Lion Specialty

Podcast Co-Host - Conversations in the LIONS' DEN

Co-Founder & Managing Partner

NFP is a leading insurance broker and consultant that provides employee benefits, property & casualty, retirement, and individual insurance and wealth management solutions through our licensed subsidiaries and affiliates.Our expertise is matched only by our personal commitment to each client’s goals.

Senior Vice President

Marsh McLennan

Vice President

JLT Specialty USA

JLT Specialty USA is the U.S. platform of the leading specialty business advisory firm Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group. Our experts are specialty focused and have extensive experience in industries and products serving leading U.S. and global firms. We focus on complex areas of industry or product need, where innovation and optimization are critical. 

Our specialty team has clear alignment around our clients’ best interests and are judged and rewarded based on our clients performance. With decisive insights, our team is fact-based and analytics-driven to create the best insights and value for our clients. 

Our culture enables a rewarding and challenging environment to attract and develop the best talent in the industry. We encourage creativity and are free to challenge conventions. With teamwork and collaboration, we are working together to share knowledge, solve problems and deliver the best solutions for our clients. 

Jardine Lloyd Thompson is one of the world’s leading providers of insurance, reinsurance and employee benefits-related advice, brokerage and associated services. JLT’s client proposition is built upon its deep specialist knowledge, client advocacy, tailored advice and service excellence. JLT is quoted on the London Stock Exchange and owns offices in 40 territories with more than 10,600 employees. Our global foundation is unparalleled and provides experts worldwide in 135 countries. 

For further information about JLT, please visit our website www.jltus.com

Broker Director and Officer's liability insurance for clients around the globe.

Assistant Vice President

The Aspen Institute

Development Intern

American Property Solutions

Developed Business Plan

Bitzer Real Estate Partners

Intern

LION Specialty is one of the only independent broker that positions financial institutions clients to trade effectively in the global insurance markets.

As Co-Founder and Managing Partner at LION Specialty, I offer a distinct combination of skills and a personalized approach to navigate the dynamic landscape of the global insurance market.
Our focus lies in empowering middle-market financial institutions, which are frequently overlooked by larger brokerage firms, by providing them with innovative tools for risk management and decision-making.

With our long-standing global relationships and experience, we elevate these institutions with our innovative solutions and client service platform.
What sets us apart:

• Decades of experience in our niche, with accolades for our team's effectiveness.
• Exclusive access to a Lloyd's of London program, a rarity in our field.
• Recognition from our peers as one of the best teams to work with.
• The ability to keep our clients up to date with dynamic market conditions with the use of AI tools.

I have 50,490 hours of expertise within the insurance industry focusing specifically on banks, (Re)insurance companies, private equity firms, ILS funds, and investment managers.

My passion lies in developing distinctive solutions tailored to meet the specific needs of each client.
Since the start of my career, I’ve always been driven and results-oriented. Always willing to put in the extra hours and time to get the job done.

After starting in real estate, I jumped over to the insurance world where I teamed up with LION’S co-founder, Mark Flippen. 

Within months, the two of us were landing and converting meetings at a rapid clip. Our passion for insurance and our strong work ethic led us down the path of creating LION Specialty. 

Outside of the financial industry, I enjoy teaching Pilates, exploring the world, and spending time with family and friends.

Interested in discovering how our decades of experience contribute to enhancing the effectiveness of insurance companies in the commercial insurance market? Send me a message and let's connect.

Natasha I.  Kiemnec, ARM

This industry runs on relationships.
Today I'm grateful for every single one.

The clients who trusted us before we had a track record. 

The carriers who partnered with us when LION was just an idea and a business plan. 

The team members who bet their careers on what Flip and I were building.

We started LION with a simple belief: financial institutions deserved better.

Better coverage. 
Better advocacy. 
Better understanding of what they were actually buying.

What we didn't anticipate was how many people would show up to help us prove it.

Underwriters who spent extra hours getting manuscripts right. Clients who referred us before we asked. Industry friends who made introductions just because they believed in what we were doing.

Insurance is a relationship business. 
Everyone says it.

But you don't really understand it until you're building something from scratch and watching people choose to support you; not because they have to, but because they want to.

To our clients: Thank you for trusting us with what matters most.

To our carriers: Thank you for partnering with us to build something different.

To our team: Thank you for making LION what it is.

To Mark Flippen for making the leap with me, and trying something that virtually no one in our industry does. 
 
To this industry: Thank you for twenty years of relationships that turned into friendships.

To the new connections: We’re learning how to build in public and on socials because of you!

To my family and friends: I love you for all the support helping me get to this point!

To my love David Gutierrez, your unwavering love and support has made this possible for me. 
 
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who's been part of this journey.

Today I'm not thinking about coverage gaps or policy language.

Just gratitude and love ❤️

Managing Partner & Co-founder of LION Specialty | Global Financial Institutions & Private Equity Broker | Classical Certified Pilates Instructor

If your insurance policy is 200 pages long, it's probably hiding something.
Ours is 35:

I've spent the last 10 years reading what most people avoid…
Hundreds of pages of insurance forms. 

I've tracked how they perform at claim time, mapped exclusions that didn't hold up, and watched policy language fail when it mattered most.

So believe me when I tell you this: complexity isn't protection.

LION’s solution is our Lloyd's Manuscript.

We're now on version four.

Not because we keep getting it wrong. 

Because we keep making it better.

Version one: At JLT, we picked the top 20 writers of insurance company professional liability - basically everyone who writes it - and reviewed their contracts section by section.

Insuring agreements. 
Notice provisions. 
Defense and settlement. 
Allocation. 
Exclusions with carve-backs.

We crafted language simple enough to understand but sophisticated enough for London to back it.

Version two: Public company variation. 

Realized the private company version needed tweaks we hadn't caught the first time.

Version three: Left for another firm. 

Couldn't take our IP. Had to write it again from scratch - which forced us to see what had become outdated, where definitions didn't match up.

Version four: Built LION. 

Rewrote it completely. More succinct. Reordered exclusion sections. Pulled general terms into one place. Made notice crystal clear.

Each iteration taught us something:

How "for" lead-in language on conduct exclusions creates full defense cost carve-backs. 

How "true best effort" allocation language performs under pressure. 

How integrated forms beat 50+ endorsements stitched together.

Here's what four versions got us:

Technical precision: Covers full scope of FI services. Flexible claims trigger. Exclusions with carve-backs for how insurers actually operate. 

Optional punitive damages through London, Bermuda, Ireland. Integration with reinsurance that fills gaps where you'd otherwise pay.

Structural elegance: D&O, E&O, EPLI, fiduciary in clear sections. 

Crime and cyber as modular add-ons. 35 pages of core coverage vs industry standard 150+.

Market validation: Primary capacity to $10M. Excess to $100M in UK. Nine Lloyd's syndicates pre-approved. Tested through countless real claim scenarios.

Most brokers place your business into existing structures.

We build structures designed specifically for your business.
Because we don't write to impress.
We write to respond.

If you want to chat about coverage, my DMs are always open.

Want boardroom intelligence with zero noise?

Every week we share curated insights that cut through the chaos and help you make the best policy decisions.

Join here: https://lnkd.in/garzxSxG

LION Specialty. The Leader in Institutional Insurance.

JSESSIONID

li_at

15 years in insurance taught me what no training manual covers.
Here are the unspoken rules that matter most:

1. Your relationships matter more than your resume

The best placements don't come from knowing products. 

They come from knowing the underwriter who can make exceptions, the claims executive who will fight for your client, the coverage counsel who understands nuance.

Build relationships before you need them.

2. Saying no is a skill

Early in my career, I said yes to everything. 

Every client call. 
Every project. 
Every "quick question."

I learned the hard way: overcommitment leads to mediocre work. Boundaries create space for excellence.

3. Ask questions that make you look junior

I was 24 manuscripting policies with general counsels from top 30 insurance companies. I asked questions that probably annoyed them.

But asking questions when you don't understand builds expertise faster than pretending you do.

4. Own your mistakes immediately

Coverage errors happen. 
Notification delays happen. 
Miscommunications happen.

The brokers who survive own them fast. The ones who spiral try to hide them.

5. Find people ahead of you who will teach

Senior brokers who invested time teaching me line-by-line coverage changed my career. 

Mentorship is earned through showing up prepared and being easy to work with.

6. Physical discipline supports mental performance

I was working until 10 PM and hitting the gym at 4:30 AM. Not despite the long hours - because of them.

You can't sustain high performance on declining physical capacity.
Insurance rewards endurance. 

Build for it.

Nobody told me these rules at 22. 

I learned them through trial, failure, and watching others succeed or burn out.

What unspoken rules have shaped your career?

Building insurance expertise through hard-earned lessons. Follow along.

the unspoken rules of insurance

Most insurance renewals are just photocopies of last year's decisions.
Here's why that's costing financial institutions millions:

An insurance company came to us last year after 12 years with the same broker.

Their coverage had been "renewed" annually.
Premiums negotiated down.
Limits maintained.

Everyone congratulated themselves on another successful cycle.
Then we actually looked at the program.

Their business had completely transformed over those 12 years. 

New product lines. 
Different distribution model. 
Expanded geography. 

Regulatory requirements that didn't exist when the program was designed.

But their coverage?

Still built for who they were in 2012.

We found exclusions that eliminated protection for 40% of their current revenue. Notice provisions that assumed a corporate structure they'd abandoned years ago. Limits that made sense for their old book but left them catastrophically underinsured for their actual exposure.

Twelve years of renewals.
Not one fundamental coverage review.
This wasn't a bad broker.

The standard renewal cycle rewards efficiency over effectiveness. Brokers have 90 days to get signatures. Carriers want minimal changes. Clients want lower premiums. Everyone's incentive is to keep things moving.

Nobody's incentive is to stop and ask: "Does this still fit?"

At LION, we built the opposite approach.

Every renewal starts with a simple question: If we were designing this program from scratch today, what would it look like?

