5 lessons from 2022

Merry Christmas!

Today’s newsletter will be short and sweet.

I hope you all are spending a few days with friends or family, watching some classic movies, and recharging for what will no doubt be a wild and fruitful 2023.

Keep showing up and I promise that big things are ahead from this newsletter and how we will help you become world-class storytellers.

Now for today’s (brief) deep dive.

-Robbie

DEEP DIVE: 5 lessons from this year

1. The process takes time to create the results you or I want. One year ago I was frustrated at what I felt was a pace too slow. Luckily, I knew the process takes time and stayed with it. Today, I’ve never been more confident of exactly how massive what I’m building will be. The same is true for the founders I coach. They love the process and know how to play the long game.

2. Have a viewpoint and stick to it. I got a message the other day from a fairly well known angel investor. The message: “I enjoy your bold content…you take no prisoners!” This is exactly the viewpoint I want out there. I’m not for everyone. It does attract haters and trolls but that’s a sign you stand for something. Remember, if you stand for everything, you stand for nothing.

3. Success comes from a willingness to suffer. There’s a beautiful story in the movie Gladiator that illustrates this point. The emperor Commodus is trying to sniff out a rebellion against him and a senator tells him the story of a sea snake. The sea snake lays on the sea floor and plays dead. A small fish comes and bites it. It stays playing dead. So a bigger fish swims down and bites the sea snake. And the sea snake continues to play dead. Finally the big fish thinks it’s safe to swim down and eat the “dead” sea snake. In that moment the sea snake comes to life and catches it’s prize.

4. The inevitable mindset empowers people to bend reality to their desires. I think about that quote from Thanos on an almost daily basis…”I am inevitable.” When people know they will succeed no matter what, they succeed. The universe rewards those people who have that unshakeable confidence and conviction. Doesn’t mean you know exactly how, it just means you know that you will find a way to end up at your ultimate goal.

5. Spend time with people in the trenches. There’s a famous speech from Teddy Roosevelt called The Man in the Arena. Brene Brown talked about this speech too. I believe the greatest way to grow as an entrepreneur is to be around other people who are going for big dreams. And it’s not just entrepreneurs, be around high performers and people who “send it.” I think a lot about the big wave surfers who have that ability to push the limits and how being around people who think in big ways can help each of us do the same. It’s why I love working with the world-class founders and top investors. They push me, and I push them. People in the arena are built different, think different, and push the limits of what’s possible.

RESOURCES for Founders and Storytellers

Speaking of big wave surfers, here’s a great breakdown from Polina Pompliano on Laird Hamilton who is one of the most innovative and iconic big wave surfers.

FINALLY...

This year has been tough for many founders. If you’re a founder, hold your head up high. You survived.

Use that grit and resilience from this year to find a way to build and excel next year. I’ll be here to help as many founders as I can. Through the newsletter, LinkedIn, and more on the way.

Have a fantastic final few days of 2022 and I will see you on January 1, 2023.