Tips For Keeping the Momentum Going
Chris Meade
Co-Founder of The Founders Club & CROSSNET | Now Building the World's Best Entrepreneurship Community | Forbes 30 Under 30
Hey there! Happy Tuesday!
I’m just getting back from some incredible time off with my family in Cancun and for the first time in a long time I got to sit back, reflect, and just be thankful for where life has taken me. Its a random Tuesday afternoon in the middle of February and I’m 100% in control of my life, my family is taken care of, and I’m building the business of my dreams. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Both The Founders Club and Pilates Studio had record weeks last week. All while I was away from the business. But to be honest, crushing milestones that we never thought were possible only came after hundreds of sleepless nights, building a great supporting cast, and a few unexpected turns, like having to pull off a heist of my own inventory in the middle of the night (I’m serious).
My personal life aside, let me paint a picture for you:
You grind for years to hit a goal. Sleepless nights, non-stop problem-solving, pushing forward when nothing seems to be working–until suddenly, you’re there. You land the dream deal, hit the revenue milestone, or get featured in a major publication.
And then...
What?
That’s the inspiration for today: the mountaintops. The wins. The high points that you’ve spent months, years–even decades–chasing. Because here’s the thing about finally getting there: A lot of people fall off right after they succeed.
Not because they aren’t capable, not because the business isn’t strong, but because it’s easy to get comfortable and even harder to set the next milestone. Comfort in business is a slow death sentence.
The Hardest Part of Success? Staying Hungry.
Hitting a massive goal is a surreal feeling–whether it’s your first 7-figure year, landing a dream partnership, or scaling beyond what you thought was possible. But here’s the trap that so many founders fall into: they slow down. They get comfortable, and before they know it, the momentum is gone.
Momentum is businesses’ BIGGEST drug. Keep it going at all costs. Because one you lose it, its’s hard to get it back.
So how do you avoid stagnation after a big win?
When I first got CROSSNET into Walmart, I thought that was it. The peak. But I learned real quick that if you don’t set the next target, you’ll get stuck in neutral. Take a second to celebrate, sure–but then ask: What’s next? More product lines? A new distribution channel? A better customer experience? High performers don’t let their past wins define them–they set bigger, scarier goals and chase them down. Success isn’t a finish line–it’s a checkpoint. Take a moment to appreciate what you’ve built, but then set the next ambitious target. What’s the bigger picture? Where do you go from here?
Success leaves clues. If you’ve hit a milestone, something is working–whether it’s your offer, content strategy, ad targeting, or partnerships. Too many founders pivot to “new” after a win, when instead they should pour gas on the fire. Find what made you successful and do more of it, better, and at scale. When we first saw our Walmart orders move, instead of celebrating, we immediately worked to improve margins, optimize packaging, and push for better shelf space. That’s how you stay ahead. Analyze what got you to this win in the first place. Was it a killer marketing strategy? A new product launch? A strong team? Identify your success levers and amplify them.
The biggest risk after success? Not being ready for the next level. With more exposure comes more pressure, competition, and potential for failure. When CROSSNET blew up, we had to tighten up everything–our supply chain, customer service, fulfillment–you name it. The best founders don’t just ride momentum; they build a machine that can sustain it. Look at your business today: what bottlenecks will break if you 10x? Fix them now before they become a real problem. Big wins create big exposure, and you need to be ready for the next level. Strengthen weak points in your business, invest in systems, and prepare for scaling. Success should be a launchpad, not a plateau.
You got to this point by being hungry, relentless, and willing to do what others won’t. Just because you’ve hit a win doesn’t mean it’s time to coast. I’ve seen founders go soft after a big moment, thinking they’ve made it–only to get overtaken by someone hungrier six months later. The real killers? They treat every day like they’re still trying to prove themselves. They wake up obsessed with getting 1% better. If you start acting like you’re on top, you’ve already lost. The hunger you had when you were grinding for the win? Don’t lose it. The best founders stay paranoid, curious, and constantly pushing boundaries.
I’ve felt this firsthand. I spent years grinding to get CROSSNET into Walmart, DICK’S Sporting Goods, most-recently, Target. And when we finally landed those deals, the energy was insane–but then the real work started.?
You can celebrate a win. But you can’t stop building.