We map current exposures against existing coverage.
We stress-test provisions against actual claim scenarios in your sector.
We compare your program to our manuscript standard built from hundreds of global form reviews.

Only then do we negotiate.

The regional insurer?

We restructured their entire program. 
Eliminated exclusions that would have gutted their next claim. 
Rewrote notice provisions for their actual corporate structure. 

Rebuilt limits around real exposure, not historical habit.

The insurance market rewards brokers who renew fast.

We built LION to reward clients who renew right.

Because coverage that doesn't fit isn't coverage at all.

It's expensive false confidence.

~

Want boardroom intelligence with zero noise?

Every week we share curated insights that cut through the chaos and help you make the best policy decisions.

Join here: https://lnkd.in/garzxSxG

LION Specialty. The Leader in Institutional Insurance. 🦁

We've reviewed every major D&O form in the global market.
Here's why that matters more than any carrier relationship:

Early in my career, I spent six months reading insurance policies line by line with the general counsels who write them.

Not summaries. 
Not broker guides. 
The actual manuscript language that determines whether claims get paid.

That education changed everything about how I evaluate coverage.

Most brokers review forms comparatively. "This carrier's form is better than that carrier's form." Relative judgments based on limited samples.

We review forms against an absolute standard.

Over the past decade, we've built a manuscript benchmark from hundreds of policy reviews across London, Bermuda, and domestic markets. 

Every provision. 
Every exclusion. 
Every definition that matters when claims hit.

When we tell a client "this language is non-standard," we're not guessing. We've seen what standard actually looks like across the entire market.

Last quarter, a specialty insurer brought us their renewal. Their current broker called it "market-leading coverage."

We found eleven provisions that deviated from our manuscript standard. Three of them would have materially impacted their next claim.

One exclusion effectively eliminated coverage for their fastest-growing business line. The broker who placed it had never seen a form without that exclusion, so they assumed it was standard.

It wasn't. We'd seen dozens of forms without it.

The difference between "standard" and "best available" often comes down to how many forms you've actually reviewed.

We've reviewed more than anyone.

That's not a boast. It's a methodology.

Because when you're negotiating coverage, the broker who's seen the most forms knows what's actually possible.

Everyone else is guessing.

Want boardroom intelligence with zero noise?

Every week we share curated insights that cut through the chaos and help you make the best policy decisions.

Join here: https://lnkd.in/garzxSxG
LION Specialty. The Leader in Institutional Insurance. 🦁

People ask how I catch details others miss in insurance policies.
The answer goes back to my mom's design firm:

My mom was the head designer at my parents' company for 35 years. Every project that left their office went through her review.

Line by line. 
Layout by layout. 
Color by color.

She'd check once. Then check again. Then check a third time.

Because if something went out wrong - wrong installation, wrong art, wrong color specification - they paid for it.

Out of pocket. 
Their own company. 
Their own money.

That kind of financial exposure creates a particular kind of obsession with getting it right.

I didn't realize I was learning anything. 

I just saw my mom reviewing projects at the kitchen table, marking up drawings, catching errors before they became expensive mistakes.

But that checking discipline sank in deeper than I knew.

In school, I'd review my work the same way. Once for completion. Again for accuracy. A third time before submission. I became valedictorian not because I was smarter - because I caught what I'd missed.

Now in insurance, that same pattern shows up everywhere.

I check quotes line by line.
Read binders multiple times. 
Review policies until I've seen every provision, every definition, every exclusion.

Not once. 
Multiple times.

Because the details that matter most hide in plain sight. 

You only find them through systematic repetition.

The best disciplines get formed before you know you'll need them.

I learned to check for costly errors in design projects. 

Now I check for coverage gaps in insurance programs.

Different industry. 
Same foundation. 
Same obsession.

Building insurance expertise through systematic discipline. Follow along

Natasha Kiemnec

Most brokers start your renewal 60 days before expiration.
We start 150 days out. Here's why that gap determines everything:

The standard renewal timeline is built for broker efficiency, not client outcomes.

60 days gives you enough time to get quotes, compare pricing, and secure signatures. It's enough time to transact.

It's not enough time to transform.

At 60 days, you're reacting. 

Carriers set the pace. 
Market conditions dictate terms. 
You negotiate around the edges of whatever they offer.

At 150 days, you're shaping the market.

Here's what those extra 90 days actually buy:

Days 150-120: We run a complete exposure audit. 

Not "what did you buy last year" but "what do you actually need today." 

Business changes. 
Risk profiles shift. 
Coverage should evolve with you.

Days 120-90: We stress-test your current program against real scenarios. Regulatory investigations. 
Cyber incidents. 
Coverage disputes we've seen in your sector. 
We identify gaps while there's time to fix them.

Days 90-60: We go to market with a clear mandate. 
Not "renew this program" but "here's exactly what we need and why." Carriers respond differently when brokers demonstrate systematic preparation.

Days 60-30: We negotiate from strength. 

Because we've done the work, we know exactly which provisions matter and which are noise. 

We don't waste leverage on immaterial changes.

Days 30-0: We execute cleanly. 

No surprises. 
No last-minute scrambles. 
Coverage bound with full documentation and implementation protocols.

A regional MGA came to us mid-cycle last year. Their expiration was 45 days out.

We told them the truth: we couldn't do our full process in that window. We could transact their renewal, but we couldn't transform their program.

They waited. Renewed with their current broker for one more year. Came back to us at 150 days.

The program we built was fundamentally different. 
Better limits. 
Fewer exclusions. 
Coverage that actually matched their current business model.

The 60-day timeline would have given them another year of the same.
The 150-day timeline gave them protection that actually works.
Time is the difference between transaction and transformation.

Want boardroom intelligence with zero noise?

Every week we share curated insights that cut through the chaos and help you make the best policy decisions.

Join here: https://lnkd.in/garzxSxG

LION Specialty. The Leader in Institutional Insurance. 🦁

At 22, I was learning from everyone around me.

At 35, I'm teaching what took me 15 years to learn:

At my first Insurance job, I was the youngest person on the team. Everyone else had law degrees or finance masters.

I showed up early. Stayed late. Asked questions that probably annoyed people.

But the senior brokers who took time to teach me? They changed everything.

They'd sit with me line by line through policies. Walk me through carrier 
negotiations. Explain why certain language mattered more than others.

They didn't have to. I wasn't generating revenue yet. I was slowing them down.

But they invested anyway.

By 27, I was building FI teams at JLT. Taking what I'd learned and applying it to bigger accounts, more complex coverage, higher stakes.

The pattern became clear: growth happens through community.

Not just taking knowledge in, but passing it forward.

Now, I'm co-founding LION and mentoring the next generation of insurance pros.

The junior broker who asks questions that slow me down? I remember being her.

The person who needs someone to sit with them through a complicated form? I remember needing that.

The best expertise doesn't stay locked in one person's experience.
It multiplies when you share it.

That's what mentorship actually is - not networking events and coffee chats, but sitting in the details with someone until they understand it the way you do.

Real impact multiplies through others.

Who are you helping grow?

P.S. Ready to accelerate your insurance expertise? DM me - I save spots for committed learners ready to grow.

Your policy has exclusions written in 1987 responding to risks that no longer exist. And new risks with no exclusions at all. Here's why that matters:

I was reviewing a D&O policy for a specialty insurer last month. 

Standard form. 
Top-rated carrier. 
Nothing unusual.

Then I found it.

An exclusion for "computer virus transmission" written in language that clearly predated modern cyber threats. It referenced "magnetic tape" and "diskette transfer."

Nobody uses diskettes anymore. But the exclusion was still there.

Meanwhile, the policy had no clear treatment of AI-related liability. 

Algorithmic decision-making. Automated underwriting errors. The risks keeping their GC up at night.

This is what I call Exclusion Archaeology.

Policy forms accumulate provisions over decades. Carriers add exclusions after bad claims. They rarely remove obsolete ones. The result is coverage shaped by 1990s losses responding to 2025 exposures.

When we review policies, we date every exclusion. Not literally - but we identify which risks each provision was designed to address and whether those risks still exist in that form.

Then we map current exposures against exclusionary language.

The gaps are always surprising.

That specialty insurer had robust protection against risks from the floppy disk era. They had almost nothing addressing how their AI pricing model might create liability.

Their broker had negotiated hard on premium. Nobody had questioned whether the exclusions matched modern reality.

We rewrote their program. Removed three obsolete exclusions. Added specific coverage grants for their actual technology stack. Negotiated AI liability treatment that their old form didn't contemplate.

The insurance market builds policies through accumulation, not design.
Elite coverage requires excavating what's actually in there - and rebuilding for current reality.

Want boardroom intelligence with zero noise?

Every week we share curated insights that cut through the chaos and help you make the best policy decisions.

Join here: https://lnkd.in/garzxSxG

LION Specialty. The Leader in Institutional Insurance. 🦁

In 2023 I got my Pilates instructor certification. 

Here are 3 lessons from 450 hours of training:

1. Physical practice improves mental performance

Morning movement clears decision fog. Body awareness enhances presence. 

Breath work calms market stress. Energy management beats time management.

2. Teaching others deepens personal mastery

Breaking down complex moves mirrors explaining coverage. Student progress reveals leadership insights. 

Different learning styles need different approaches. Small adjustments create major improvements.

3. Consistent practice compounds results

Daily habits matter more than occasional effort. Precision beats intensity. 

Balance prevents burnout. Sustainable progress outperforms sprints.

The insurance executive who became a Pilates instructor?

She didn't leave her career. 

Balance drives sustained growth. Discipline creates freedom. Movement enhances clarity. Integration beats separation.

At LION, we do more than talk about work-life balance.

We build it into our culture. Midday workouts. Diverse interests. Clear standards with room to grow past them.

Because people who only do insurance will eventually do insurance poorly.

Your competitive edge isn't sacrificing everything for one goal.

It's building a life where different pursuits strengthen each other.

How do you integrate your passions with your profession?

