One of the toughest situations I had to navigate as a founder was a key team member threatening to leave my team. During a strategy session about an important topic, Bob and I saw things differently. Neither of us backed away from our position, and it turned into a heated debate. We were respectful of each other, but later that day I received an email from Bob saying he would like to leave the team because we didn’t see eye to eye. Bob was extremely smart and talented. He owned all the details of a critical part of the business. Translation: it would be hard to replace Bob, and a critical part of the business would come to a standstill if he left.

I didn’t realize the seriousness of the situation until I read Bob’s email. I immediately realized that it could spiral out of control unless I handled it correctly. I got Bob on the phone, and we listened to each other’s viewpoints (instead of pushing our own). I told him I valued him as a team member, and we agreed to sleep on things.

I felt there was more there, so over the next few days we talked it over and got to the root of his frustrations. I learned that it had nothing to do with what we were originally debating. The company was growing, and Bob’s role was becoming more demanding. He didn’t understand why he was being asked to take on many new responsibilities. This was news to me, but once I understood the problem I came up with a solution.

I realized I hadn’t articulated my vision for where the company was going, so the extra work didn’t make sense to Bob. He didn’t understand how he fit in. He just felt overworked. I started communicating my high-level vision more clearly and frequently to the entire team so that everyone would understand their importance to making the vision reality. I transitioned certain responsibilities away from Bob and hired someone to work closely with Bob and take them on. We put the plan in writing and agreed to it. Everything was back on track. Bob and the rest of the team understood the vision and were satisfied.

That situation was a great lesson. I learned that being a leader is not just about being hard-charging and executing. It’s about people, too (other people—not just you). Leaders need to have emotional intelligence and awareness to understand what your team needs (even if they can’t—or don’t—articulate it) and provide it.

Cultivate this ability in yourself. Your team will run through walls for you.

Years ago, my company had reached an inflection point. We were trying to grow, but everything was starting to break. It felt like we were taking one step forward and two steps back. I wasn’t sure how to handle it all. One day my mentor nonchalantly told me, “You’ll figure this out and be good in a few months.” At the time I was stressed out and doubting myself, so that comment took me aback.

In our sessions together, she pushed me hard and pointed out things about me that I’d never paid attention to. She knew I had the ability to deal with the situation even when I didn’t see it in myself. She pushed me to a level I didn’t know existed and helped me make the most of my abilities. True to her prediction, I was on top of the situation in a few months.

I’m not the only one who’s excelled because of this type of relationship. Professional athletes have done so forever. They have the physical abilities, but others help them make the most of them. Coaches, trainers, and a litany of other staff members play a vital role in their preparation and success. They help push the athlete to a level they otherwise might not have reached. Name an exceptional athlete—I’m pretty sure their success owes a lot to others pushing them.

If you’re trying to do something great, consider surrounding yourself with people who believe in you and will push you. Those nudges might just be what you need to go from good to great!

Making tough decisions is what founders and CEOs sign up for. It comes with the territory. Tough decisions are tough because they hurt people. However, there’s a distinct difference between a tough decision and a dishonorable one. I was chatting with a founder in a difficult spot who may have conflated the two.

His company is facing a challenging time and he needs to reduce his staff. That was a tough decision, but it was one that he had to make for the company to survive. I asked how he intends to handle the transition of departing employees. He said he plans to pay severance but not sales commissions earned. The team worked hard in anticipation of being paid commissions, and now they won’t receive them. The founder has the money to pay them, but he’s choosing not to.

Downsizing the team to give the company a fighting chance at long-term survival is a tough call. It sucks, but it has to be done. If it’s not, the company could die. Some won’t understand this decision now, but they will if the company starts thriving and hopefully hiring again. Not paying people what they’ve earned is different. No matter what happens in the future, everyone will remember how part of the team was treated on the way out. It shows the company has questionable values. It’s likely to lead to a variety of unintended consequences. It’s not how people should be treated and is simply the wrong decision.

Founders will find themselves in tough spots during their entrepreneurial journey. Navigating these situations will require tough decisions, but founders shouldn’t use them as an excuse to detour from personal or company values. They should still do the right thing.

Today marks the end of my fifty-second week of working from home (mostly). Here are my takeaways from week fifty-two:

• Off days – Over the years, I’ve learned to embrace off days. This week I had one of those days, and I didn’t fight it. It put me behind workwise, but I was in a better place mentally the next day.
• Q1 – The quarter is almost over and it feels like it’s flying by.
• Feedback – I’ve been getting lots of feedback this week, which has been a good learning experience. I enjoy hearing others’ perspectives even if I don’t see things the same way.

Week fifty-two didn’t go as planned, but I made the most of it. Looking forward to closing out the quarter next week.

Tonight, I tuned in to a great conversation that various diverse investors on a panel were having. One of them said this about early founders: “There is funding for what you want to do, but you have to convince people that it’s worth the investment given the lack of data points.” This was a great point and I totally agree.

When a business has traction, it starts to be derisked from an investment perspective. A growing customer base and revenue are metrics that can indicate the business’s trajectory and help investors gain confidence. When the business is at an early stage, those data points just don’t exist. And in that situation, it’s the founder’s responsibility to articulate their vision in a way that investors can easily grasp and that excites them. When early founders can do that, they’re more likely to convince someone to invest!

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At CCAW, we always knew when income tax season began. Some of the parts we sold were necessary for a vehicle to operate safely, so they were must-haves. Our average order value was around $350—a considerable purchase. Lots of customers waited to buy until they had an influx of cash. Tax refunds fit that bill perfectly. The day refunds hit, we’d see a spike in sales. This usually happened in February or March and marked the beginning of our busy season.

