I'm fascinated with learning; makes sense that I'm an educator. So of course when AI became mainstream I jumped right on and started learning and seeking to master the tools. Then something interesting happened. With every answer just a few keystrokes (or a voice chat) away I realized I was fascinated with acquiring information but I was only executing a fraction of it. Then even more interesting was after turning to ChatGPT and Grok for answers regarding the Bible I got the distinct impression that I was neglecting the opportunity to glean truth and wisdom from the source. I started to realize that instead of pondering and wrestling/testing ideas I was just taking the easy route and accepting whatever AI told me as fact. I honestly found that I was forgetting a lot of the chats because I was getting the answers too easily. Forgive my phrasing but I found chatting with ChatGPT, Grok, or whatever tool was intellectual masturbation. You get the stimulation but are completely devoid of connection. If I had to try and predict what the future holds I think there is going to be an overwhelming increase in demand for human connection. Take a look at how the Skool IRLs are skyrocketing. People want to be together. In Genesis 2:18 the very first thing God says is NOT good is for man to be alone. In that same vein I'm seeing people leave social media platforms. These platforms were built on the promise of connecting people but left us lonelier than ever. I think this is what is driving so much of the growth we're seeing here in Skool. People want to connect with people around shared values and interests. They want to grow together, build together, make a difference together. Not only that, people just want to hang out! This is why no agenda coffee hours and IRLs are gaining so much traction. No matter how good AI gets it will never have the human Spirit that connects us at a metaphysical level. Just a thought. What are your thoughts?

I'm all for ambition and taking calculated risk but all the gurus out there that tell you to jump ship and follow your passion don't have to deal with the consequences of that decision for you if things take longer than you thought to finally work. So, before just leaving the security of your job here's a couple of practical tips. 1. Learn to live on less than you make. The less the better, but aim for 70% 2. Most (as close to all) of your side hustle income should be put back into the business to help it grow and scale. You hopefully shouldn't need this anyway since it is side hustle income. 3. Once your side hustle is CONSISTENTLY bringing in 70%+ of your main income then it's time to make the jump. Once you're pouring in 100% of your effort into something you were only giving 30% before you should see your side hustle explode. The one caveat of course is if for some weird reason more time and energy is not the limiting factor for your side hustle to grow. Happy to work through that with you, just reach out for a 1:1.

Hey Young Entrepreneurs & Mentors! You and I know there's no silver bullet to productivity. It's usually a bunch of little things, little consistent habits, that lead to major victories. Today just want to hop on real quick and share a couple of gadgets that have helped me increased my productivity and efficiency. What are some of the things that you use in your life, business, office, or home that have helped you gain more time or increase the speed or effectiveness of your performance? P.S. My wife found the gadgets I talk about on Facebook Marketplace for an absolute steal!!! All that to say that you don't always need to spend a major amount to see a really good ROI.

Looking forward to growing with you in 2026! What business are you in? What (if anything) do you need help with? What do you need accountability on?

As we reflect on 2025 and set actionable goals and milestones for 2026 may we be people of action even if it’s less than ideal or imperfect. P.S. you don’t have to wait until midnight to get started 😉