♻️ Repost to inspire holistic leadership.

Underwriters stopped asking if your vault is locked.
Now, they're asking if your robot employees have a human babysitter...

CFOs, CISOs, and risk managers at financial institutions:

Last Thursday's Anthropic disclosure fundamentally changed how we think about cyber risk.

And more importantly, what you need to do about it before renewal.

Chinese state actors convinced Claude it was a security professional conducting authorized testing.

Then gave it the capability to touch real systems autonomously.

The result: 30 simultaneous attacks across tech giants, banks, and federal agencies.

80-90% automated. 
Machine speed. 
Thousands of operations per second.

We've spent the week digesting Anthropic's forensic report, talking with our carrier counterparties, and fielding calls from clients who thought their AI governance covered this.

Most governance policies address employees using ChatGPT inappropriately.

They never contemplated ChatGPT becoming the criminal.

Most policies are silent on AI. And silence means potential denial when your AI hallucinates and destroys critical data.

The market split into three camps: broad AI exclusions, $1-5M sublimits, or premium surcharges.

Your renewal timeline just accelerated by six months.

If you want the breakdown of what sophisticated institutions are implementing right now (hardware keys, explicit AI coverage language, human-in-the-loop documentation)…

Read about it in this week's LION Specialty Friday Five Boardroom Briefing.

Comment "BRIEF" below if you're not on our distribution…

"You're not spending summers at home."
That one parenting decision shaped how I see risk:

Starting at age 5, my parents had a rule: summers were for experiencing the world.

Eight to ten weeks at camp. French language immersion. Study abroad programs before most kids left the state.

At 14, I was hiking Machu Picchu. At 15, I was living on a boat in the Caribbean.

By college, I'd done three study abroads. Not because I was running from home - because I was learning to see the world through different lenses.

My parents understood something most don't:
Your perspective determines how you assess risk.

If you only see the world from one vantage point, you miss threats others see clearly. You misread opportunities that are obvious to people with different experience.

A white American girl from the middle of the country has blind spots. The only way to address them is exposure.

That early travel completely changed how I approach insurance.

Risk isn't just domestic. Financial institutions operate globally. Markets shift based on international dynamics. Coverage needs change based on regulatory environments across jurisdictions.

If I'd only understood risk from a US perspective, I'd miss half of what matters.

Now at LION, we're building with that same philosophy - global perspective, international footprint, understanding risk across markets and jurisdictions.
The best risk assessment comes from people who've seen problems from multiple angles.

Early exposure shapes how you see everything that follows.

What experiences shaped how you assess risk?

Building insurance expertise through global perspective. Follow along.

Insurance language shouldn't require a law degree to understand.

So we broke down stuffy 50-page industry forms into a simple ~30 page manuscript:

"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."
Most FI policies run 50+ pages of dense technical jargon.

Contradictory endorsements. Nested definitions that reference other definitions. Exclusions buried in subsection C of clause 7.

We created a manuscript that's only 35 pages.

Clear language. 
Logical structure. 
Comprehensive coverage.

Here's why this matters for financial institutions:

Complex language creates coverage gaps in D&O and E&O policies.

Technical jargon breeds misunderstanding of critical exclusions. Confusion leads to claim disputes when you need coverage most.

The institutions that succeed? They demand clarity in their coverage documents.

What Actually Works:

Plain language explanations eliminate ambiguity. Logical coverage organization shows how provisions connect. Consistent terminology prevents contradictory interpretations.

Visual policy mapping reveals gaps before claims hit.

Common Mistakes:

Accepting industry standard forms without question. Ignoring contradictory endorsements layered over years. Missing coverage connections between related policies.

Skipping documentation review until claims arrive.

Your Coverage Blueprint:

Set the foundation by demanding clear policy language and requesting visual coverage maps. Eliminate redundant provisions that create confusion.
Consolidate related coverages into coherent structure.

Create the strategy by building comprehensive glossaries everyone can reference.

Document coverage intentions during placement, not after denials. 

Establish review protocols that catch gaps early. Test programs with claim scenarios before real losses hit.

Clarity creates confidence. 

Simplicity serves everyone. 

Understanding prevents disputes. 

Documentation determines outcomes.

What's your coverage clarity strategy?

~

P.S. Want to see what elite policy documentation looks like?

Book a live policy review: https://lnkd.in/g9rJT-ka

LION Specialty. The leader in institutional insurance.

We've recovered $250M+ in claims because our strategy starts before losses happen.
Here's the exact 10-step process:

1. Choose carriers who act like partners

The right carrier views claims as promises to keep. 

The wrong one views them as problems to minimize. That choice gets made at placement, not during crisis.

2. Get crystal-clear policy wording upfront

Ambiguous language doesn't protect you better - it creates disputes you'll fight later. 

We negotiate precise definitions and explicit coverage grants before you ever need them.

3. Run mock claim scenarios before you need them

If your coverage doesn't work in simulation, it won't work in crisis. 

We stress-test programs against real loss patterns. 
Ransomware during peak operations. 
SEC investigations. 
Nuclear verdicts.

4. Deploy specialist expertise, not generalists

Complex claims don't need good brokers. They need specialists who've seen your exact scenario before. 

Forensics experts. 
Coverage counsel. 
Crisis consultants who understand FI exposures.

5. Balance assertive advocacy with strategic compromise

Push too hard, damage carrier relationships. Accept too quickly, leave millions on the table. 

Elite advocacy requires knowing when to escalate and when to negotiate.

6. Prevent disputes before they start

Most denials trace back to notification errors, not coverage gaps. 

Establish protocols during placement that eliminate procedural mistakes before they cost you.

7. Use data to drive every decision

Claim outcomes follow patterns. 

We analyze settlement histories, trigger data, and industry benchmarks to build positions carriers can't dismiss.

8. Keep pace with regulatory evolution

Regulatory changes shift coverage implications constantly. 
Track developments that affect your exposures. 
Adjust programs before gaps emerge.

9. Document everything - gaps in paperwork create gaps in recovery

Carriers deny more claims for missing documentation than actual coverage disputes. 

Build documentation protocols that withstand scrutiny from day one.

10. Be the steady hand through the storm

Claims create chaos. Leadership needs structure, process, and calm execution - not brokers who panic alongside them.

Many financial institutions leave millions on the table when claims hit.

You don't have to be one of them.

Want boardroom intelligence with zero noise?

Every week we share curated insights that cut through the chaos and help you make the best policy decisions.

Join here: https://lnkd.in/garzxSxG

LION Specialty. 

The Leader in Institutional Insurance.

Legally, drones are aircraft.
That one fact nearly created millions in uninsured exposure:

I was reviewing a policy with an insurance company that uses drones for claims adjusting.

Standard manuscript session. Walking through exclusions. Making sure everything aligned with their operations.

We hit the aircraft and operational machinery exclusion.

The CFO stopped me.

"Wait. A drone is technically an aircraft. If this exclusion stays as written, we have a problem."

He was right.

They were using drones daily to assess property damage, inspect hard-to-reach areas, expedite claims settlements. Core business operations. Revenue-generating activity.

And their policy would have denied every claim related to it.

Most brokers would have kept moving. "It's a standard exclusion. Every policy has it. No one's going to challenge drone use."

But standard exclusions don't care about your intentions. They care about their language.

If the exclusion says "aircraft" and drones legally qualify as aircraft, you're denied. 

The carrier won't make exceptions during a claim just because you didn't think it applied.

We added a carve-back.

One sentence: "This exclusion does not apply to the use of unmanned aircraft for claims handling, adjusting, and loss assessment."

That carve-back protected millions in potential exposure.

The exclusion still served its purpose - no coverage for operating commercial airlines or traditional aircraft. But their actual business operations? Fully covered.

This is why custom manuscripts matter.

Standard forms get written for hypothetical companies. 

Broad language. 
One-size-fits-all exclusions. 
No consideration for how you actually operate.

Custom forms get written for your business. Your operations. Your risk profile.

One client conversation caught what could have been years of uninsured exposure.

How many gaps exist in your policy because no one asked the right questions?

~

Ready to stress-test your coverage?

Book a live policy review: https://lnkd.in/g9rJT-ka

We typically find gaps standard reviews miss.

LION Specialty. 

The Leader in Institutional Insurance.

Most brokers build carrier relationships through entertainment budgets. We built ours by making underwriters better at their jobs. Here's what that actually looks like:

Early in my career at JLT, we made a strategic decision. Instead of competing through access and happy hours, we'd compete through education.

We started writing technical papers. 50-100 pages on D&O coverage evolution. 

Policy language analysis. 
Case law trends. 
The history of financial institution professional liability.

Deep work. The kind that takes weeks to research and write.

Then we gave it away.

Carriers used our papers to train junior underwriters. They included our analysis in their own publications. They cited our work in coverage position papers.

We created "Day in the Life" sessions - immersive programs showing underwriters how elite brokers actually review policies. 

What we look for. 
Why we ask the coverage questions we ask. 
How we stress-test programs before placement.

Half-day versions with presentations. 
Full-day versions in New York with multiple speakers. 
Premium programs running multiple days with networking built in.

We co-authored quarterly publications with carrier partners. Not promotional material. Actual technical content that served the broader market.

The result was deeper than access.

Carriers preferred working with us because we understood their products at a technical level most brokers never reach.

When we negotiated coverage, both sides operated from shared expertise instead of adversarial positioning. Conversations became collaborative instead of confrontational.

That foundation transferred directly to LION.

We don't build relationships through golf outings. We build them through systematic expertise that elevates everyone we work with.

When you make your partners better at what they do, they choose to work with you. When you invest in shared understanding, negotiations shift from conflict to collaboration.

The insurance market rewards brokers who entertain.
But it remembers brokers who educate.

~

Want boardroom intelligence with zero noise?

Every week we share curated insights that cut through the chaos and help you make the best policy decisions.

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LION Specialty. 

