This week I was invited to one of the “party suites” for the Texas Stars minor league hockey team. I met some cool new folks - and was also surprised to see a couple previous attendees to my rucking events were there! I enjoyed connecting with other local business owners.
I MC’d a panel discussion at the Operator’s Guild on Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA). We focused on deal flow and financing options. I tend to get nervous before doing things like that 😬, but it was fun and turned out really well! I’ve met a lot of really cool people through my ETA networking, so I’ll be doing more events like this in the future.
Last week I turned down a potential new client for the first time.
Their contract had terms that didn’t sit right with me: it was heavy on restrictions and consequences, and didn’t reflect the kind of collaborative working relationship I look for.
I had enough concerns that I offered to use my own standard agreement instead, but we weren’t aligned.
It felt good to walk away with clarity. I’m learning to trust my gut and honor the kind of work - and working relationships - I want to build. There’s plenty of opportunity out there. No need to say yes to misalignment.
Have a great week - and find time for joy! Kevin 😁
A Quote
“
Many of us are out of the habit of asking ourselves what we want. We have responsibilities: a boss to answer to, a mortgage to pay, children to feed. Over time, we come to realize that our wellbeing is not where we’d like it to be, but we have no idea what we actually want or need, because, well, we never think about it.
— Julie Smith in "Why Has Nobody Told Me About This Before?"
Three Things
1 - 🎙️ “How I Write” on Writing with AI The host of this writing podcast did a really good job covering the current best practices - and future possibilities - of writing with AI. More and more I’m seeing the AI narrative shift from “replacement” to “supplement,” and this host is saying the same thing. It’s your human experiences that remain crucial in writing.
2 - 🛑 AdBlocker Ultimate I don’t like ads. Watching the flashing lights and pop ups my kids deal with on their school computers, it amazing that anyone can use the internet without one. My previous adblocker is no longer available, so I had to find something new. Most are garbage! So far AdBlocker Ultimate is quietly doing what I need it to.
3 - 💸 LedgerUp to Improve the Contract –> Revenue Paperwork Cycle The people on this team are doing some interesting work to improve accuracy and reduce revenue leakage between the touchpoints of CRM, contract, invoice, and payment. I don’t even do a lot of contracting volume, but converting a contract into an invoice is indeed a pain in the butt! Sharing this in case this is a pain point you’re experiencing. They have a booking link on their website if you want a demo.
(please enjoy this 4️⃣ minute read)
Deep Dive on Imposter Syndrome
I’ve got 430 concept pages in my Obsidian vault. These are the notes on ideas I’ve found important enough to revisit, wrestle with, and build on. They’re the raw material behind this newsletter.
You’d think I’d have covered of all the big ideas by now.
But none of them are about imposter syndrome.
That struck me recently while I was out on a run. I wondered why has this term, which shows up in so many professional contexts, never come up in mine?
To make imposter syndrome a temporary condition, the prescription is simple, but not always easy: Exposure, Honest Mirrors, and Agency.
Exposure
Put yourself in situations where you feel like an imposter - intentionally. This gives you access to real practitioners of a skill.
The fear behind imposter syndrome is really a question: “Where do I stand?”
Exposure begins to answer that question. Not with a vague an uninformed self-assessment, but by surrounding yourself with the real thing.
Exposure gives you context to the spectrum of performance of a skill. You build vocabulary, intuition, and benchmarks on something that’s unfamiliar to you.
Honest Mirrors
An honest mirror doesn’t flatter or distort. It tells the truth and reflects reality.
An honest mirror can be a person, a test, or a tough experience. Your goal is to get accurate feedback on your performance.
The key is: Are you willing to look in the mirror?
If you are, you now have accurate feedback. This enables you to build out the spectrum, and place yourself on it.
Where are you on the skill spectrum?
The are two major results that can happen from this step. You learn that you’re either: 1) Ahead of where you thought you were (Hooray!) 2) Behind where you thought you were (Congrats! Now you know.)
Either way, you win. You’ve traded fear for clarity.
Agency
This final step is where transformation happens.
Once you know where you stand, agency means you do something about it.
Watch videos. Ask questions. Read books. Take a class. Learn!
And most importantly, practice.
You don’t make progress with insight alone. You get there by getting in the reps. You must intentionally work hard to improve your performance, and slowly move up the spectrum.
Recent Examples for Me
I debated whether to include these next two examples. After all, who wants to admit to being an imposter in their own newsletter? 🤣 But hey, since we’re friends, here we go.
One year ago I had only a surface-level understanding of Profit and Loss statements, but I knew they were going to be relevant to my future. So I went deep, fast.
I read books. I watched videos. I opened up Excel and started doing math.
Today I analyze them professionally.
Six months ago I’d never been involved in a business sale. I didn’t know the first thing about deal structure, financing options, or even the vocabulary used.
So again, I read books, watched videos, read articles, and asked questions of tons of people who work in this space. And though I couldn’t exactly buy a company to practice, I threw myself into this world.
Transporting into the world of buying and selling businesses.
Fast forward to today and I meet with investment bankers, work with acquisition entrepreneurs, and give feedback on deal structure. I taught what I knew to people who knew less, which started to position me as someone in the know, so people brought me more deals/questions, which helped me learn faster. A virtuous cycle!
All because I was willing to be an imposter…but only temporarily. I was honest about where I stood, then did the work move forward.
Call to Action
If you’re feeling like an imposter right now, that’s great! It means you're pushing the envelope and developing as a person.
Where you’re feeling like an imposter, apply the prescription: Further expose yourself to practitioners. Get honest feedback. Then take action to improve.
Don’t get immobilized by fear. Don’t wait until you feel “ready.” Be willing to be an imposter, but only temporarily 😁
Kevin
PS - What’s something you’re learning, or feeling underqualified for right now? Hit reply and tell me. I read and respond to every one.
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