And that’s a wrap. Or should I say, let’s begin?

For those of you who missed my last storyletter (go check it out—it was a good one), I’ve embarked on a new journey. I’ve left my old life behind and am looking forward to writing my next book and launching a new company in 2025.

I just wrapped up a two-week tour, starting in the Philippines and leading two workshops in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Now, I get to enjoy two days in Hanoi before heading to Chiang Mai, where I’ll spend the next few months focusing on some exciting new projects.

This also means more time to connect with you all.

In this week’s edition:

• My weekly thoughts

• Stumble upon

• Building in Public

  Let’s go

THOUGHTS

It’s complicated

really? Is it complicated? Or maybe we just make it complicated to save ourselves?

My first time in Vietnam. I just landed in Ho Chi Minh City, and the person taking me out is Dutch—funny, I know. Mounique and I met about seven years ago and have kept in touch. When she saw I was coming to give some workshops, she reached out.

Now, we’re sitting in a beautiful restaurant with her local partner of 15 years. They run a factory here. The conversation flows across different topics until we stumble upon some interesting world views. Then she says, “Yeah, well, it’s complicated. Let’s change the subject.”

In this crazy world, where things are, well, complicated, I’ve noticed that this phrase has become an easy way out—a polite excuse to avoid talking about uncomfortable topics. We brush it off, say, “It’s complicated,” and move on with dinner.

When life suits us, everything is peachy. But when the uncomfortable arises, we lean on “it’s complicated.” Thinking about it, “it’s complicated” often means one of a few things: we don’t want to handle the truth, we don’t want to argue, we don’t know enough, or—worse—it’s not actually complicated at all.

What if we use the word complicated not because of what’s happening outside, but because of what’s happening within us? Maybe saying “it’s complicated” reveals our own struggle to accept what needs to be done to resolve the problem.

Take firing people, for example. There’s a common phrase: When you’re thinking about firing someone, you’ve already made the decision. The time between that thought and the action is how long it takes you to come to terms with it. It’s not complicated. We make it complicated—avoiding the right thing because it’s hard.

For a long time, I struggled with making big changes in my company. I told myself, It doesn’t work like that. It’s people. It’s complicated. But delaying decisions cost me six figures. I made the call too late.

Life isn’t complicated. Doing the right thing—especially when it feels wrong or hard—that’s what’s complicated.

So, next time you catch yourself saying something is complicated, ask yourself (or them), What would it take to resolve this by tomorrow?

Most people either don’t know or aren’t willing to do what it takes. Either way, the reality is internal, not necessarily external.

Stumble Upon

Stuff I find on the web and feel like sharing

Building in public

One post can make all the difference

People often ask me if I’m trying to become an influencer or amass a large number of followers. The answer has always been the same: it would be nice, but it’s never the goal.

Last week, I decided to post about my Amazon #1 best-selling book achievement on LinkedIn. Knowing that most people don’t read the entire post but skim the first two lines (maybe a bit more), I thought this might be a good chance to push some book sales.

I was right. One post, ten minutes of writing, fifteen minutes of editing—and suddenly, my book was back in the top 100 best-selling books in my category.

Here’s what I learned:

• Most people don’t read the whole post.

• Hook them early with something they can support.

• If it’s good enough, they’ll buy and even reach out.

The results? So far, I’ve received four leads for speaking gigs, seen an increase in book sales, and reconnected with almost a dozen people I hadn’t spoken to in over a year.

Write to enjoy it. Write to get better. And remember: if it’s good, whether it gets likes or not, people will notice—and they will show up.