I’ve listened to Jocko Willink on YouTube sporadically over the years (info about him here: Jocko Willink - Wikipedia) and I’ve always liked the following quote from him: “Discipline equals Freedom.” He even wrote a book with that title (which I have yet to read, along with so many other great books). To onlookers, discipline might appear like suffering / an overly-restrictive way of living. However, applying strict protocols to oneself, as Jocko argues, is actually liberating. Here are some examples: If I am disciplined about my diet and exercise, I will achieve freedom from chronic diseases, medication, being a complete wreck by the time I am in my 70s, etc. If I am disciplined about saving money, building my own business and investing, I will eventually achieve freedom from financial burden and reliance on employers to survive. If I am disciplined regarding my education, I will be free from having to work menial, entry-level jobs forever. Etc.… Of course, there are no guarantees in life, but you get the point. Putting in the work now creates freedom in the future. Inputs equal outputs, as I’ve read both in this Skool and elsewhere. What’s your opinion? Do you agree with Jocko regarding his claim that ‘discipline equals freedom’? How has discipline made you free? How do you see it freeing you in the future? How strict should one be, in your opinion? When should we break the rules and promises we set for ourselves and just ‘live a little’ (many people have told me to do that over the years, haha🤣)? On a related note, I often like to apply what I call the ‘zero policy,’ for lack of a better term. This reduces ambiguity regarding things, such as eating sugar or drinking alcohol. If I simply follow a ‘zero sugar lifestyle’, there is no ambiguity regarding how much I should eat, should the opportunity arise. ‘Moderation’ is ambiguous, and doesn’t work. For some people, it could be one sweet per week. For others, it could be two per day. Zero is zero – simple, clear and liberating.

Happy Friday 🙏🏽 In 4 GIFs, tell us a little about you 👇 How it works: 1️⃣ Post 4 GIFs in the same post answering these questions: 1. Where are you from? 2. What’s your favorite food? 3. What are you working on right now? (Skool, business, career, idea, life project, anything) 4. What do you love to do outside of work? 2️⃣ Like other people’s posts and comment on what you think their GIFs represent. Have fun with it. That’s it. No pressure. Just people getting to know each other better. Let’s make this fun 🎉

I don’t know how you guys feel about this community or Skool in general, but I can honestly say this has completely changed my life. And it’s wild to think I’ve only been here for about 3 months. Skool has changed the way I connect with people, the way I see others, the way I learn, grow, and progress. I finally found a place where we’re not judged, where people actually listen, support one another, share honestly, challenge one another with respect, and genuinely want to see one another win. A place where growth is encouraged, vulnerability is safe, and everyone understands that we’re all on our own journey, but we don’t have to walk it alone. The words below are just a few wins I’ve had from getting to know you so far, and I love this moment because this is only the beginning. There is no order of importance or preference, by the way. You also DON’T NEED TO READ IT ALL, you can skip directly to your name 😂 As we’re about to get into the topic of “communication,” I want to say this: words are extremely powerful. We’ll break that down and explain why very soon. Until then, I want to leave a note for the people who have made the biggest difference in my life here so far. @Jack Shiller - man, that IRL was only powerful because you were there. Meeting you in person was not only by coincidence, and I admire your effort to create such an amazing group and the name, I told you… The most appealing name I’ve seen. Jack, every day I wake up and show up here, I’m excited to engage with you because you’re such a positive person and a joy to be around. I admire your willpower to get out of your comfort zone and do something every day that you KNOW you don’t feel comfortable with, and that tells me where you’re going in life… success is right around the corner, brother. Moving away from your parents’ house to be here is a huge deal, and I admire you for that, too. And don’t forget, your public speaking skills are already amazing, and they’ll only get better from here.

Some songs have a way of slowing us down and making us reflect. Not just in the moment, but in the decisions, risks, and transitions that shape our lives. Life is full of “bridges.” New chapters, uncomfortable decisions, moments where you can’t see the other side yet. Fear doesn’t disappear as we grow, it just shows up differently. Growth happens when we keep moving forward anyway. Most of the meaningful things in life don’t come from playing it safe. They come from crossing the bridge, even when it’s uncomfortable. Do you agree? Also, Leadership Launchpad Week 4 is live in the classroom. For those who have access to it, make sure you’re in there and staying committed to the process. Now I’m curious 👇 Is there a song that makes you reflect on life, growth, or a big decision you’ve made? What does it represent to you? Drop it below. Let’s make this a strong last week of January. Let’s go 🔥

Huge shoutout to @Jack Shiller, @Massimiliano Biancardi, @Josie Ngoumou, and @Mishell Barbaran for bringing the energy and the conversation to yesterday's call. These calls keep getting better because of you. We're going to have a guest speaker for our call on 02/04, stay tuned 😏 Now for the fun part 😎 Last Wednesday, we asked about leadership topics you want us to dive into, and here are the winners: Top Leadership Topics (by votes): • Communication and difficult conversations – 4x • Building habits and systems that support growth – 3x • Decision making under pressure – 3x To make this even stronger and more focused, I’m planning to combine overlapping topics so we can go deeper rather than spreading ourselves thin. Here’s how I’m thinking about grouping them: 1. Communication and Difficult Conversations (4x) Includes: • Confidence, presence, and influence • Managing conflict and tension • Accountability and follow-through • Coaching others vs managing tasks 2. Building Habits and Systems That Support Growth (3x) Includes: • Time management and priorities • Vision and long-term thinking • Self-leadership and personal responsibility • Emotional intelligence and self-awareness 3. Decision Making Under Pressure (3x) I think this gives us a much clearer direction and lets us cover more ground without repeating ourselves. What do you think? Do you agree with these groupings? And are we READY to get started next week? 👀 Let’s have some fun with this 😎