The job of the CEO:. 1) Hold the vision . 2) Recruit and retain the team needed to execute that vision . 3) Resource that team with:. a) capital . b) clarity . c) care.

Here’s how fear lives in my body:.Tight chest. Overthinking. Compulsive planning. For a long time, I thought this meant I was weak. Now I know it just means I care.

More done. Better weekends. Fewer Sunday Scaries. Here’s the system:.

You can’t shame yourself into productivity. You can only support yourself into clarity.

I don’t coach you to be more productive. I coach you to see yourself more clearly. Because when you do, the leadership part gets a lot easier.

Some weeks, just staying in the game **is** the win. If you can’t give yourself credit for that, you’re not grading fairly.

If you're a founder, fear is not optional. The question is:.Do you let it control you from the shadows — or do you bring it into the light?.

I used to treat fear like a bug in my operating system. Now I see it as part of the source code. It’s not there to break me. It’s there to guide me — if I’m willing to listen.

What if your productivity wasn’t a measure of your value….But a byproduct of your well-being?.

Advisor equity is cheap — until you give it to the wrong person. Be generous. But be strategic.

I used to judge my founder journey with a brutal inner critic. Now I’m learning to **grade on a curve**. It’s changed everything. Here’s what I mean: .

“I feel like I’m failing.” Cool. Let’s unpack that. What scoreboard are you using? Who made the rules? What else could be true?.

Before every board meeting, my nervous system used to go haywire. I’d rehearse every possible question. Script my tone. Over-prepare like crazy. It wasn’t about being ready. It was about not wanting to feel *afraid*.

Fear is rarely about what's in front of you. It's about what’s *beneath* you. Old stories. Outdated roles. Unmet needs. Unexamined pain. Start there.

You wouldn’t judge a marathoner by their 100m dash. Don’t judge your growth by someone else’s highlight reel. Different goals. Different timelines. Grade on your own damn curve.

You can build a great company. You can lead with clarity. You can still feel scared. These things are not opposites. They’re the full picture.

Most startup culture says:."Crush your fear."."Be fearless."."Push through.". That’s how we end up with brilliant founders who are emotionally bankrupt.

For years I tried to outsmart my fear. Now I try to listen to it. Here’s what shifted, and how it changed me:.👉

The best productivity hack I know?.Be honest about what actually matters this week.

What if your inner critic isn't a truth-teller. …but just a lazy scoreboard operator?.

If you’ve ever wondered what a CEO coach really does:.Here’s the answer →