Pick Up a Shovel

Stoic Quote of the Week

I shall be just as humble when I am driven before another man's chariot as when I stood erect on my own.

-Seneca

What I learned this week:

Last weekend was quite an experience. I participated in a fundraising event called Million Dollar Mingle hosted by NFL and Raiders great, AC Caswell. He was one of many NFL players who were there to support AC's love of giving back to small nonprofits like the ones that helped him and his family when he was a kid growing up. It was great to see all the interactions and meet some amazing people. It was even more fun to surprise a couple of friends who didn't know I was there and had never met in person with a big bear hug. This event was five days of constant activities, and the fundraising never stopped. I only participated in 3 ? of the five days and am still exhausted and recovering. I can only imagine how the folks who did all five days must feel! I'm not an event or networking sort of guy. I'll do them and meet people, but it isn't really something I jump at. I love watching people, especially the hosts, when I am at these events. I find it fascinating to watch how people interact and don't ??—one thing I noticed at one of the venues I found very interesting. I was there early, of course, which meant there weren't a lot of people there yet. It also meant that some of the setup was still going on. I saw the host, multi-millionaire, former NFL great AC, moving tables around and carrying boxes to make sure it was all set up. At first, I thought, cool, AC is an attention-to-detail guy who is getting the tables just right. Nope! He was setting up the venue. Here is this guy who funded the whole fancy shindig, picking up tables, carrying boxes of brochures, and ensuring the food was right for his guests. He was not afraid to put in the work. He knew that his team was working hard and knew there was much to do to make the event memorable. I have always described a leaders as someone who is willing to pick up a shovel and dig a hole with his team. If the team needs to dig a hole, the team leader is part of the team and better pick up a shovel. That is what AC was doing. His team was maxed out, and he knew it. He knew that for his team to be successful, he had to join in the labor, not stand back with his hands on his hips and supervise. Next time your team needs to dig a hole, be sure you are grabbing a shovel and digging with them.

Planning thought of the week:

Understanding who's in charge in the military is easy, and it is part of paragraph five of the Five Paragraph Field Order, Command, and Signal. Even though everyone has rank on, we still designate who is in charge of what and when. This isn't so obvious in civilian operations. When preparing your plan, make sure you designate who is in charge of what. Take one more step and designate who is in charge if that person is out. Unity of command is an essential element of success.

Business idea I heard about or thought of:

Saturday in Scottsdale at the polo grounds was hot! I know it wasn't July hot, but in November, it was hot. Because it was hot, we were constantly seeking shade. We found it in an old, remodeled Air Stream trailer. Not just any Air Stream, this trailer was remodeled to be a cigar bar! You read that right: a mobile cigar bar called Rich Kat Mobile Cigars. Not only was the inside out of the sun with fans running, but they also sold cigars, and not just any cigars, their cigars! To add to the ambiance, the husband-and-wife owners running the place and their friend John were amazing! Just the right amount of customer service, and welcoming to their humble cigar bar. Out of the four-plus hours we spent at the polo grounds, at least half of that was spent hanging out at the Rich Kat Mobile Cigars. Waleed and his wife are based out of the DC and are planning to spend the next three months in the Phoenix area. You are in luck if you are in that area. By the way, they do private events and parties also! It also got me and the guys I was with thinking, does anyone have a 25+ foot old Air Stream they might want to get rid of?

Veteran opportunity of the week:

What a great opportunity that Dave Ramsey, founder of Ramsey Solutions, is providing to the Veteran Tribe free access to his most popular and essential training, Financial Peace University. Ms. Suzanne and I went through the course years ago and learned so much about how to manage our budget. I highly recommend taking advantage of this opportunity! Learn more here.

Someone I met this week:

I want to give a shout out to two of my good friends and leaders in the Veteran Tribe, Scott Mann and Sam Havelock. These two guys carved out some time in the evening last week to record the Veteran's Day Episode of The Cam & Otis Show. Scott had just spent the last week on the road and was about to hit the road again. Sam is running massively successful businesses and was sitting in his office to talk with us. As a precursor for the episode, we talked about our transition experiences, health management, and the state of the Veteran Tribe. Each of them provided some fascinating and insightful experiences and advice ranging from relying on the Veteran Tribe to you have to take ownership of your own health because, as Scott said, "No one is coming to get you." Check out episode #303, Veterans Day Special.

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Link to current The Cam & Otis Show podcast episode Veterans Day Special with Sam Havelock and Scott Mann | Cam & Otis Show Ep.?#303.

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