I watched the Winter Olympics this week and winced. Lindsey Vonn crashed just 13 seconds into her downhill run. At 70mph, she caught a gate, was twisted off balance and left screaming in pain on the slope. She was already racing with a torn ACL. The result? A complex broken leg, surgery on a fractured tibia, and multiple operations still to come.
And yet her words afterwards stopped me in my tracks. “I have no regrets… Standing in the starting gate knowing I had a chance to win was a victory in and of itself… The only failure in life is not trying. I tried. I dreamt. I jumped.” It wasn’t a fairytale ending. It was life. In business and in sport we often obsess over outcomes — podiums, profits, personal bests. But there’s something powerful about redefining victory as having the courage to step into the arena at all.
Watching: Tony Robbins – DOAC
There’s so much wisdom packed into this episode. Tony revisits his classic frameworks like the 6 Human Needs, which remain as relevant as ever when you’re building a business, leading a team or even trying to understand your own motivation. Why do we sabotage growth just as things start going well? Why does certainty feel safe but growth demand uncertainty?
What I found particularly powerful was his newer thinking around young people navigating careers in the age of AI. The message isn’t to fear technology, but to build adaptability, emotional intelligence and the ability to add unique human value. Models change. Tools change. Human psychology doesn’t. If you understand what truly drives people — clients, employees, yourself — you’ll always be relevant.
Reading: Made to Stick – Dan & Chip Heath
I’ve been rereading this recently and it’s reminded me how often good ideas die because they’re forgettable.
The Heath brothers break down why some messages stick and others slide straight off us. Simplicity. Unexpectedness. Concreteness. Credibility. Emotion. Story. It’s a framework, yes — but more than that, it’s a reminder that clarity beats complexity every time.
Whether you’re trying to inspire a team, communicate a strategy, sell a service or simply encourage your children to tidy their rooms, the ability to make an idea memorable is a superpower. We don’t need more information; we need better packaging of the right information.
If you create content, lead people or want your message to travel further than the room you’re in, this is worth your time.
TED: Mel Robbins – How to Stop Screwing Yourself Over
Mel Robbins’ “5 Second Rule” is disarmingly simple: when you feel the instinct to act on something positive, count backwards 5-4-3-2-1 and move.
It sounds almost too basic. But that’s the point.
Most of us don’t lack knowledge. We lack action. We hesitate, overthink, negotiate with ourselves — and the moment passes. Robbins’ concept is about interrupting that pattern before your brain talks you out of growth.
I’ve been reflecting on how often progress is lost not through dramatic failure, but through tiny moments of inaction. A phone call not made. A workout skipped. A difficult conversation delayed. Five seconds can change the trajectory of a day — and enough days change everything.
Reflecting: The Arc of Attrition Blog
Why It’s Worth Setting Goals That Might Break You – The Trusted Team
I’ve been reflecting on what was supposed to be an amazing 100 mile run. One brutal coastline ended in my first ever DNF. I set out to complete what felt like a triathlon of extremes: a swim I wasn’t sure I could finish, a 900-mile bike ride across nine days, and finally a 100-mile ultra known as the toughest in the UK. I made it to 58 miles. Relentless wind, driving rain and a knee that simply wouldn’t play ball meant I had to stop at Land’s End, just before the next cut-off. If you want to read the longer blog version, you can here.
Tech: The AI Masterclass
AI isn’t about replacing your team. It’s about upgrading them.
I created The AI Masterclass to help entrepreneurs and their teams triple productivity and impact using the tools that are already reshaping our world. This isn’t theoretical. It’s practical. It’s ethical. And it’s about enhancing human capability, not diminishing it.
You won’t get replaced by AI anytime soon. But you might get replaced by someone who knows how to use it well. The opportunity isn’t coming. It’s here if you want to upgrade yourself, your team, or both!
The Trusted Team – Produce, Publish & Promote
Watching Tony talk about relevance in the AI age, rereading Made to Stick, and reflecting on the Arc of Attrition all connect in one powerful way: clarity of message matters.
Last month I delivered a session called Produce, Publish & Promote a Book in 3 Months Using AI. Because that book you’ve been “meaning to write”? It’s more than a vanity project. It’s your thinking made scalable.
In 90 minutes, I shared the Framework Formula Method to structure your expertise, the AI Orchestra Approach to accelerate production without losing your voice, and the Three-Act Business Book Blueprint that turns readers into clients. We mapped out a realistic 90-day production plan that works alongside your existing commitments — not instead of them.
A book positions you instantly. It creates authority before you walk into the room. It works whilst you sleep.
If you’d like to watch the recording, you can do so here: https://youtu.be/S3KySQ8VnmM
In three months, you could be introduced as “the author of…”. Or you could still be thinking about it.
Inspiring Quote – “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.” – Vince Lombardi
As I watched those athletes step back onto the ice and snow after falls that would make most of us retreat permanently, I was reminded that progress isn’t linear. It’s messy. It’s painful. It’s brave. Whether you’re building a business, writing a book, training for a race or simply trying to become a better version of yourself — step back into the arena. You might not always finish. But you will always grow.
