points safely; highest learning ROI vs individual practice

• Pairing model → Adel matched with retired ex-CEO (Crayola/Hallmark) via profile of stage, personality, and challenges; 2 full-day team sessions/year

• Facilitation craft → future-only framing with explicit yes from each attendee; redirected any past-focused remarks on the spot; met 1:1 at lunch to vent/close loops

• Talk-time split → ~25% facilitator, 75% team; brief teaching blocks (~20 min) + moderated discussion

• Intake & agenda → anonymous prework surfaced strengths/weaknesses → day focused on defining top initiatives to “deserve” 2031 revenue goal

• KCI outcome → group debated 17 → 8 KCIs; each KCI has a single owner accountable for orchestration across silos; progress review meeting is tomorrow

• Decision hygiene → facilitator stayed neutral, pressed for objective business value, and required owners to translate passion into cross-functional outcomes

• Relationship explosion → management grew from 3 to 16; interaction lines grew 3 → 120 (N*(N−1)/2) → more conflict/coord needs

• Whole-thinking lens → consider each object’s relationships to all others, not only “my function vs the thing”

• Meeting mechanism → everyone pitches priority initiatives; group selects few; single owner quarterbacks cross-functional execution

• Strong-but-timid ideas → owners expected to self-advocate; light prompting on outcomes; “natural selection” if the case lacks clarity

• Emotional spikes → facilitator acknowledged care, insisted on translation to business value; did not match energy; kept room grounded

• Hiring journey → struggled to find autonomous marketing owner; new leader from a different industry is working due to depth on metrics + ownership

• Data discipline → focus on fewer, reliable, raw data points that tell a coherent city/trade/lead-cost story; avoid noisy inferred metrics

• Spend momentum → maintain base ad spend in off-season to preserve algorithm learning; annual ROI > monthly; educate franchisees at network scale

• Stakes ↑ → guidance affects 30+ owners; requires taking stands with clear why

• Seasonal wrinkle → Dec 19–early Jan sales capacity near-zero; must adjust ad budgets to avoid unserviceable lead inventory vs losing algo momentum

• Project management gap → difficulty isolating bottlenecks from noise; risk of over-involvement; needs sharper owners, milestones, scorecards, comp linkage

• Solver addiction → urge to fix everything reduces team self-advocacy; practicing boundaries to let owners own outcomes

• Definitions matter → deepen rigor on integrity, responsibility, accountability; “how” now outweighs “what” at scale

• Identity vs results → over-attached to monthly sales; learning to accept short-term dips to grow managers and systems

• Anxiety management → hired PA (Ben) for 2–3 hrs/week as prioritization sounding board; structured check-ins, guided questions, RICE scoring to de-conflict urgency vs impact

The meeting begins with Austin introducing Devon Thomson, the VP of StudentWorks, as a highly capable and humble leader. The group engages in some friendly banter and reminiscing about past trips and events.

John asks Devon to provide an update on his role and the progress of StudentWorks since they last spoke, which was likely around 3-4 years ago. Devon shares that the company has grown significantly, with the painting and window cleaning divisions now generating $44 million in revenue, up from $28 million previously. He highlights the launch of a new polymeric sanding service that has been a major growth driver.

Devon explains that a key focus has been doubling down on coaching and training for their junior coaches, with weekly calls and a coaches retreat to help them improve their sales, recruiting, and leadership skills. This has led to significant improvements in operator averages and overall business performance.

John raises concerns about the financial literacy and profit tracking of some StudentWorks operators, noting that there can be a significant gap between their perceived and actual earnings. Devon acknowledges this challenge and discusses the efforts to provide more financial education and accountability, including bringing in outside experts to help operators better manage their finances.

The group delves into the nuances of effective coaching, discussing the importance of maintaining a positive, encouraging mindset rather than a moralistic or judgmental approach. Devon shares insights on how he and the StudentWorks team work to keep their coaches focused on being their operators' biggest cheerleaders and supporters.

Amer asks Devon about his personal accountability structures, such as working with a life coach, mastermind group, and therapist, as well as the role his fiancée plays in keeping him centered and focused on his values.

In the final segment, Austin and Devon discuss the dynamics of coaching relationships, including the potential need to transition to new coaches or roles as both the coach and the operator evolve. Devon shares his perspective on how he has adapted his own role and responsibilities as StudentWorks has grown.