The Leader in Institutional Insurance. 🦁

"Should we notify our insurance carrier?"
Simple question. Complicated answer. Here's what I mean:

A specialty insurer called us for a second opinion during a regulatory examination. 

The State department of insurance was asking questions.

Nothing adversarial yet.

Their policy had a "claims-made" trigger. Coverage applied to claims first made during the policy period. But "claim" was defined to include "any written demand for monetary or non-monetary relief."

Was a regulatory information request a "demand"? 

Did examination questions constitute "relief" being sought?

Their previous broker said to wait. "It's not a claim yet. Don't notify until there's an actual allegation."

In this case, we disagreed.

We'd seen this exact scenario three times before. 

Twice, carriers argued late notice when examinations escalated to enforcement. 

The clients who notified early preserved coverage. The client who waited lost it.

"Claims-made" sounds simple. But "claim" definitions vary wildly. 

Some include investigations. Some don't. 

Some require formal allegations. Some trigger on informal inquiries.

At LION, we run trigger scenarios during placement.

We ask: "If this happens, does it trigger coverage?" 
Then we test the language against our answer.

Regulatory inquiry. 
Internal investigation. 
Informal complaint. 
Demand letter. 
Formal lawsuit.

Each scenario. Each policy. Every time.

The specialty insurer notified immediately. 
Six months later, the examination became an enforcement action. 
Coverage was preserved because they'd triggered it early.

Their former broker's advice would have cost them the claim.

~

Ready to stress-test your program?

Book a live policy review: https://lnkd.in/g9rJT-ka

27 new reciprocals launched to fill capacity gaps in catastrophe zones... 

NY DFS just collected $19M from 8 insurers for basic cyber failures... 

And Financial Lines underwriters evaluate reciprocals through a completely different lens than you'd expect.

In this week's Friday Five, we're tracking how reciprocals are solving the homeowners coverage crisis in hurricane-exposed markets.

We break down how 18 reciprocals launched in just the past year - bringing $51 billion in premium capacity to markets traditional carriers exited.

Plus, DFS collected penalties for hackers stealing driver's license numbers through online quote tools. 

Hartford paid $3M, Liberty Mutual $2.7M, Farmers $2.775M. 

The crazy part? DFS warned about these exact vulnerabilities back in February 2021.

And how Financial Lines underwriters actually evaluate reciprocals: they see two distinct entities with separate exposures. 

The Exchange holds risk. The Attorney-in-Fact manages operations. Each requires different coverage.

New here? 

Every Friday we distill 200+ insurance, legal, and market-risk articles into three signals your board may need for its Monday briefing...

Want the full analysis this week? 

Comment 'brief' below and we'll get you on the distribution. 

Stay covered everybody.

Financial institutions are the most complex risks in the insurance market.
So why do most brokers assign them to generalists?

I've spent my entire career in financial institution coverage. D&O. E&O. Cyber. Fiduciary. 

The specialized lines that protect organizations when sophisticated risks materialize.

Here's what I've learned: 

Generalist brokers can place these policies. They cannot optimize them.

The difference shows up in details that only matter during claims.

Last year, we reviewed a program placed by a top-10 global broker for a regional insurer. 

Solid carrier. 
Reasonable pricing. 
Professional execution.

But the broker who placed it had never handled a bank regulatory claim.

The notice provisions required immediate notification to the carrier upon "receipt of any regulatory inquiry."

Sounds reasonable. 

Except banks receive routine regulatory inquiries constantly. 

Compliance examinations. 
Information requests. 
Supervisory letters.

If they'd notified on every one, the carrier would have non-renewed them for claims frequency. If they'd filtered and missed one that escalated, the carrier could deny for late notice.

The provision created a trap with no good option.

A specialist would have caught it. We've negotiated that exact language hundreds of times. We know which formulations work and which create impossible compliance burdens.

A generalist saw "notification requirement" and moved on.
That's the specialist paradox.

Generalists can execute the transaction. But the details that determine claim outcomes require pattern recognition that only comes from deep specialization.

At LION, we only serve financial institutions. Not because we couldn't do other things. 

Because focus creates expertise that breadth never matches.

Every provision we negotiate reflects hundreds of similar negotiations. 

Every scenario we stress-test draws from claims we've actually handled. 

Every recommendation builds on patterns we've seen across the sector.

When you're buying complex coverage, the question isn't whether your broker can place it.

It's whether they've seen enough to know what actually matters.

Want boardroom intelligence with zero noise?

Every week we share curated insights that cut through the chaos and help you make the best policy decisions.

Join here: https://lnkd.in/garzxSxG

LION Specialty. The Leader in Institutional Insurance. 🦁

Pilates trains you to sense what's wrong before it becomes obvious.
I use that exact skill every time I review coverage:

Every Tuesday at 6 AM, I'm in Pilates learning to feel imbalances before they become injuries.

A hip that's slightly off becomes back pain six months later. 

A weak stabilizer muscle becomes a torn rotator cuff. 
Your body compensates until it can't.
Pilates teaches you to notice the compensation before the failure.

That awareness translates directly to insurance.

Most brokers review policies like checking boxes. 

Does it have D&O? Check. 
E&O? Check. 
Reasonable limits? Check.

But coverage gaps don't announce themselves.

They hide in the space between sections. 

In allocation language that looks standard but shifts millions during claims. 

In exclusions with carve-backs that don't quite cover what they should.

Pilates trained me to sense tension before I can articulate why it's there.

I'll read a definition that's almost right but subtly wrong. An exclusion that sits awkwardly next to a coverage grant. Provisions that technically work but create friction under stress.

Things I would have missed at normal speed become obvious when I've trained myself to feel imbalances.

It's not magic.

The same way I slow down in Pilates to notice which muscles are compensating, I slow down in policy review to notice which provisions are creating unintended gaps.

Most people think faster is better.

But the best work happens when you slow down enough to sense what's off.
Physical practice sharpens mental awareness. 

The focus required to hold proper form trains the focus required to catch subtle language.

Different disciplines cross-train your brain.

Building insurance expertise through deliberate practice. Follow along.

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brainapes.com/strategy

Jordan Murphy 🧠🦍

He Doesn't Know Every Detail. He Knows the Next Step.

A kid builds a trick shot.

But he's not planning the whole thing upfront.

He sets up one piece. Tests it. Watches what happens.

Then uses that information to set up the next piece guiding toward the end goal.

Each attempt tells him what to do next.

He's not guessing. He's building step by step.

This is how you actually build something.

Not with a perfect plan.

Not with a five-year roadmap that accounts for every variable.

Not by figuring out the entire thing before you start.

You build by knowing the next step.

Most founders waste months (at best) trying to see the whole path.

They want to know exactly how the product will scale before they build v1.

They want to map out year three before they've closed their first customer.

They want certainty about the end before they're willing to start.

And while they're planning, someone else is testing.

Someone else is setting up the first piece, watching what happens, and adjusting.

Someone else is building step by step.

And by the time the planners are ready to start, the builders are already three steps ahead.

Here's what that kid understands that most people don't:

You can't know the end until you start.

The trick shot reveals itself as you build it.

Each attempt gives you information you didn't have before.

The path forward only becomes clear when you take the step.

This is iterative strategy.

You don't need to see the whole staircase. You just need to see the next step.

You don't need perfect information. You need enough information to move forward.

You don't need certainty about the outcome. You need clarity about the next move.

And then you move.

You test. You learn. You adjust. You build the next piece based on what the last piece taught you.

The best companies I know were built this way.

They didn't start with the master plan.

They started with a hypothesis and a first step.

They shipped. They watched. They learned.

And then they built the next step based on what they learned.

The strategy emerged through building, not before it.

Because what you learn is:

The market will teach you things no amount of planning can predict.

Your customers will show you paths you never saw coming.

Your product will evolve in ways you didn't expect.

You can't plan for that. You can only respond to it.

And the only way to respond is to be in motion.

To be testing. To be building. To be learning from each step.

So here's the question:

What are you waiting to have figured out before you start?

What's the next step you already know, but you're not taking because you can't see the whole path?

Because you don't need to know the end.

You just need to know the next step.

And then take it.

What's one thing you're overplanning that you could just start testing?

📹 littlebroslegit
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シ

He Built the Momentum Before Anyone Got On

A man built a wooden swing in his backyard.

Seats 4 people. Wraps around a pool. Suspended by rope.

But here's the part most people miss:

Before anyone gets on, he spins it. Over and over. Coiling the rope upward.

Building tension. Storing energy. Creating momentum.

Then everyone loads on. Gets in their seats.

And when they release it, the swing descends as it uncoils.

Spinning faster and faster.

The fun part only works because of what he did first.

This is how you actually build something.

Everyone sees the spin. The speed. The results.

They see the team celebrating. The customers flooding in. The revenue growing.

They see the momentum.

But they don't see the coiling.

They don't see the months you spent building the product before anyone cared.

They don't see the systems you put in place before you had a team to run them.

They don't see the audience you built before you had something to sell.

They don't see you spinning the rope, alone, building the momentum before anyone got on.

Most founders want the results without the setup.

They want the swing to spin without doing the coiling.

They want momentum without building it first.

They want the team, the customers, the growth, but they skip the part where you're alone in the backyard winding the rope.

And then they wonder why nothing takes off.

Here's what that guy understands:

The descent is automatic. The coiling takes effort.

Once the system is built, once the momentum is there, the results feel effortless.

People get on. The swing spins. Everyone has a great time.

But that only happens because someone did the work first.

The best businesses I know were built this way.

The founder spent months, sometimes years, coiling.

Building the product. Testing the market. Refining the message. Creating the systems.

Alone. Unglamorous. Invisible.

And then, when the momentum was ready, they let people on.

And it looked effortless.

It looked like an overnight success.

It looked like they just got lucky.

But the momentum was built long before anyone was watching.

So here's the question:

Are you trying to spin without coiling?

Are you expecting momentum without building it first?

Are you waiting for people to get on before you've done the work to create the ride?

Because the swing only spins if you wind it up first.

