In the early stages, doing everything is normal. You’re testing. You’re building.You’re learning. But here’s the subtle and overlooked trap: If you never pause to define your role, you’ll accidentally design a job that depends entirely on you. And that’s not a scaling issue.That’s a clarity issue. Founders often say they want freedom. But they build systems that require their constant presence. That tension doesn’t show up at launch. It shows up later, as exhaustion. Ask yourself this- "If my startup doubled tomorrow, would my workload double too?" If the answer is yes, something in the design isn’t clear yet. What part of your startup currently depends too much on your energy instead of your structure?

One pattern I see over and over with founders trying to scale: They start a business as a "I do everything" operator…and never consciously decide when to stop being one. At the beginning, that mindset works. You have to make every decision. You have to touch everything. You are the business. But once the business starts moving, something subtle happens. The company grows. The workload grows. The pressure grows. But your role doesn’t. So instead of scaling, you become the constraint. From the outside, it looks like success. From the inside, it feels like constant exhaustion and zero mental space. What most founders skip isn’t a system or a hire, it’s a role redefinition. There’s a real shift that has to happen: from “I do the work” to “I decide what work should exist without me.” That requires stepping out of employee mode and fully into owner mode — creating time to zoom out, think strategically, and design the next phase instead of surviving the current one. Question for founders a few years in: What’s something in your business that still runs through you… even though it probably shouldn’t anymore?

One of the most underrated skills I’ve built as a founder is having a daily shutdown ritual. Not a productivity hack. Not a hustle tactic. A boundary. For a long time, my workday never really ended. I’d close my laptopbut my brain stayed open. Thinking about unfinished tasks, tomorrow’s priorities, or that one email I didn’t send. Over time, that constant mental “on” switch is what led to burnout, not the workload itself. Here’s what a simple shutdown ritual does: -Creates a clear line between work and life - Reduces decision fatigue and mental carryover - Helps your nervous system actually power down - Makes it easier to have a personal life or be present with family (without guilt) My simple shutdown flow: 1. Write down what’s unfinished (so your brain doesn’t have to hold it) 2. Identify tomorrow’s top 1–3 priorities 3. Close all work tabs/apps (physical cue matters) 4. State “work is done for today” out loud (sounds silly, works shockingly well) This isn’t about doing more. its about giving yourself permission to stop—on purpose. Founders burn out when there’s no off-ramp. A shutdown ritual is that off-ramp. If you want something structured to help with this, I put together a short Family-First Workday Checklist (you all can access for free) that walks through: -how to start your day intentionally -how to protect focus during work hours -how to shut down without carrying work into your personal life All I ask is for your feedback if this helps you in any way =)

Innovation isn’t always about the next big app or AI tool. Sometimes it’s about protecting the people who keep entire industries running. Meet Ruth Young-Loaeza, a Latina inventor who created NEET Sheets — a simple but powerful product designed to protect hotel room attendants from daily stress and and reduce physical strain on the job. Housekeepers are the backbone of hospitality. They clean hundreds of rooms a week, often at the cost of their own health. NEET Sheets improves working conditions and saves hotels money. For a company like Marriott, this could mean healthier employees, lower injury rates, higher retention — and potentially millions in operational savings. Now the ask: 👉 If you’re part of Marriott or know someone who is, Ruth needs a meeting. This is what inclusive innovation looks like when it’s ready to scale.

Hey everyone, I know this isn’t startup related but I wanted to share an article I wrote that discusses something I think is so important, yet not talked about enough, among Latino men. Emotions. It was a tough one to write but I am certain it could help some of you in here or maybe someone you know. A lot of you know me from my coaching side, or even the law firm I run. But most may not know I am on a secret mission to break generation curses experienced as a Latino boy and man. My goal is to one day speak about this topic on stage to the world ! I’m excited to share this with you all and hope you enjoy the piece. Feel free to share it ! If you have a Medium.com Account, here is the link to my profile where I write more about my journey as a Latino man growing up in America. Article link: https://thelatinonewsletter.org/p/latino-men-emotions-we-are-taught-to-hide Medium Profile Link: https://medium.com/@unboundascent/why-hispanic-men-will-try-everything-but-therapy-350f2690335e