Today I was reflecting on how much tax refunds affected our business and the small and medium-sized businesses of other founders I know. We’re currently in the midst of tax season. The deadline has been pushed back to May 17, but historically, most people anticipating a refund file well before the deadline.

And many people are about to receive cash from another source. Earlier this month, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021was passed. This legislation provides direct stimulus payments (the proper name is economic impact payments) to individuals if they meet certain criteria. The stimulus payments are intended to lessen the economic blow of the pandemic. I hope it achieves that goal. If it does, it should result in consumer spending.

Last year individuals received stimulus checks in April, but we were early in the pandemic and there was lots of uncertainty. We’re still in the pandemic, but we have a better understanding of COVID-19 and more businesses are open. I’m curious to see how the combination of tax refunds and stimulus payments affect small and medium-sized business. Not to mention the broader economy. I’ll be watching this closely and talking to founder friends on the front lines. Should be interesting to watch this play out.

It’s likely that some of the workforce will keep working remotely or hybrid going forward. I just don’t see people going back to an office Monday through Friday. One thing I’m unsure about is the future of business travel. I was a road warrior early in my career and know the lifestyle well. Fly out on Monday, fly back on Thursday (if you’re lucky).

During my years of weekly travel, I learned to accept it. But when I stopped, I told myself I never again wanted to travel that much for work. Business travelers have been home for about a year now, and I’m wondering what normal will look like for them. I’m sure they’ve adapted and learned to close deals and effectively address client concerns via video. In-person contact will still be valuable and business travel will continue, but at what frequency? Monthly or quarterly instead of weekly?

I don’t know the answer, but whatever it is, it will have broad ramifications. For example, business travelers were the most profitable customers for airlines. If they return at 50% medium term, what will that do to the industry? And to hotels and credit card companies?

I’m curious about what the new normal will be for business travel and how affected industries will adapt. It could be a huge entrepreneurial opportunity in the making.

I had a good conversation with a successful founder who’s now an angel investor. We discussed his investment criteria. He wants to back founders going after huge or fast-growing markets. Even if they’re small now. In fact, even if they’re new now. No founders in permanently small or shrinking markets, no matter how terrific the founder may be.

Market size is something that’s important for founders to be aware of. Get this right and you’ll have wind in your sails. Big markets are usually easy to spot. Quantifying how big can be a challenge, but knowing a market is big isn’t usually too hard. Fast-growing markets are similar: easy to spot, harder to quantify. Recognizing new markets can be trickier. I don’t have a great rule of thumb and plan to do more research on this, but I think that starting with understanding the problem makes sense. How pervasive is the problem? How painful is it? If tons of untapped customers are experiencing a high level of pain and will readily pay for a solution, you may have found a great new market.

It’s important for founders to understand what type of market they’re going after. Pick the right market and you can ride a tidal wave to success!

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I spoke with a close friend about her work today. She’s in corporate America and is rethinking where she works. She’s in an extremely expensive city with no family nearby. Three years ago, her boss asked her if she wanted to stay there or move back home. Her response was that technology would allow her to live and work from anywhere. She said moving home and working the same business hours as her colleagues would be ideal. Her boss looked at her like she was crazy. She was frustrated, but she understood. To stay in her role, she would have to remain in the expensive city far from family.

Fast forward to today. She may propose the same remote work arrangement to her boss again. She’s confident that this time it would get serious consideration. The pandemic has been tough on everyone, and we’re ready to move past it. For all the negatives, I think one positive thing will come from it: empathy. Large segments of the workforce experienced the same things at the same time: working from home and a lack of community. Suddenly many of us have reason to understand what others are going through and how they feel.

We’re at a pivotal point in how we work. Remote work is mainstream and company leaders have a high level of empathy for their employees. I’m not sure what’s going to happen, but I think this period will shape how we work for the foreseeable future. I’m hopeful that more people will be able to do their dream job from the location that’s best for them.  

In the last month I’ve had an opportunity to speak with a number of tech investors outside the Southeast. Some well along in their careers and others just starting. I’ve noticed a consistent theme: they’re all paying VERY close attention to what’s happening in Atlanta. Some are even looking to relocate here. One seasoned investor at a reputable firm said he and his team think Atlanta is a top-five city for tech startups.

I’ve lived in Atlanta a long time. I’ve been watching the tech startup landscape evolve. I’ve always thought Atlanta is special and a great place for entrepreneurs. Now outsiders are taking notice. I think Atlanta is at a tipping point and a convergence of factors will make the city the mecca of startups and entrepreneurship (if it isn’t already). The city has logged some big fund-raising rounds and exits in the last few years. That’s putting capital in the hands of employees at local startups, who can angel invest in more emerging local companies. It’s also increasing awareness among the national investor community, who want to invest in local startups.

Working from home has more people rethinking where they want to live. Atlanta offers a unique mix of characteristics that makes it an attractive place where people can see themselves putting down roots. Working from home has also removed geographic limitations on investment. Founders in Atlanta and investors outside Atlanta no longer have to get on a plane to connect. They can meet and close deals on video. There are a ton of other factors too, but these are some big ones.

Atlanta has always had scrappy founders who’ve done amazing things. I think local founders will continue to see the resources and knowledge available to them expand as the profile of the Atlanta ecosystem continues to increase. This can only accelerate their success and allow them to pursue bigger and bolder ideas. I’m excited to see all this come to fruition!