The business only scales, the audience only grows if you build the foundation.

The team only thrives if you create the systems.

You have to build the momentum before anyone gets on.

What's one thing you're building right now that no one sees yet?

📹 justinflom
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シ

He Let Go Mid-Air and Trusted the Timing

A guy sends it off a massive ramp.

Goes up. Flips his bike mid-air. Lets it go.

The bike flips faster than he's flipping.

He's front-flipping through the air. The bike's doing its own thing.

Then he catches the handlebars. Perfectly.

Pulls the bike back into control. Whips it into another front flip.

Lands it.

The bike flipped twice. He flipped once. Perfect timing.

He let go mid-air and trusted the timing.

This is the hardest thing for leaders to learn.

Letting go.

Not at the comfortable moment. Not when everything's stable.

Mid-air. When you're already committed. When it feels like the worst possible time.

But sometimes that's exactly when you have to let go.

Most leaders hold on too tight.

They try to control everything. Micromanage every detail. Keep their hands on the handlebars at all times.

And they wonder why they can't pull off the bigger moves.

Because some tricks require release.

Some outcomes only happen when you let go and trust the timing.

Here's what that guy on the bike understands:

You can't flip the bike twice while holding on the whole time.

To land the trick, you have to let go.

Not recklessly. Not without preparation.

But at the exact right moment, you release control.

And you trust that the timing will bring it back together.

The best leaders I know have learned this.

They let go of decisions their team can make.

They let go of control over processes that don't need their hands on them.

They let go of micromanaging outcomes and trust the people they hired.

Not because they don't care. Because they know the trick requires it.

You can't scale while holding onto everything.
You can't grow while controlling every detail.
You can't pull off the bigger moves while gripping the handlebars.

But here's the part most people miss:

Letting go isn't the same as giving up.

That guy didn't just throw the bike away and hope for the best.

He let go with timing.

He knew when to release. He knew when to catch. He knew the rhythm.

And that's what made it work.

Strategic release requires:

Knowing what to let go of.
Knowing when to let go.

Trusting the timing of when it comes back together.

And then catching it at exactly the right moment.

Most founders fail at one of these:

They let go of the wrong things.
They let go at the wrong time.

They don't trust the timing and try to grab back too early.

Or they let go and never catch it again.

But the ones who master it? They scale.

They pull off moves no one else can.
They land tricks that look impossible.

Because they learned to let go mid-air and trust the timing.

So here's the question:

What are you holding onto that you need to let go of?

What would become possible if you released control and trusted the timing?

What's one thing you let go of that felt terrifying but ended up working?

📹 rwilly
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シ

He Wasn't Playing Pool. He Was Playing Him.

Two guys playing pool.

One guy takes his shot. Sinks a ball.

While the other guy watches the ball go in, he grabs another ball with his mouth. Pops it in the pocket.

Fake chalks his cue with another ball. Slides another into a pocket.

Walks around. Lines up the eight ball. Game winner.

Sinks it.

Game over.

The other guy never saw it coming.

He wasn't playing pool. He was playing him.

This is what happens when you don't realize what game you're actually in.

You think you're competing on skill.

They're competing on something else entirely.

And by the time you figure it out, the game's already over.

I see this in business all the time.

You're focused on building the best product.

Your competitor's focused on controlling distribution.

You're optimizing features.

They're locking up partnerships.

You're playing product. They're playing access.

And they win before you realize you were in different games.

Or:

You're competing on price.
They're competing on brand.

You're racing to the bottom trying to be cheaper.
They're building a moat where price doesn't matter.

You're playing pool. They're playing you.

Here's the thing about meta-games:

They're invisible until it's too late.

You don't see the moves because you're watching the wrong thing.

You're focused on the ball going in the pocket.

You're not watching what's happening while you're distracted.

And that's exactly when they make their move.

The best competitors understand this.

They know the stated game isn't always the real game.

They know that while you're focused on one dimension, they can win on another.

They know that misdirection is a strategy.

And they use it.

So here's the question:

What game do you think you're playing?

And are you sure your competitors are playing the same one?

Because if you're optimizing for the wrong game, you've already lost.

If you're focused on product while they're focused on distribution, you lose.

If you're focused on features while they're focused on network effects, you lose.

If you're focused on price while they're focused on brand, you lose.

Not because you're bad at your game. Because you're playing the wrong one.

The smartest move?

Step back and ask: what game is actually being played here?

Not the obvious one. Not the one everyone says they're playing.

The real one.

The one where balls are being pocketed while you're watching somewhere else.

The one where the game's over before you realize it started.

And if you're the one being played:

Pay attention to what's happening when you're distracted.

Question what looks smooth and confident.

Ask yourself: are they playing pool, or playing me?

Because the game you think you're in might not be the game you're actually losing.

What's one time you realized too late that someone was playing a different game than you?

📹 thepointerbrothers
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シ

He Never Had the Lead. He Never Lost His Composure.

Two guys. Head to head. Pop all the balloons first.

Multiple obstacles. Different tools. Pure competition.

The guy on the right has the lead the entire time.

Faster. Ahead. Winning.

The guy on the left? Behind. The whole way.

But he never panics. Stays focused. Never loses his composure.

And at the very end, he wins.

This is what separates the leaders who last from the ones who burn out.

Not speed. Not being ahead. Not having the early lead.

Composure.

The ability to stay calm when you're behind.

The ability to execute when the pressure's on.

The ability to keep moving forward when everyone else is ahead of you.

Most founders panic when they're not winning.

They see a competitor raise more. They panic and overspend.

They see someone else launch first. They panic and rush their product.

They see slower growth than expected. They panic and pivot too early.

The panic costs them more than being behind ever did.

Here's what that guy on the left understood:
Being behind doesn't mean you're losing.

It just means you're behind. Right now.

And right now doesn't determine the outcome.

Your composure does.

Your ability to stay focused on your process while everyone else is focused on the scoreboard.

Your ability to execute your strategy even when it looks like it's not working yet.

The best leaders I know have been behind more times than they've been ahead.

They've watched competitors get more attention.

They've seen others hit milestones first.

They've had quarters where the numbers didn't look good.

But they never lost their composure.

They didn't panic. They didn't abandon their strategy. They didn't let being behind change how they showed up.

They stayed calm. They stayed focused. They kept executing.

And more often than not, they won.

Not because they were faster.

Because they were steadier.

Composure is a competitive advantage.

When everyone else is reacting, you're responding.

When everyone else is panicking, you're executing.

When everyone else is watching the scoreboard, you're focused on the next balloon.

That's how you win.

Not by being ahead the whole time.

By staying composed when you're not.

So here's the question:

Where are you behind right now?

And are you panicking, or are you staying composed?

Are you abandoning your strategy because someone else is ahead, or are you trusting your process?

Because the lead doesn't matter if you lose your composure.

And composure always has a chance to win.

When's a time you were behind but stayed composed and it paid off?

📹 howridiculous
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シ

I'm pissed no one showed me this sooner.

Last month, a client was burning 11+ hours a week on demo calls.

Same pitch. Same slides. Different prospects.

By call 12? His energy was dead. His close rate was dropping. And he was ready to hire two more sales reps just to keep up.

I told him: "We're not scaling your exhaustion. We're replacing the repetition."

Here's what we did:

Built an automation that turns presentations into AI-narrated videos.

Gamma creates the slides → Synthesia adds an AI avatar → ElevenLabs clones his voice.

Zero filming. Zero editing. Just polished video content that sounds and looks like him.

The result?

→ 11+ hours back in his week
→ Prospects watching on their own time
→ Higher engagement (they pause, rewatch, come to calls already sold)
→ Close rate went up because he's only talking to qualified leads

He's not exhausted. He's not repeating himself. And he's closing more deals.

Here's the thing..

Most software is a minivan.

Built for teams of 47 people. Loaded with features you'll never touch. Requires three tutorials just to do one thing.

Meanwhile, you're a solo founder who needs a deck out by 9 AM.

You don't need all this. You just need to move fast.

Gamma is the single-seater.

No extra seats. No wasted space. No compromise.

Just you, the machine, and the road.

Most people think it's just an AI presentation tool.

And yeah, it makes beautiful decks.

But it's actually a machine that takes your messy thoughts and turns them into polished output in whatever format you need.

Presentation. Document. Website. Carousel. Whatever.

You stop worrying about fonts and spacing. You focus on your message. It handles the rest.

Legit impressed with the product, so I read into their founder - Grant Lee - and it made perfect sense. And now I'm more impressed.

He spent years drowning in slide decks as a consultant. PowerPoint sucked and nobody was building the alternative.

In 2020, he and 2 co-founders started building from a two-bedroom apartment.

4 years later:

→ 50 million users
→ $50M ARR
→ Profitable since early 2024
→ Built with just 30 people

30 people. Props bro 👊

That's the single-seater energy.

When you're running that lean, you can't afford bloat.

You build exactly what people need because you're close enough to feel it.

↓

Btw want the exact resources we used to build this workflow?

Comment "VIDEO" and I'll send the drive link.

📹 adamsevani
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シ

The Wheel Moves. He Stays Centered.

A guy built a custom one-wheel vehicle.

Monster truck-sized tire. Cockpit in the middle.

The wheel rolls and spins in every direction.

But the cockpit? On a rotational axis.

As long as he stays engaged, he stays oriented. Stable. Facing forward.

The moment he disengages the clutch, he spins with it.

This is what leadership looks like.

The market moves. Your competitors move. Your team moves.

Everything around you is constantly spinning.

Your job isn't to control the wheel.

Your job is to stay centered while it moves.

And that requires staying engaged.

Most leaders try to stop the wheel from spinning.

→ They react to every market shift.
→ They panic at every competitor move.
→ They let every setback throw them off balance.

And they wonder why they're always dizzy.

And that emotion is a waste of energy..

The wheel is going to move. That's what wheels do.

Fighting it doesn't help. Resisting it doesn't stop it.

