The Forklift at the Gym

You wouldn't take a forklift to the gym.

I heard that analogy on a podcast recently, and the metaphor really hit home. We have to think hard about what we're outsourcing. Not just from an AI slop perspective (though that's a real issue and we need to take care with how we represent ourselves), but we also can't take our ability to think critically for granted.

You can do a lot more with less effort with the help of a machine. But is it about lifting the weight, or is it about your ability to lift the weight?

When we use AI, it's important that we retain the ability to think critically. I think about this a lot as I continue to build a virtual partner for myself in this business. It's great for consistency and as an editor of sorts, so I don't miss things, but there is often a pull to let the bot do all of the heavy lifting for me, and I think that's a temptation most of us face.

Some of what AI is taking off our plates, we've been complaining about for decades. As a solo business owner, the ability to outsource the mundane tasks of bookkeeping, dashboard management, and even basic marketing strategy is incredibly valuable to me.

Remember Office Space? The soul-crushing, pointless busywork that made an entire generation relate to a movie about burning down their employer. That work is being automated away. In a lot of ways, that's a feature and a relief, not a threat or a bug.

But it's still having a massive impact on the economy. Jobs are being displaced, and the ones that are created aren't always on par with the ones eliminated. We have to learn to be incredibly adaptable to a rapidly changing, whiplash-inducing environment where we can't even imagine what's coming next.

So we remind ourselves of what we know to be true…

While the cost of knowledge is quickly going to zero, the value of expertise is going through the roof. We can't afford to confuse the two.

In my mind, that means we lean into our unique strengths. There will always be something innately human that AI can't replicate. That slice will inevitably get smaller and smaller, but it'll always be there.

You know that buzz that's missing on a Zoom meeting, but very palpable in person? That's my best example of this. The energy exchange between two people is irreplaceable. Look for it. Lean into it. Enhance it.

There are a lot of really valuable ways to use the proverbial forklift, and times when it really doesn't make sense not to. The ability to identify when you just need to roll up your sleeves and get dirty is vital.

What I'm Into

I launched my annual charity fundraising campaign this week.

For the 13th year in a row, I'm playing in a golf marathon for Chosen Vision, a Michigan nonprofit that operates group homes for developmentally disabled adults.

What's a golf marathon, you ask? We play more than a hundred holes in a single day.

My first real sales mentor got me involved because his youngest son is someone Chosen Vision serves. When someone like that asks you for a favor, you say yes.

I know people get asked for things every day (I ran three errands last weekend, and every single one of those stores asked me to round up or add a few bucks), so many of you know I like to try and add something meaningful to my supporters in return.

This year, I've put together an exclusive fireside chat series with four friends and colleagues, covering the sales-adjacent stuff that actually gets people stuck.

• Where most go-to-market efforts fail, and why LinkedIn isn't working for you

• In a changing world, what if "what I want to do when I grow up" isn't an option anymore?

• Despite how much things feel like they're up in the air, we've seen stuff like this before

• How do I integrate all of this with a life worth living outside of work?

These are the things you don't get training on, but that are on the minds of every seller I talk to.

Live, interactive access to all four sessions and the recordings is yours for a $100 donation to Chosen Vision.

If that sounds like a fair trade, I'd love to have you involved.

The Nudge

If any of those four conversations sound like something you need, this is your invitation.

Learn more and donate →

The Shoutout

Nick Weber has been the first one to call for as long as I can remember.

I'll get caught up in whatever I'm doing, and all of a sudden, it's Nick on the phone because he had a few minutes and thought he'd reach out. That's something I wish I were better at.

We go way back to Henry Ford Hospital, where he hired on as a PT just a couple of months after I started, and was also finishing his athletic training certification, so he worked with me in the trenches — on the sidelines, in locker rooms, and everywhere in between. Wicked smart, great judgment, excellent listener, always keeps his cool. He had the makeup of a great CEO before either of us probably realized it.

Fast forward twenty-five years. He's running Team Rehabilitation Physical Therapy, being a great partner and father, and still beating me to the phone.

I may have been his last clinical instructor, but the way he helped me navigate some things going on in my life at that time put him in a role as one of my most trusted advisors. There were reasons he was the best man at my wedding. They hold true today.

If you're lucky, you've got a Nick in your life too. Tell them.

Cheers,
JB