Please consider hitting "display photos" for a cozier reading experience. I've also tried to reduce the length of this newsletter but you still may need to expand to read it in its entirety. Brevity has never been my strength!
Hey there!
I'm getting ready to walk out the door to spend a few minutes in the massage chair and attend my Thursday yoga class and I wanted to take a moment to share something on my heart.
I'm thinking a lot about being a mission driven business consultant and coach visions these days especially as I prepare to facilitate a few strategic planning team retreats for some organizations local to me.
As a business owner, it's easy to get lost in the muck of running a business or an organization ... and it's very easy to feel overwhelmed by what's out of our control but influencing us on the daily.
For instance, this: The 2025 McDonald Hopkins’ Business Outlook Survey reports the first majority-negative outlook among U.S. business leaders since the survey began in 2011. Major concerns cited include inflation, tariffs, regulatory uncertainty, declining demand, and high interest rates.
And so here we are experiencing another messy middle full of uncertainty.
We don't know what's going to unfold *OUT THERE* (me waving my hands all over the place).
But, inside we can know.
You can double down on your mission.
Your mission is not a gimmick -- well, it shouldn't be. It's your North Star. If you let it.
Changing the world AND making money.
Being creative AND making a living.
Leading a life of meaning AND earning enough to survive.
Making a living AND making an impact.
These are our generation's greatest paradoxes.
Perhaps more than anything, I'm proud of the clients I've had the pleasure of working with ... not just the outcomes of the work we did together --- but the change they have been working so hard to usher into this world with their missions.
At the end of the day, if we've made progress on our mission we can sit back and feel proud of that one small act of goodness.
When your external environment is volatile and unpredictable, your mission becomes the constant — a blueprint that guides your strategy, inspires your team, and cements trust with your clients/customers/fans.
What change are you trying to make? What good are you trying to do? What's your mission? I'd love to know. Hit reply and share it with me. Tell me about!
XO
Shawn
"Vision sees the stars; mission carves the path to reach them.”
— Aloo Denish Obiero