The only thing you can control is your center.

But you have to stay engaged to stay centered.

The moment you disengage, you spin with everything else.

How you stay engaged and centered:

Presence.

Being here. Right now.

Not in the story about what's spinning around you.

Not in the drama of what might happen or what just happened.

Just here. Centered. Present. Engaged.

I practice this with something simple: smiling.

Not because everything's perfect.

Because I choose to rest in the smile.

As often as I can remember, I smile.

A real one. A grounded one.

The kind that says: whatever is, is.

Without the undesired, distracting emotional drama.

That smile is my engagement. My anchor. My center.

The wheel is always moving.

There will always be something to react to.

But you don't have to go with it.

You can let the wheel spin and stay exactly where you are.

Centered. Present. Smiling. Engaged.

Not because you're ignoring reality.

Because you're not adding unnecessary drama to it.

The best leaders stay centered.

The market crashes. They stay centered.

The competitor launches. They stay centered.

The deal falls through. They stay centered.

Not because nothing bothers them.

Because they've practiced staying present enough that they don't get pulled into the spin.

They stay engaged. They don't disengage and spin with the chaos.

This is a practice.

You notice when you're getting pulled into the spin.

You come back to your breath. You come back to the present moment.

You smile. You rest in that smile. You stay engaged with your center.

The wheel moves. You stay centered. But only if you stay engaged.

What's one practice that helps you stay centered when everything's spinning?

📹 millybampainti
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シ

TRUST YOUR TEAM

I've burned teams to the ground, accidentally setting them up for failure.

Hiring the right people is key, but once they’re in?

It’s even more crucial to empower and trust them.

But micromanagement?

That’s a recipe for stagnation.

Trust and autonomy, on the other hand, fuel creativity and performance.

When your team feels valued and in control of their roles, they grow.. and so does the business.

That builds a culture that thrives on engagement, innovation, and retention.

Here’s how to build an empowered, self-driven culture:

1. Hire with Intention
Seek not just skills but alignment with your values and mission.

2. Trust Your People
Give them ownership over their work, and avoid over-managing.

3. Encourage Autonomy
Empower decision-making and provide the tools they need to succeed.

4. Invest in Leadership
Develop leaders who know how to nurture and elevate their teams.

5. Foster Open Communication
Create a space where ideas and feedback flow freely.

6. Celebrate Wins
Recognize achievements, big or small, to motivate and retain top talent.

7. Promote Balance
Help your team balance work with life, it pays back in loyalty and performance.

8. Equip Teams with Resources for Growth
Provide access to training, mentorship, and development programs to support continuous learning.

9. Encourage Creative Problem-Solving
Let employees tackle challenges their way, giving them room to bring fresh ideas and solutions to the table.

10. Check In Regularly
Make time for honest, two-way feedback, showing your team you’re invested in their growth and open to improving your own leadership.

Building trust isn’t about blind, hands-off management.

It’s about being intentional in how you empower and support each team member.

Please slow down and be there with your team.

Don't have a media team yet?
Wanna work with me and mine?

Let's build the brand your reputation deserves.

📅 Grab a free strategy call with me
Click: Book an appointment (atop this post)

シ

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💬 Which (1-10) is the most important to you?

Share it below!

Some Decisions You Make Alone

A solo base jump off the roof of a huge condo building.

Beautiful view. Massive height. No team. No backup.

Just one person, the edge, and the decision.

No one else can make this jump for you.

That's what leadership feels like sometimes.

Not the polished version where you're "empowering your team" and "building consensus."

The other version.

Where you're standing on the edge of a decision that only you can make.

Where everyone has an opinion, but no one else has to live with the outcome.

Where all the advice in the world doesn't change the fact that you're the one who has to jump.

The loneliest moments in leadership aren't the failures.

They're the decisions.

Letting someone go who's been with you from the start.

Pivoting away from the product you spent two years building.

Turning down funding because the terms don't feel right.

Betting the company on a direction no one else believes in yet.

You can get input. You can run the numbers. You can talk it through.

But at some point, you're standing on that roof alone.

And no one else can jump for you.

Here's what most people don't tell you about being a founder:

The hardest part isn't the work.

It's the weight of knowing that every major decision comes down to you.

Your co-founder can advise. Your team can execute. Your investors can push.

But the jump? That's yours.

And if you're wrong, you don't just fall. Your team falls with you.

The leaders who last aren't the ones who avoid these moments.

They're the ones who've learned to stand on the edge without freezing.

They've learned to make the call even when they don't have perfect information.

They've learned to trust their judgment when everyone else is hedging.

They've learned that some decisions you just have to make alone.

Not because you want to.

Not because you're trying to be a hero.

Because that's what leadership is.

And the thing about those solo jumps..

Sometimes you're right. Sometimes you're wrong.

But you'll never know until you jump.

And the leaders who build something real? 
They jump anyway.

They don't wait for certainty. They don't wait for permission. They don't wait for someone else to go first.

They stand on the edge, they make the call, and they commit.

So here's the question:

What decision are you standing on the edge of right now?

What call do you know you need to make, but you're waiting for someone else to validate it?

Because no one else can make this jump for you.

You can plan forever. You can gather more data. You can ask for more opinions.

Or you can trust yourself and jump.

What's one decision you made alone that changed everything?

📹 mateomassoni
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You're not losing, you're learning.

(If you're an ROI thinker.)

Here are 10 key shifts to adopt this mindset:

↓

1. Embrace failure as a powerful tool.
Failure isn't a setback; it's a step forward.

• Iterate and refine your approach
• Extract all value from every situation
• Develop clarity through systematic question flows

↳ Failure is the ultimate teacher.

2. Bet on yourself.
As an ROI thinker, I bet on my abilities.

• My first high-ticket coaching sale was $9k
• Reinvested in my business with a key hire
• Freed up my time to focus on strengths

↳ This bet transformed my business.

3. Reinvest strategically.
ROI thinkers know where to put their money.

• Invest in resources that unlock more time
• Look for investments with compounding returns
• Focus on building exceptional products and services

↳ Strategic reinvestment fuels growth.

4. Hypothesize and test.
Approach challenges with a scientific mindset.

• Test, learn, and iterate
• Develop hypotheses based on data
• Build action plans around these hypotheses

↳ This methodical approach ensures progress.

5. See the silver lining.
Every setback is a hidden opportunity.

• Reframe failures to find their value
• Use setbacks as learning experiences
• Maintain a positive, growth-oriented mindset

↳ Optimism fuels innovation.

6. Place calculated bets.
ROI thinkers take calculated risks.

• Make informed decisions based on data
• Assess the potential upside of every investment
• Embrace the possibility of failure as part of the journey

↳ Calculated risks lead to high rewards.

7. Think beyond the dollar ROI.
ROI isn't just about money.

• Focus on long-term benefits
• Evaluate the holistic return on any investment
• Consider the impact on time, skills, and resources

↳ Broaden your perspective on returns.

8. Lean into your skills.
Trust in your abilities to generate income.

• Use your skills to create opportunities
• Continuously develop and refine your talents
• Leverage your strengths to maximize returns

↳ Skills are the foundation of ROI thinking.

9. Build exceptional products.
Quality attracts investment.

• Focus on creating high-value offerings
• Deliver exceptional results consistently
• Ensure your products solve real problems

↳ High-quality products drive ROI.

10. Systematize clarity.
Clear processes lead to better outcomes.

• Use structured question flows for clarity
• Streamline your decision-making process
• Develop systematic approaches to problem-solving

↳ Systems enhance efficiency and results.

↓

You're not losing, you're learning:

➠ Adopt the ROI mindset
➠ Make smart bets on your resourcefulness
➠ Transform setbacks into setups for success

↓

Business is fun when you play it like a game.

But losing sucks.

If you’re sick of losing.

I’ve got the done-for-you solution to grow your brand and grow your business.

But spots are limited.

Book a strategy call and let’s jam.

シ

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💬 Which key shift (1-10) hits for you?

This Only Works If Both People Trust the System

Two people. One base jump.

The second person hooks inline to the first person's rope.

First guy jumps. Second guy drafts behind him.

Both deploy their own parachutes.

Perfect coordination. Perfect timing. Perfect trust.

If either person hesitates, they both fail.

This is what great partnerships look like.

Not the polished LinkedIn posts about "aligned vision."

Not the co-founder photoshoots with matching hoodies.

The real thing. Where your success is literally tied to someone else's execution.

Where their timing becomes your timing.

Where one person's mistake takes both of you down.

Most partnerships fail because people don't trust the system.

They say they're aligned. They nod in meetings. They agree on the vision.

But when it's time to jump, they hesitate.

They second-guess. They want to control everything. They don't actually believe the other person will execute.

And hesitation kills momentum.

The best partnerships I've seen have three things in common:

1. They built a system they both believe in

Not just a vague vision. An actual system.

Clear roles. Clear processes. Clear decision-making frameworks.

They're not winging it. They're not hoping it works out.

They built something they can both trust when the pressure's on.

2. They know their timing is interdependent

The second person can't jump until the first one does.

That's not a weakness. That's the design.

Great partners understand sequencing. They know when to lead and when to follow.

They don't compete for control. They execute in rhythm.

3. They've accepted the shared risk

If one fails, both fail.

That's not something you can fake or hedge.

You're either all in, or you're not in at all.

The best partners don't just tolerate that risk. They embrace it.

Because they know the upside only exists when both people are fully committed.

Here's what this looks like in business:

You're launching a product. Your co-founder handles engineering. You handle go-to-market.

If they don't ship on time, your launch fails.

If you don't execute the marketing, their work goes unseen.

You're hooked inline.

You can have the best individual skills in the world.

But if you don't trust the system, if you don't trust each other, if you're not aligned on timing, you both go down.

So here's the question:

Do you actually trust the system you've built with your partner?

Or are you hesitating at the edge, hoping they jump first so you can see if it's safe?

Because in great partnerships, there's no "wait and see."