How to Build When Business Is Slow
The reality is business is hard. No matter what industry you are in. Some months are going to suck. It’s your job to show up. Roll up your sleeves and get the job done. Newsflash for you. Bitching about things won’t solve anything. You have to roll up your sleeves.
For CROSSNET, January, February, and March are hell. Nobody’s buying backyard games when they’re shoveling snow. And if we just accepted that as “the way it is,” we’d be in serious trouble.
But instead of panicking, we do everything we can to push forward.
When things slow down, you can either wait it out or build for the future. The best founders keep moving, even in the off-season.
Why I’m Doubling Down on Health & Pilates
One thing I’ve realized over the years? You can’t build a business if you’re running on fumes.
That’s why I’m pumped about something totally new – BODY Hot Pilates.
For those who don’t know, BODY is my wife Lyndsey’s absolute dream business. She was the first-ever employee at CROSSNET when we had nothing–literally nothing. No funding, no guarantees, just a crazy backyard volleyball idea. She quit a comfortable corporate job to help build our brand from the ground up.
And now, I finally got the chance to build something for her. BODY just launched in Miami, and it’s already blowing up. Seeing how passionate she is about creating a fitness empire has been a reminder of why we do this in the first place. Building something that matters and gets you excited to get out of bed every morning.
Ask yourself this - If you’re not building something you can’t get out of your head, why the hell are you even doing it?
The first class is on me if you’re in Miami. Come say what’s up!
Also if you want to rip apart our website I’ll love you forever - bodyhotpilates.com
Costa Rica: The Ultimate Founder Reset
Speaking of stepping back to move forward–our Costa Rica retreat is shaping up to be one of the best things we’ve ever put together. We’re announcing it to the public this Thursday but since you read the newsletter you get early access.
There are only 13 rooms. This will go extremely quick.
If you’ve been grinding non-stop and need a reset that actually fuels your growth, this is your chance.
Cancun, Death Threats & Perspective
My life flipped upside down a few days ago while I was on vacation. I was planning to 100% shut everything down for 72 hours. Zero work. Zero distractions. Just time to think. And funny enough? That’s when the biggest ideas always hit.
Getting out of the daily chaos lets you see things clearly. Where you need to improve, what’s working, what’s not. Also, weird timing, but while I was in Cancun, I got my first-ever death threat. Somebody legit threatened to murder my family because he was not accepted into The Founders Club.
Yeah. That was new a one for me.
It was messed up, but it also made me hyper-aware of protecting my family. As soon as I got back, I started the process of getting my firearms license. Because at the end of the day, business is business–but nothing matters more than keeping your family safe.
Shoutout to Aftersell
In my nearly ten years of e-commerce experience, I have only found a handful of apps that are non-negotiable for your Shopify store. If you’re not using Aftersell, I honestly don’t know what you are doing. Close this email and go install it.
Over the past twelve months, they have helped us add tens of thousands of dollars a month across CROSSNET’s USA and Australian stores by focusing on in-cart and post-purchase upsells and their newest offering, Rokt Thanks.
The best thing about Rokt Thanks is that they move faster than any software brand I’ve ever worked with. Legit in under five minutes we were signed up, got into a shared Slack channel and had Rokt Thanks up immediately.
So what’s Rokt Thanks? To be honest I wish I had invented it myself.
When a customer checks out on CROSSNET’s store they will get a custom offer from a massive brand like Disney+, HelloFresh, and ESPN that is only available on crossnetgame.com. It’s a win-win for everybody as the customer gets a sick discount and we get additional revenue if the customer ends up accepting the offer.
Until just a few months ago the checkout page was a dead space once the customer paid. Now, there is so much more opportunity for us to make money, especially in Q4 when we experience 5x more traffic than normal. It’s a no-brainer to try and you can turn it on in under five minutes.
They also just dropped this calculator, but basically, if you do 5000 orders a month you can make a free $21k. The numbers really get nutty when you’re pumping volume and you’re making an extra $20k a month in free profit.
If you want the intro hit me up or just email my girl [email protected]
The Big Takeaway
For those that just skipped to the end, or just need a little reminder—here’s what I want you to remember:
That’s all for this week. Stay hungry, stay active, and just keep striving to get 1% better every day.
All the love in the world,
Chris