Reflections at 30,000 Feet: Building Better Businesses with Focus, Fearlessness, and Action

Here's what I'm thinking.

I’m on a flight to Nashville.

I like flying. It’s nice to sit with no distractions. For some reason, flights have always felt like an opportunity to reflect and organize my thoughts.

Here’s what’s on my mind today and a few improvements I want to make in my businesses.

Let’s go. 🔥

My GMB Course Doesn’t Need to Be Perfect

I started recording videos for the GMB course yesterday. (Yes, the GMB course won the contest, so it’s getting published first.) I’m embarrassed to admit that I deleted them.

Getting a few practice runs in was helpful, but the real reason I deleted them was because I didn’t think they were good enough.

That’s just fear talking. Seth Godin’s advice comes to mind: “It doesn’t count if you don’t publish.”

One of the most common pieces of feedback I get from readers is that they feel like they know me. I don’t over-polish my content, and it doesn’t feel fabricated. People tell me they appreciate how down-to-earth and approachable I am.

I take that as a big compliment. It’s also a real advantage in networking. It means a lot to me.

When it comes to creating courses, though, I feel like people expect high production value. Masterclass is only $20 a month, and their production is on another level.

But I’m not Masterclass. People don’t subscribe because I’m a great video editor. They subscribe because I know how to build companies, and they want to learn from me.

Note to self: just hit publish. I can always improve later.

It’s Not Too Late for My AI Newsletter

Feeling left behind is a common fear for people starting businesses. In The Incubator, one of the most frequent themes is people thinking they’re too late to start or wishing they had started 10 years ago.

Most of the time, it’s not too late.

• It’s not too late to start a podcast.

• It’s not too late to start a blog.

• It’s definitely not too late to start a newsletter.

That means it’s not too late for me to launch my AI newsletter.

We are still in the early stages of AI. A year from now, I’ll wish I had started today. So I need to ignore those doubts and go for it.

Here’s my plan.

I’ve noticed that many AI newsletters are focused on sharing news stories. That space feels pretty saturated. I think what people really want are simple explanations on how to use tools.

So for now, my newsletter will be a weekly video where I break down a new AI tool and show how to use it through a screen share.

This benefits me in two ways: first, I get to learn how to use the tools, which makes me better at AI. Second, “regular people” like you and me can learn how to use them too.

That’s the gap in the market. That’s the plan.

I’m Feeling Good About the Organization in My Company

When I decided to move forward with The Shop, one of my goals was to stay the point of contact for my clients.

In agencies, account management is a common challenge. As the owner, customers like to talk to me because I’m the one who closes the deals and builds trust. But if you want to scale, you can’t be both the sales guy and the point of contact.

At Stodzy, this is always a problem. Customers would sign contracts, get handed off to the account management team, and inevitably want to talk to me when they had a problem, wanted additional services, or needed an update.

With The Shop, I’m taking a different approach. I’m staying in both the sales and customer service roles. To make that work, I need to be on top of task management and have a clear view of each account’s progress.

I’m achieving this by prioritizing organization. Todoist has been a game-changer for me. Task management has been a personal challenge over the years, but I’ve made it a priority. I’m happy to report that my team and I are doing a great job. I’m sacrificing scale in exchange for lower stress.

It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you focus on it.

“Where focus goes, energy flows.”

---

Learn How To Create Multiple Streams Of Income

Join the TimStodz Incubator.

As a member, you'll get access to:

• A vibrant community of like-minded entrepreneurs and creators.

• One-on-one access to me for personalized guidance.

• Exclusive courses on topics like building directories, getting clients, and scaling income streams.

• Behind-the-scenes insights into my business journey, including how I’m building my portfolio to $10M a year.

• VIP access to live lessons, tools, and strategies I’ve used to create real results.

All of this is hosted on Substack, keeping everything simple, streamlined, and effective.

Start building your future today. Click here to join the Incubator before the price goes up!