There's only: we built this together, we trust it, and we're jumping.

Who's someone you're "hooked inline" with right now? What makes that partnership work?

📹 mateomassoni
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シ

They Both Asked If the Other Was Okay First

A guy flying down the sidewalk in a drift cart.

A car pulls out of a garage. No warning.

Smash. Direct hit.

He gets up quick. She gets out of the car.

And they both immediately ask if the other is okay.

No blame. No anger. No "what were you thinking?"

Just genuine concern for each other.

They both asked if the other was okay first.

This is what great culture looks like.

Not in the polished moments. Not in the all-hands meetings.

In the crashes.

When something goes wrong. When there's impact. When blame would be easy.

That's when you see what's real.

Most teams don't operate like this.

Something breaks. Someone made a mistake. There's a collision.

And the first instinct is: whose fault is this?

Who do we blame? Who dropped the ball? Who's responsible?

And that instinct kills trust faster than the mistake ever could.

Here's what those two people understood:

The crash already happened.

Blame doesn't undo it. Anger doesn't fix it.

The only thing that matters in that moment is: are you okay?

The best teams I know operate this way.

A launch fails. A client churns. A hire doesn't work out. A strategy falls apart.

And the first question isn't "who screwed up?"

It's "are you okay?"

Not because accountability doesn't matter.

Because people matter more.

And when people know you care about them first, they'll own the mistake second.

But when blame comes first?

People hide mistakes. They cover their tracks. They point fingers before anyone can point at them.

And your culture becomes about not getting caught instead of actually solving problems.

Here's the difference:

Blame-first cultures ask: Whose fault is this?

Care-first cultures ask: Are you okay? What do you need? How do we fix this together?

One creates fear. One creates trust.

And trust is what lets you move fast.

Because when people know that mistakes won't be met with blame, they take smart risks.

They try new things. They move quickly. They innovate.

They know that if they crash, the first question will be "are you okay?" not "why did you do that?"

That's psychological safety. That's how you build something real.

So here's the question:

When something goes wrong on your team, what's the first question you ask?

Is it "whose fault is this?" or "are you okay?"

Because how you respond in the crash reveals everything about your culture.

The collision's going to happen.

Things will go wrong. Mistakes will be made. There will be impact.

The question is: do your people feel safe enough to get up, dust themselves off, and keep going?

Or are they bracing for blame?

Build the kind of culture where the first question is always: are you okay?

The accountability can come later.

The care has to come first.

What's one time someone checked on you first instead of blaming you, and how did that change things?

📹 barragegarage
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His Mind Created a Reality That Doesn't Exist

A guy hides his right arm.

Places a fake arm next to his left arm where his right arm should be.

Someone hits the fake arm with a hammer.

He screams. Jumps up. Feels pain.

From an arm that isn't his.

His brain created a reality that doesn't exist.

And his body responded like it was real.

Here's what most people don't understand:
You can't trust your brain.

Your brain isn't showing you reality. It's showing you a story.

A story built from past experiences, old patterns, assumptions you've been running on autopilot for years.

And that story feels real.

Just like that pain felt real.

Just like your limiting beliefs feel real.

But it's not.

You are not your mind. You are not your thoughts.

Your thoughts are a record of the past.

They're patterns. Loops. Stories you've told yourself so many times they became your identity.

But they're not you.

You are the awareness observing those thoughts.

You are the present moment consciousness that can choose to believe them or not.

That's where your power is.

Your personal reality is created by your personality.

Not your circumstances. Not your resources. Not your market.

Your personality. The way you think, act, and feel.

And here's the part that changes everything: 
You can change your personality.

Not someday. Right now. This moment.

The constant present effort of being the person you aspire to be is how you become that person.

Moment by moment. Thought by thought. Action by action.

Most leaders are trapped in a personality they built in the past.

They're running patterns from five years ago.

Making decisions based on fears that aren't relevant anymore.

Operating from a version of themselves that no longer serves where they're trying to go.

And wonder why they're stuck.

I’ve learned firsthand:

The moment you become aware that you're not your thoughts, you unlock everything.

If you're not your thoughts, you can choose new ones.

If you're not your past patterns, you can create new ones.

If your personality creates your reality, you can build a new one.

And when you do that, your reality changes.

Because you changed.

Your mindset limits the life, business, and outcomes you can create.

If you believe you're not capable, you won't try.

If you believe you've hit your ceiling, you'll stop reaching.

But those beliefs aren't real. They're as real as that fake arm.

The pain you feel from them? That's real.

But the source? It's constructed.

This is about awareness and imagination.

Awareness: recognizing when your mind is creating a false reality.

Imagination: seeing the version of yourself that exists beyond those limits.

The more you connect with this, the more you unlock your infinite potential.

Because you stop believing the illusions holding you back.

What reality is your mind creating right now that doesn't actually exist?

📹 gettishow
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シ

He Was So Focused on Perfect, He Lost Everything Else

A guy laying tile. Big piece. Precision matters.

He lines up the edge. Keeps it tight. Lays it down slowly.

So focused on getting it perfect.

Loses his balance. Front flips over the tile. Lands on his head.

He was so focused on perfect, he lost everything else.

This is every founder who's ever perfected themselves into failure.

Obsessing over the product while the market moves on.

Perfecting features while customers churn.

Optimizing the pitch deck while running out of runway.

Getting the tile perfect while falling on your head.

I see this constantly:

The founder who won't launch until it's "ready."

Six months of polish. Every edge perfect. Every detail dialed in.

Meanwhile, their competitor shipped three months ago with a worse product and already has traction.

Perfect tile. Landed on their head.

Or the leader who:

Perfects the org chart while culture collapses.

Optimizes processes while top performers quit.

Refines the strategy while execution stalls.

So focused on the details, they didn't notice they were falling.

Reality about perfectionism:

It's not about standards. It's about fear.

Fear of shipping before it's ready.
Fear of being judged for something imperfect.
Fear of the market rejecting what you built.

So you keep perfecting. Keep optimizing. Keep adjusting the edge.

And you don't notice you're losing your balance until you're already upside down.

The best founders I know ship imperfect things.

Not because they don't care about quality.

Because they know that balance matters more than perfection.

They know that a good product in the market beats a perfect product in development.

They know that momentum matters more than polish.

They keep their balance while they lay the tile.

Because here's what that guy learned:

The tile doesn't matter if you're on your head.
The edge doesn't matter if you can't stand up.
The precision doesn't matter if you lose everything else trying to achieve it.

Fundamentals first. Always.

So here's the question:

What are you perfecting right now while losing your balance?

What detail are you obsessing over while the fundamentals slip?

What tile are you laying so carefully that you don't notice you're about to fall?

Because perfect doesn't matter if you're on your head.

Ship it. Adjust it. Improve it.

But don't fall over trying to make it perfect.

The market doesn't reward perfect. It rewards present.

And you can't be present if you're face-down on the floor hahah

What's one thing you perfected that didn't matter because you lost sight of what did?

📹 lejulio228
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He Knew the Path Before He Got Fancy

A guy on a dirt bike rolls in fast. On a wheelie.

Pulls a U-ey. Still in the wheelie.

Goes off-road into a drainage ditch beside a steep staircase.

Stuntin on the seat. Still in the wheelie. Going uphill. On a narrow track.

Climbs to the top. Non-stop wheelie.

See, he knew the path before he got fancy.

This is the difference between reckless and impressive.

Most people try to get fancy before they know the path.

They add complexity before they've mastered the basics.

They innovate before they've nailed the fundamentals.

And they crash.

That guy on the bike? He didn't just wing it.

He knew the drainage ditch. He knew the climb. He knew the narrow track.

He'd done the path enough times to know exactly where he was going.

And only then did he add the fancy stuff.

The standing on the seat. The sustained wheelie. The style.

Because he could. Because the path was already mastered.

Most founders do this backward.

They try to differentiate before they understand the market.

They try to innovate before they've nailed the core product.

They try to scale before they've proven the fundamentals.

And they wonder why it falls apart.

Progression is the key:

You can't get fancy until you know the path.

You can't add style until you've mastered the substance.

You can't stand on the seat until you've proven you can hold the wheelie.

Fundamentals first. Always.

The best companies I know followed this sequence:

They mastered the basics. They understood their market. They nailed their core offering.

They did the boring work of getting really, really good at the fundamentals.

And then, once the path was clear, they got fancy.

They innovated. They differentiated. They added the style that made them stand out.

But the style was built on a foundation of mastery.

Not the other way around.

Because here's what happens when you get fancy too early:

You lose the wheelie.

You crash in the ditch.

You don't make it up the hill.

The fancy stuff only works when the fundamentals are locked in.

So here's the question:

Are you trying to get fancy before you know the path?

Are you adding complexity before you've mastered the basics?

Are you standing on the seat before you've proven you can hold the wheelie?

Because the path comes first.

Master it. Know it. Own it.

Then get fancy.

What's one fundamental you mastered before you added the fancy stuff?

📹 juan_felizzola_wb
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シ

Same Swing. 6x the Leverage.

A guy on the tee box. About to drive the golf ball.

But his club is 6x longer than normal.

He swings. Easy. Great form. Minimal effort.

Smashes the ball.

Same swing. 6x the leverage.

This is what most execs don't understand about scale.

They think scaling means working 6x harder.

Hiring 6x more people. Spending 6x more hours. Grinding 6x longer.

But that's not scale. That's just more.

Real scale is leverage.

It's finding the tool, the system, the position that multiplies your output without multiplying your input.

Same swing. Different club.
Same effort. Different result.

Most people are swinging a normal club as hard as they can.

Maxing out their effort. Pushing to the limit. Burning out trying to hit it further.

And they wonder why they're exhausted and the ball's not going much further.

Because they're optimizing effort instead of optimizing leverage.

The best founders I know aren't working harder than everyone else.

They're working with better leverage.

They found the 6x club.

That looks different for everyone:

For some, it's automation that does in minutes what used to take hours.