Amer, Austin, and John engage in casual conversation, discussing Amer's Airbnb accommodations and the structure of Amer's regular group meetings, which involve sharing updates on business, finances, and personal life, as well as dedicated "opportunities" and "challenges" sessions.

Austin seeks John's advice on optimizing his capital allocation between paying down his mortgage and investing in the stock market. They discuss the nuances of mortgage interest rates, investment returns, and the importance of considering investment time horizons and valuation metrics like the Shiller P/E ratio.

Austin shares information about a unique mortgage renewal process in Canada that allows for lump sum payments to the principal, which could enable him to strategically time large mortgage paydowns.

John and Austin discuss the importance of thoroughly understanding the assumptions and valuation metrics used in syndicated real estate investment opportunities, rather than relying solely on the recommendations of others.

John shares anecdotes and insights about the joys and challenges of parenting his young son, including sleep training, introducing solid foods, and engaging in playful interactions.

Austin shares that he has been struggling to manage his computer's storage and memory, often getting notifications about running low on space. The group discusses the differences between Mac and PC users in dealing with these types of issues.

Austin recounts his recent experience helping his sister buy her first new car. He describes the negotiation tactics used by the car salesperson, including the "four-square" method, and how he tried to advocate for a monthly payment his sister could afford.

The group discusses the pros and cons of buying a brand new car versus a lightly used one. Austin explains his preference for "newly used" vehicles to avoid the initial depreciation, while his sister wanted the certainty of a new car and warranty.

John shares that he recently spent time with people in their early 20s and made observations about how they rationalize their decisions, often justifying them after the fact rather than making choices purely based on principles.

John and Amer mention that they have additional private conversations on their Patreon group, the "Weekly Ballers", where they discuss more personal and financial topics that they don't want to share publicly.

The group discusses their shared love of movies, particularly older films that younger generations may not be familiar with. They bond over their ability to quote movies and discuss actors' filmographies, noting the generational gap in movie knowledge.

John describes the game Skull, which he recently played with the group for several hours. He explains the game's origins in poker and how the designer aimed to eliminate the need for monetary stakes. The group discusses the game's mechanics, including the "over-under" bidding strategy.

The group explores the standardized design of board game boxes, drawing parallels to nutritional labels on food products. They discuss how these standards have emerged organically in the board game industry.

Austin and Amer discuss the possibility of participating in a High Rocks fitness event, a challenging obstacle course competition. They weigh the pros and cons of competing in the open or pro division, considering their respective strengths and weaknesses.

After deciding to compete in the open division, Austin and Amer agree to set specific training goals and milestones, such as running 10km in under 55 minutes and practicing the event's individual exercises. They also discuss finding a local Hyrox simulation event to participate in.

The group summarizes the key decisions and action items, including creating a shared spreadsheet to track their training progress. They agree to stay in touch and continue planning for the Hyrox event.

Amer shares that he found peace in remembering that the core purpose of a business is to serve the customer. John agrees that the customer should be the top priority, but disagrees that everything else is "noise" - he believes there is value in other aspects of running a business beyond just customer service.

The group discusses the importance of maintaining a customer-centric mindset while also allowing for personal and professional growth. They acknowledge the need to continuously improve, but caution against the view that anything not directly serving the customer is irrelevant.

The conversation shifts to the challenges of maintaining relationships, especially with family members, when there are differences in personal development or perspectives. The group explores the tension between extending grace and holding people accountable, and the difficulty of determining when to disengage from unproductive dynamics.

The group delves into the complexities of assessing someone's true intentions, distinguishing between self-deception and intentional deception. They discuss the importance of verifying claims and not accepting statements at face value, especially when the implications are significant.

Amer suggests that sometimes the healthiest approach is to maintain neutrality and create distance from difficult relationships, rather than trying to change the other person or engage in a battle of wills. The group agrees that this can be a valid and powerful choice, especially when the effort required to improve the relationship outweighs the potential benefits.

