How To Reset & Go Again

We’ve all had moments in time where it feels like everything is falling apart.

A team member makes a mistake that costs tens of thousands of dollars. 

A loved one passes away. 

A distributor pulls the pin on taking $150,000 worth of your stock. 

A family member is ill. 

And all of the above happens in the space of a few weeks. 

It’s in these moments when most of us feel like it’s not worth the pressure. 

To remedy this I’ve set up a “Shit’s hitting the fan” protocol and take a day off to deal with these things.

Here’s what this process looks like for me: 

Before taking the day off, I email all the people I have impending deadlines with.

1. Here is the script I use for clients:
   
   “Kia ora (first name),
   
   I’ll be out of the office tomorrow. I understand we’re working to (X) timeline. To ensure that I can deliver this within (X) timeframe I’ll need this day.
   
   Please do not expect any immediate replies from me. I will be back online on this (insert date) and give you an update during that (insert day).
   
   Cheers,
   (Your name)”
   
   

2. Here is the message I send to colleagues:
   
   “Kia ora team,
   
   I’ll be OOO to focus on (XXX) and will not be reachable between these hours tomorrow.
   
   Please do not expect immediate replies from me. I will be back online on this (insert date) and give you an update during that (insert day). 

   
   Cheers,
   (Your name)” 

   
   Note: If you have a boss, send them this message:
   
   “Kia ora (first name),
   
   I’m currently working on multiple time-sensitive projects.
   
   Given my workload and our desire to find the best solutions for our customers, I’ll need at least six uninterrupted hours when I will not be under any immediate pressure to reply to emails or calls.
   
   I propose that I take this time as soon as tomorrow.
   
   If this day doesn’t work, can you please suggest an alternative that does within the coming week so that I can maintain the standards we have set for ourselves as a business?
   
   Best,
   (Your name)”
   

3. Once you’ve got the time confirmed, set up an out of office that looks like this:
   
   “Kia ora,
   
   Due to work commitments, I will not be replying to emails or taking calls during this time. I’ll be back online on X.
   
   Cheers,
   (Your name)”
   

4. I use a free tool called “Inbox When Ready” that blanks out all of my inbox messages but allows me to send them.

   

   
   

5. I then call an empathetic and reliable friend and do an emotional deload of everything with them and then say
   
   “I’ve got a list of things I need to tackle tomorrow; I’m going to write them down and then can I call you to talk to you about them at the end of the day tomorrow - what time works best for you?” 

With the impending doom of deadlines and the pressure to reply removed, here is how I use the day off: 

1. On waking, I turn off all external communication devices (preferably do this the night before)
   

2. I’ll do an activity that makes you happy and gives you energy (Exercise, walking, spending time with a loved one) for at least 60 minutes.
   

3. I write down a list of the mounting issues you’ve got using physical pen and paper that are creating overwhelm - be specific and write down the feelings that accompany them
   

4. Once I’ve written them down, I rank them from easiest to hardest to solve
   

5. I solve the most straightforward task on that list first - if this requires external communication, I schedule an email to go at 8 AM when I return to the office
   

6. If a task is too difficult to solve in one go, I create the next viable step and then move to the next thing on the list
   

7. At the end of the day, I’ll turn my phone on and call the friend I said I would, telling them about my list and what is unresolved on it. I ask, “Which of these things do you think sound simple to solve from your perspective?”
   

8. I write down their answers and then call it a day 

I’ve used this process a few times over the last few years, and it’s saved me from wanting to quit altogether. 

The actions and the order in which I’ve ordered them align with a few papers on stress reduction, task completion, and compliance. 

We’re good at solving problems, but sometimes, they build up too quickly to give us time to do so.

We have to take that time back and this process is a good starting point.

P.S. - It’s hard out there at the moment.

If you need some support, hit reply on this email, and me or Rhys will get back to you 

Leverage

In 2020, bored during the Covid lockdowns I came across this product called Arepa, loved it and wanted to invest. I had no money at the time, but I thought I could figure that part out later.

I reached out to them to see if there was an opportunity. The founder said there was soon, but wanted to know what I could contribute beyond capital.

So I offered to problem solve any current challenges they were facing to see if I could be useful. Their main one was figuring out the right got to market strategy.

They were focusing on growth and thought going direct to consumer with email marketing and a Shopify store was the play. Remember Allbirds, Peleton, Warby Parker etc… everyone was doing it back then. It was the new way to build a consumer products company. I disagreed.

Perhaps that’s why after spending a few days putting together a 5-page doc together about their current strategy and why I thought it was the wrong move. I never heard back.

They ended up going that way anyway. Many of their “big announcement” since on social media’s have been about distribution deals they’ve landed. And now they even promote their retailers on their website.

This story might seem a bit petty - I am bitter about not getting the chance to invest. Especially given how successful they are. But the point here is why I thought email marketing and D2C was the wrong channel for them in the first place.

And it’s very simple. Limited resources.

Regardless of size, I think it’s best for businesses to focus on their highest leverage activities. For the time invested, one retail deal, was always going to have a far bigger impact on Arepa’s top and bottom lines than email marketing.

Every business has these leverage points. Figuring out what these are and pulling on them is an advantage you want to take.