For some, it's a business model where one sale creates recurring revenue instead of one-time payment.

For some, it's content that reaches millions instead of dozens.

For some, it's a team structure where decisions happen without them.

For some, it's positioning in a market where customers come to you instead of you chasing them.

But whatever it is, it's leverage.

Same swing. Multiplied result.

Here's the difference:

Working harder = swinging the normal club harder (diminishing returns, burnout)

Working smarter = finding the longer club (multiplied returns, sustainability)

Most people are stuck in the first one because they don't even know the second one exists.

So here's the question:

What's your 6x club?

What tool, system, or position could multiply your output without multiplying your effort?

Where are you grinding with a normal club when a longer one exists?

Because the effort isn't the problem.

The leverage is.

You don't need to swing harder.

You need to find the club that turns the same swing into 6x the result.

That's how you scale without burning out.
That's how you grow without grinding.
That's leverage.

What's one area where you found leverage that multiplied your results?

📹 steve.waltman
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シ

He Thought It Was Flat. It Wasn't.

A guy walking. Hands in his pockets. Confident.

Sees what looks like chalk street art. A brick staircase drawn on the walkway.

Steps right onto it.

His foot plummets. Drops straight down. Gravity pulls him to the bottom.

Gets up immediately. "I'm fine. Just embarrassed. I thought it was chalk."

He thought it was flat. It wasn't.

This is every founder who's ever skipped validation.

The market looks flat. The opportunity looks obvious. The path looks clear.

So you step.

And your foot hits air.

I see this constantly:

The founder who assumes product-market fit without talking to customers.

The exec who hires based on the resume without checking references.

The leader who enters a market because it looks good from a distance.

They thought it was flat. It wasn't.

Here's the thing about assumptions:

They look real until you test them.

That chalk art looked convincing. From where he was standing, it made sense.

But he didn't check. He just stepped.

And the moment his weight committed, reality corrected him.

The cost of not validating:

You don't just lose time. You lose momentum.
You don't just waste money. You lose credibility.
You don't just make a mistake. You fall in front of everyone watching.

And then you have to get up and explain why you didn't check first.

The best founders I know validate everything.

They don't assume the market wants it. They ask.
They don't assume the hire is great. They check.
They don't assume the partnership will work. They test small first.

They tap the ground before they step.

Not because they're scared. Because they're smart.

Because they know that what looks flat from a distance might have real depth.

Validation isn't about being cautious. It's about being accurate.

Talk to 10 customers before you build the product.

Do a trial project before you commit to the partnership.

Check references before you make the offer.

Test the market before you go all in.

Tap the ground. Make sure it's actually flat.

I’ve learned:

1. Confidence doesn't protect you from gravity.

2. Assumptions don't change reality.

3. And the market doesn't care that you thought it was chalk.

If it's a hole, you're going in.

So here's the question:

What are you about to step into that you haven't validated?

What looks flat from where you're standing that might not be?

What assumption are you making that could cost you the fall?

Tap the ground first.

Ask the questions. Test the assumptions. Validate before you commit.

Because getting up and saying "I thought it was flat" doesn't undo the fall.

What's one assumption you made that turned out to be a real hole?

📹 coldwar. iio
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シ

The Eyes You See Aren't the Eyes That See

An artist covers her eyes with her hands.

Takes a brush in her mouth.

Draws a face on her hands. Eyes included.

Perfect precision. Incredible detail.

Without seeing.

The eyes you see aren't the eyes that see.

This is what most people don't understand about awareness.

You think you see with your eyes.
You think you perceive with your senses.
You think the face you show the world is the one that's looking.

But it's not.

The eyes you see are the constructed ones.

The persona. The image. The version of yourself you've built for others to perceive.

The polished LinkedIn profile. The confident exterior. The "I've got it all figured out" face.

That's not what's actually seeing.
That's what you want others to see.

What's actually seeing is behind all of that.

The awareness. The consciousness. The part of you that observes your own thoughts.

The part that notices when you're stressed, when you're performing, when you're not being real.

That's what sees.

Not your eyes. Not your thoughts. Not the constructed face.

Your awareness.

Most leaders are so identified with the face they've painted that they forget what's actually looking.

They think they ARE their thoughts.
They think they ARE their persona.
They think they ARE the image they've constructed.

And they lose access to what actually sees clearly.

Because here's the truth:

Your thoughts don't see. They interpret.
Your persona doesn't see. It performs.
Your constructed reality doesn't see. It protects.

What sees is the awareness behind all of that.

The part of you that can observe your thoughts without being them.

The part that can notice your patterns without being controlled by them.

The part that can see clearly because it's not attached to the story.

This is why presence matters.

When you're present, you're not identified with the painted face.

You're not lost in the thoughts, the persona, the constructed reality.

You're the awareness that sees all of it.

And from that place, you see clearly.

You see what's real vs. what's constructed.
You see what matters vs. what's noise.
You see the path forward because you're not blinded by the story you've been telling yourself.

The best leaders I know have this quality.

And that awareness gives them clarity no one else has.

So here's the question:

What face have you painted that you think is the one that sees?

What persona are you so identified with that you've forgotten the awareness behind it?

What constructed reality are you living in that's blocking your actual potential?

Because the eyes you see aren't the eyes that see.

The awareness behind all of it? That's what actually sees.

And the more you connect with that, the clearer everything becomes.

What's one way you practice separating from your thoughts and connecting with awareness?

📹 millybampainti
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シ

He Was Stuck Before He Knew What Was Happening

A guy resting in his chair.

Two guys walk up. Slide a long pole under the armrests. Above his lap.

Wedges him in. He's stuck.

They lift the pole. He goes up with the chair. Flipping upside down. Spinning. No control.

They carry him around. He can't do anything about it.

Finally released. They run away.

He gets up looking for retaliation.

He was stuck before he knew what was happening.

This is what bad leadership feels like.

You're sitting there. Doing your job. Trusting the environment.

And before you realize it, you're trapped.

It happens in a meeting.

You're asked to "help out" on a project.

Then you're "the best person for this."

Then it's "already committed to the client with your name on it."

And suddenly you're stuck.

Wedged into work you didn't agree to. Spinning with responsibilities you never signed up for.

At the mercy of leaders who trapped you before you could say no.

It happens with toxic cultures.

You join excited. The job looks great. The team seems solid.

Then you notice the blame. The gaslighting. The lack of psychological safety.

But by then you're in. You've relocated. You've committed. You've told everyone about the new role.

And you're stuck.

Wedged into a situation you didn't see coming.

It happens with bad partnerships.

The deal looks good on paper. You shake hands. You sign.

Then the terms change. The expectations shift. The reality doesn't match what was sold.

And you're stuck.

Because unwinding it is harder than enduring it.

Here's what that video shows:

The trap happens fast.

One moment you're fine. The next moment you're wedged in.

And by the time you realize what's happening, you've already lost control.

The best way to avoid getting stuck?

See the pole before it slides under the armrests.

That means:

Asking the hard questions before you commit.

Watching how leaders treat people when things go wrong.

Recognizing when a culture lacks psychological safety before you're deep in it.

Seeing the trap before you're wedged in.

Because once you're stuck, your options are limited.

You can endure it and lose yourself.
You can fight it and burn bridges.
You can leave and start over.

None of those are great.

The best option is not getting stuck in the first place.

So here's the question:

Where are you stuck right now that you didn't see coming?

And more importantly: what are you going to do about it?

Because being stuck isn't permanent.

But the longer you stay wedged in, the harder it is to get out.

And if you're a leader:

Are you the one sliding the pole?

Are you creating a culture where people feel stuck, spinning, at your mercy?

Because they'll get out eventually.

And when they do, they won't be looking to come back.

What's one time you realized you were stuck before you knew what was happening? How did you get out?

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From a Distance, No One Can Tell the Difference

A guy drives around a golf course in a cart.

Eating marshmallows.

Throwing them on the greens as he goes.

From a distance? They look exactly like golf balls.

Golfers walk up. Confused. Looking for their ball.

Over and over.. marshmallow hahaha

From a distance, no one can tell the difference.

This is how perception works in business.

From the outside, people can't tell what's real and what's not.

They see what the context tells them to see.

A marshmallow on a golf course? Must be a golf ball.

A polished pitch deck? Must be a real business.

A confident founder? Must have it all figured out.

But up close, it's often something completely different.

Here's what most people don't understand:

Perception isn't about reality. It's about context.

Put a marshmallow on a golf course, and it's a golf ball.

Put a startup in a co-working space with a logo and a website, and it's a company.

Put a leader on a stage with a microphone, and they're an expert.

The context creates the perception.

And from a distance, no one questions it.

This works both ways.

Sometimes you're the marshmallow pretending to be a golf ball.

Your product isn't fully built, but your marketing looks polished.

Your team is three people, but your website says "we."

Your revenue is inconsistent, but your LinkedIn presence says you're scaling.

And from a distance? It works.

Because people see what the context tells them to see.

But here's the other side:

Sometimes you're the real golf ball that people think is a marshmallow.

You've built something solid, but it doesn't look polished yet.

You've got traction, but you're not loud about it.

You've got the fundamentals, but you haven't mastered the optics.

And from a distance, people dismiss you.

Because the context didn't tell them to take you seriously.

The best leaders understand both.

They know perception matters. They know context shapes reality.

They know that from a distance, people make assumptions based on what things look like, not what they are.

So they're intentional about the context they create.

Not to deceive. Not to fake it.

But to make sure that what they've built is seen the way it deserves to be seen.

Because I’ve learned:

You can have the best product in the world.

But if the context around it says "marshmallow," that's what people will see.

You can be the most capable leader in the room.

But if the context around you says "unproven," that's how you'll be treated.

From a distance, no one can tell the difference.

So the question is: what context are you creating?

And either way, are you being intentional about how people see you from a distance?

Because perception isn't everything. But it's the first thing.

What's one area where perception doesn't match your reality right now?

📹 toodirtydom
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The Battle

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