The group reflects on the key insights from the conversation, including the importance of acknowledging the difficulty of certain relationships, the value of silence and "I don't know" responses, and the need to be mindful of the labels and identities we adopt and how they shape our behavior. They conclude by emphasizing the distinction between difficulties caused by external factors versus those stemming from malintent, and the importance of maintaining perspective and grace in the face of challenging interpersonal dynamics.

• Mental Game Decides Outcomes: The Dodgers' calm, strategic focus on capitalizing on mistakes (e.g., Yamamoto's intentional walk) overcame the Jays' superior talent, proving that composure under pressure is the ultimate differentiator.

• Risk is Frequency x Severity: True risk understanding requires analyzing both how often an event occurs (frequency) and its impact (severity). This framework explains why high-severity, low-frequency risks (like product liability) are so dangerous.

• Restaurant Industry is a "Supply Trap": The restaurant business is inherently difficult due to low barriers to entry (high supply), no scale advantage, and high customer switching costs. Success requires a habit-forming model (e.g., Starbucks) or a strong brand for milestone events (e.g., The Keg).

• Ethics Vary by Influence: Warren Buffett's distinction between owning stock (no control) and owning a company outright (directing activities) highlights that ethical responsibility is tied to one's level of influence.

• The Dodgers' World Series win over the Blue Jays was attributed to their superior mental game and composure under pressure.

• Key Play Analysis (Game 7):

• Context: Bottom of the 9th, 2 outs, runner on 2nd.

• Yamamoto's Intentional Walk: Yamamoto walked the hot-hitting Addison Barger on 4 pitches to face the slower-running Alejandro Kirk.

• Rationale: This strategic move increased the probability of a double play, as a home run's severity (game over) was the same regardless of runners on base.

• Outcome: Kirk hit a broken-bat grounder, resulting in a game-ending double play.

• Jays' Critical Mistakes:

• Game 6: Addison Barger was picked off 2nd base.

• Game 7: IKF took too small a lead on 3rd base, preventing him from scoring on a wild throw.

• Game 7: Kirk's broken bat on the final play.

• The World Series analysis led to a discussion on understanding risk in business.

• Defining Risk Understanding: True understanding goes beyond stating risks; it requires explaining how to mitigate them and living with the downside.

• Insurance Industry Model:

• Reported Claims: Known losses with an estimated cost.

• IBNR (Incurred But Not Reported) Claims: Losses that have occurred but are not yet known. Insurers must reserve for both.

• Frequency vs. Severity Framework:

• Frequency: How often an event occurs.

• Severity: The impact of that event.

• Example: A broken bat is a low-frequency event, but its severity was game-ending in Game 7.

• Restaurant Industry Risk Analysis:

• High Supply: Low barriers to entry (one location is minimum viable scale).

• Low Switching Costs: Customers are incentivized to try new places.

• Commodity Costs: Food expenses are subject to volatile commodity prices.

• Success Factors:

• Habit Formation: Models that allow solo dining (e.g., Starbucks) build daily habits.

• Strong Brand: A clear identity for specific occasions (e.g., The Keg for anniversaries).

• The discussion shifted to Warren Buffett's ethical investing philosophy.

• Buffett's Stance: He would buy stock in a tobacco company (minority ownership) but would not own one outright.

• Rationale: Ethical responsibility is tied to influence. Owning stock provides no control, but outright ownership means directing activities.

• Charlie Munger's View: Criticized the cultural trend of pursuing any profitable activity that is not illegal, arguing that some actions are "beneath us."

• 
  

Amer discusses his experience attending a recent conference for his company Contracting.com, including the tactics he used for filming ads and testimonials, the lessons he learned from past conferences, and the format of the upcoming conference which will have more workshops and less lectures.

Austin and Amer compare the conference formats of Rydel's upcoming event versus Contracting.com's, noting the trend towards more interactive workshops over traditional presentations. They discuss the pros and cons of different approaches and the goal of maximizing audience engagement.

John mentions a potential podcast guest who wrote a best-selling Bitcoin book, while Amer suggests having Adel as a guest. The group expresses interest in both potential guests.

Austin shares about his enjoyable Thanksgiving weekend, including participating in a 5K fundraiser run and spending quality time with family and friends.

Austin discusses his recent purchase of a wood-fired sauna for his backyard, including plans to add a cold plunge tub nearby for recovery. Amer provides some tips on sauna options and cost-saving measures.