There are three things for you in this post:
- What to expect from the podcast and newsletter through the end of the year
- A quick note on the systemic stress that the uncertainty of elections comes with (regardless of party or outcome) and some tactics I’ve been using to move through that stress
- An early look at a new group coaching offering that starts in January
The stress of uncertainty
Let me start with acknowledging that election weeks are stressful in the United States, no matter your political preference.
We exist within systems. An internal system in relation to ourselves. A family system. A community system. All the way up to a global system. During election seasons, the national system we exist within is in tension. We all exist within that tension leading up to resolution and then as the results settle in.
During these moments of systemic tension, I notice that I absorb the pain, meanness, and struggle that is happening all around me. I see the way people treat one another with negative regard. I see people reach out for support and receive the opposite. I see how we are all trying to be understood. And I feel it in my body, in my exhaustion, and in my relationships. It’s heavy.
All of this is separate from who I voted for or what outcome I personally hoped for because the tension in the system exists regardless of outcome.
Here are the ways I’m trying to respond right now. Perhaps they spark something in you that brings you peace, hope, or joy:
- I am focusing on spreading love, compassion, and understanding.
- I am taking it easy on myself, understanding that I react to pain in the world by wanting to solve it all.
I’m trying to lighten my to-do lists, focus on what’s essential, and give myself more space to get exercise, connect with people, and feel whatever is coming up for me. - I’m emphasizing the relationships closest to me.
I played basketball with friends Tuesday night, I hosted a BBQ with fellow preschool dads Wednesday; I’m spending quality time with my wife and boys this weekend. These are the relationships right in front of me, where I have the most influence. - I’m finding productive outlets to express what I think, want, and need right now.
I’m writing, going to therapy, talking to my wife, planning for 2025 — anything that allows me the space to better understand myself in the new environment we’re operating in. - I’m having compassion for where I might fall short.
I set out to take six months off of alcohol and coffee two weeks ago. I haven’t yet been able to kick coffee because I’ve been tired. After being disciplined for a couple of weeks, I also decided to have a cocktail with friends this week. And that’s ok. Drinking a couple times in six months isn’t perfect, but it does reflect my commitment to longevity and wellbeing.
I hope these spark your own thinking on what matters to you right now. Here’s to spreading love across party lines.
Group Coaching for Creator-Founders Earning $250-500k
My coaching practice has grown full over the past 18 months. I primarily work 1:1 with creator-founders doing ~$1M+ in revenue. I also work with executive teams at creator-led companies doing $5-10M in revenue.
My 1:1 clients have often hit a point at which they’ve achieved all the goals they once had and now they need clarity and conviction on where to go from here.
The reasons they seek me out vary. Sometimes they:
- are burnt out
- can’t keep up with the growth of their business
- are a bit lost now that they’ve “made it”
- just need support handling the psychological, emotional, and somatic burdens of entrepreneurship
I love working with seven-figure creators and executive teams. I also hear from entrepreneurs earlier in their journey who have very similar challenges, but can’t afford to work with me 1:1.
I’m creating a group coaching program designed to give you the coaching, community, and support system to help you grow from $250k in revenue to $1M in revenue (or whatever your vision for your business might be).
My goal is to help you master the psychology of entrepreneurship and give you the support system to tackle the burdens and challenges you face along the way.
My group coaching program will be rooted in the idea that you already have everything you need inside of you. The group merely serves as a support system to help you discern your vision and goals, solve your own problems, and grow into the leader you’re made to be.
Here are the basic details of how it will work:
- We’ll meet twice per month for an hour (I will be the facilitator)
- The group will be made up of at least 5 and up to 12 entrepreneurs at a similar business stage
- We will use a format that combines principles from clearness committees, spiritual small groups, and my training in Presence-Based Coaching
- The group will run from January to June 2025, and then we will decide together if the group would like to continue on
- The cost will be $950 per person per month (32% of the cost of 1:1 coaching), with the first five people paying $750 per month
I’ll send you more details over the next couple of weeks, but for now, if you are in the core group this is designed for, and you know you are interested in joining, please hit reply. Just say “I’m interested” in the reply. The first five people to join will get the discounted rate.
I’m excited to work with a new group in this way. I have a feeling it’s going to be a special experience for everyone involved.
What to expect through the end of the year
I’m beginning to wind down for the year and have shifted most of my attention to planning for 2025 so that I can fully shut down for the holidays. Between now and January, I won’t be sending my normal newsletter, but I will be recording the podcast.
Podcast
You’ll get new podcast episodes until December 10th and then I’ll record a solo AMA that will hit your feeds on Christmas Eve. It’ll be a Happy Holidays edition from me to you as a way of saying thank you for all of your support this year.
Please hit reply and send me your questions about coaching, careers, leadership, Good Work, guests on the show, and anything else you’d like to know so I can answer them on the show.
Newsletter
I’m shutting down the newsletter (but not the podcast) for the rest of the year. The response and engagement have been minimal for a while now. I think that reflects my lack of enthusiasm for the content. There’s something stirring in me that I know is the next chapter of my…
My work and core messages have changed over the past two years, let alone the past ten. Much of my public writing does not reflect the growth and change I’ve experienced as a person and leader. It doesn’t reflect the depth of the coaching I do, or the things I learn as I make the podcast.
Whatever writing I return with in January will be reflective of the core message: I write to help you become the person – the leader, the founder, the spouse, the parent, the friend – you were made to be. TBD on whether it focuses on something like “mastering the psychology of entrepreneurship” or something that goes beyond founders.
To summarize: six more podcast episodes this year, no more newsletters.
Thanks as always for reading. I’m grateful for you.
Much love and respect,
Barrett