3 years ago, I was a burned-out University employee who had been in the same job for 12 years
Last month, my eCom business served it's 200,000th customer.
Here are 5 leadership lessons that changed my life:
The most powerful leadership lesson of the last 50 years:
The Peter Principle.
Back in 1969, Laurence Peter shared his theory to avoid workplace incompetence.
And these are a must-read for any leader.
Here’s how to avoid promoting people to incompetence:
Aged 19 I had it all.
• I was fit
• I played sports
• I loved life
Then one day I visited the stall and nothing but blood came out. It was terrifying.
But my diagnosis didn't control my life.
Now I live medication and symptom-free.
Here's how:
Remote teams are often disconnected.
But it took me just 2 months to put together a framework that transformed us.
Here are the 5 Slack Channels I use to bring my remote team together so we can run our growing eCom Business AND have fun:
3 years ago, I was a burned-out University employee who had been in the same role for 7 years
Last month, my eCom business grew to $50m.
Here are 5 leadership lessons that changed my life:
In the last 3 years of my life, I’ve built a healthy team in an unconventional way.
You might be surprised at what we do.
Here's how I’ve taken it to ANOTHER level at our workplace:
Breaking into the startup world was tough.
I wasn't just looking for a “job”.
I was looking for a company with a purpose.
Now, I'm CEO of an eCom brand I've taken from $0 to $50 in 3 years.
Here's how it happened:
If you use it right, Slack is the most powerful platform in the world to build your team.
But most people are doing it wrong.
Here's my proven Slack strategy:
Ever witness an employee suddenly sink after a promotion?
That’s the Peter Principle at play.
Let's unpack why this happens and how to avoid this trap:
8 years ago, I was at the lowest point of my professional career.
My team had been disbanded.
My reputation was in tatters.
And it was all my fault.
Here’s how it happened:
Many of you know me as a radical health advocate and CEO.
Many of you DON’T know I was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition.
This journey changed my life:
Dear founders:
You're not just building a business.
You're creating a value-driven community.
And that starts with WHO you bring onto the team.
Here’s why:
5 years ago, I was a burned-out university employee constantly wading through red tape.
Now, I'm CEO of an eCom brand I've taken from $0 to $50 in 3 years.
Here’s how a chance meeting in a sauna changed my life:
I noticed a gap in eCom Twitter.
There's plenty of talk about media buying tactics + revenue growth strategies.
But what about team building + culture?
Scaling a business is largely about people.
Your team + your mentality is upstream from revenue growth.
Start your Sunday off right by taking 10-20 mins to plan your week. Like budgeting for every dollar, plan every hour. Sure, leave some white space but make sure to set a specific goal for each block. Hold yourself accountable & watch as you improve your time management skills.
What happens when you don’t have a systematic approach to goal-setting?
It’s not just a missed opportunity.
It’s a LOSS for your entire organization.
Here’s why:
3 years ago, I quit my job in FinTech to join a new DTC brand.
I had no clue how eCom worked.
I had zero experience.
And it was terrifying to throw away a 15-year career.
Here's what I learned about quitting your job to start again from scratch:
I became a better leader when I realized this:
Not all problems need to be solved at once.
And most problems are rooted in a larger problem.
Find the root.
Bad ways to lead:
• Gossip
• Complain
• Sit behind a computer screen all day
Good ways to lead:
• Treat team members equally
• Be positive
• Get your hands dirty
Build the culture you want by embracing it yourself
Over the past 3 years, I’ve built a $50m eCom business.
Want to do it too?
Put together a killer team.
Let me show you how to make sure your team doesn't suck:
I used to multi-task to be more productive.
At first I felt super-efficient. Then I realized I was constantly distracted.
So now I time-block.
One task at a time.
Trust me:
Stop multitasking. It’s killing your productivity.
People fail to build good leadership teams because they don’t offer training.
They promote based solely on their ability to do that job.
Not the job of a manager or leader.
But then what?
Ineffective middle management.
Know what's needed to be an excellent leader.
Traditional LTV is a deadly metric.
It no longer provides an accurate measure of growth potential.
Focus on THIS metric to drive your business forward instead:
4 years ago, I felt burnt-out in Higher Education for 12 years.
3 years ago I made a massive change to work in Fintech.
2 years ago I took a leap to create my dream job.
Now I’m the CEO of an industry-leading DTC brand doing exactly what I want to do in the world.
When I started as non-Founder eComm CEO I was under pressure.
• Pressure to be an Amazon business.
• Pressure to do PPC campaigns.
But I knew it didn’t feel right.
I wanted to build a brand not just a product.
Harder road but incomparable rewards.
To scale your eCom you need less of this:
• Overanalyzing your competitors
• Staying within your industry bubble
And more of:
• Designing your own category
• Exploring ideas from other industries
Becoming a true industry leader means thinking outside the box.
#1
: Approach Every Task With Unwavering Dedication.
It doesn't matter how trivial you think a task is. Give it your all. Don’t overthink it.
Don’t make it more complicated than it needs to be.
Just be enthusiastic and see where it takes you.
When I worked in a University for 12 years, I sometimes thought I’d never get a job anywhere else.
I sent out 100 resumes.
They all said no.
4 years later, I’m the CEO of a $50m company.
Never give up.
#4
: Have A Bias For Action.
It took me a while but I finally realized this:
Every team member is a leader.
When we see something that needs to be done, we step up + take action.
Don't wait for instructions. Make it happen.
Starting a business is simple.
Things you don’t need:
Fancy logo, perfect About Us page, ideal color branding.
Things you do need:
A real problem that people have and a solution that will solve it.
You don't need to be obsessed with your competitors
Go find:
• Who you are
• What you do best
• What you need to do better
Focusing on the competition sucks time away from being the best you can be.
#5
: Fail More
This is a tough one to embrace.
When you push boundaries, you have to fail.
Success IS about failing.
If mistakes occur within the boundaries of your values, learn and forgive quickly.
#3
: Always Seek Growth.
As soon as I reached eCom success, I hit a roadblock.
I was constantly DOING + had no time to THINK.
I needed to take a step back. I had to be able to plan for the next stage.
So now, I make time every week just to think.
That's the only way to grow.
#2
: Own Your Mistakes.
At first, you want to prove to your team that you're a winner.
But nobody wants to be led by a superhero.
Your team needs to see you make mistakes.
You own up to them, you learn, and you move on.
'Owning it' is the best thing you can do.
Next time you find yourself worrying about your career, remember:
Focus on what you CAN control and make the opportunity come to you.
These are wise words to live by!