Every so often you get asked questions that have nothing to do with your business, and those conversations tell you more about who you are than any keynote ever could. Siinda invited me to sit down for their B-Side series during the early days of the pandemic, and the questions forced me to slow down and reflect on the people, habits, and obsessions that actually shaped the way I work.
My First Job Taught Me About Work Ethic
Siinda opened with a question about my first non-desk job. Mine was at the local grocery store growing up. The owners, Bill and his wife, ran the place together. What I remember most is that Bill would not ask anyone on staff to do a job he would not do himself. He knew every role in that store.
That was my first real exposure to servant leadership, before I had a name for it. I still keep in touch with them when I go home to see my folks. The lesson is simple. If you cannot do the work, do not ask your team to do it either.
Routine Became Everything
When Siinda asked about my daily routine, I had just come off eight years of heavy road travel visiting channel partners. Being grounded at home was the most time I had spent in one place in nearly a decade. I told them the truth:
“I am probably in better shape and sticking better to the eating regime because you are in a tighter routine. It is boring, I miss the contact with people.”
Routine is underrated. Travel romanticizes chaos, but real consistency in sleep, food, and movement is what lets you show up for high-stakes work over the long haul. If you lead a distributed team, this matters even more now. I explored a related angle in my post on how COVID changed sales forever.
The Brisket Problem
They also asked me about my hobbies, and I had to come clean about my smoker. I bought one, could not get it to work properly, and spent a lot of time destroying brisket on YouTube tutorials. Some of my Vendasta teammates, Jeff Tomlin, Connie, and Brendan, are fantastic smokers. Their food is genuinely delicious. Mine was not.
I told Siinda one of my goals that year was to figure the smoker out, even if I had to import someone from South Carolina to teach me. The lesson for anyone leading teams is the same. You do not have to be the best at everything. Go find the people who are, and learn from them.
Dinner With Elon
Siinda asked who I would have dinner with, living or dead. I picked Elon Musk and his wife. Part of it is the business curiosity, but there is also a Saskatchewan connection. Elon’s mother is from the prairies. I would love a couple of hours to just pick his brain on how he thinks about risk, systems, and the pace of invention.
A Message for the Siinda Community
They closed by asking what message I wanted to share with Siinda partners and members. I said it then and I will say it now. We are in an unprecedented time because this downturn is different. It is a global medical issue that touches everyone on the planet in ways economic cycles never did.
What I have learned from every downturn I have been through is this. Meaningful relationships compound. The partners you stay close to during hard times become the partners who grow with you when the market turns. I have written more on that idea in my post on the 4 fastest ways sales reps burn leads.
What I Keep Coming Back To
A few things still guide how I operate:
- Work ethic is a habit, not a mood
- Routine protects high performance
- Humility is a force multiplier when you ask for help
- Your network is the quiet asset that survives every cycle
If you are reading this and going through a tough season, stay in the game. The people who keep showing up, who keep learning, and who keep adding value are the ones who come out the other side stronger.
What is one habit or routine that has held you together during hard seasons? I would love to hear about it.