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Welcome to 5 Bites – The BLTnT Newsletter!
👋 Welcome to 5 Bites – The BLTnT Newsletter!
In case you didn’t catch the Intro Edition, here’s the scoop…I’m doing this newsletter because most of us are overstuffed with content but still hungry for clarity. Long-form books and podcasts? I love them. But we also need something we can actually finish—before our day gets hijacked or our next meeting kicks off.
“5 Bites” is my weekly serving of bite-sized insights across Business, Life, Technology, and Transformations.
And just like The BLTnT Podcast, the newsletter is built for leaders, learners, and curious minds who want real takeaways—only faster!
You’ll get five quick ‘bites’ every Tuesday. You can read them in under 10 minutes. My REAL hope –> That at least one of these sticks with you and ignites something explosive 🧨
🍱 🥘DISCLAIMER🥓 🍔 — bites will vary in size and taste — some bites are big, some are small…some may taste awesome, and others might taste like crap (doubt it though). In some editions, the menu will be buffet and others will be a limited menu. ***I reserve the right to chef’s choice!*** Regardless of what I serve up, I hope it’s valuable to YOU!
Let’s dig in!
📈 B – Business: “Fast Beats Big”
A few weeks ago, I joined a Vistage session with economist Brian Beaulieu of ITR Economics (now part of Crowe). He and his brother Alan Beaulieu (they kinda look a lot alike) are forecasting a substantial downturn by 2030—possibly the next Great Depression. But here’s where I heard opportunity.
“You’ve got to be able to hit the other side of your skis to make money on the way down.”
—Brian Beaulieu
That skiing metaphor hit me. It’s about balance. Agility. Adaptability.
Things smaller and mid-sized businesses tend to have more of—if we choose to use them.
Brian also pointed out that while big players are racing ahead with AI investments, they’re still slow to adapt in meaningful ways. Small businesses might lag behind today—but when we adopt, we can pivot faster and execute with more precision.
In short: Big can invest more—but smaller companies can react faster.
Here’s what I’m focused on this month:
- Where can we make faster decisions and iterate quickly?
- What early indicators are we overlooking?
- Which verticals or geographies deserve a rapid test?
“If you want your business to grow faster, maybe you have to plant in a more dynamic region.”
—Brian Beaulieu
That speaks directly to our flexibility as smaller companies. And it’s a powerful reminder that speed—not just size—can win the next decade.
Your challenge this week:
Where can you lean into your speed—rather than bigger budgets—to find the edge?
🔗 Read more about ITR Economics and the Beaulieu brothers Alan and Brian
📖 Get their book Prosperity in the Age of Decline
❤️ L – Life: Why I’m Saying “Excelsior”
You may have noticed I’ve started signing off more regularly with “Excelsior” (and before that, “Onward and Upward!”) — that’s intentional.
I first picked it up from Tom Phipps, a former teammate at my old gig with Re-Source Partners Asset Management, Inc. and a mentor to me who always used it as his personal sign-off. When I recently asked him if I could carry it forward, he gave me the green light 🚦. Excelsior means “ever upward”—a mindset of movement, hope, and progress.
It also happens to be the legendary Stan Lee’s signature send-off, which adds a layer of creativity, resilience, and belief in something bigger than ourselves. What I love about Stan’s use of the phrase is that as the story goes, what started as a joke became the motto of his life. As a connoisseur of humor, I freaking love this!
For me, Excelsior is more than a word. It reflects how I try to live: believing there’s something good just around the corner.
Sure, I could be wrong, and I get it wrong—I’m not always Mr. Positivity—but I’d rather aim to live from hope than operate from fear.
This idea came up again during a conversation on The BLTnT Podcast with Scott Schoeneberger and Chanel Schoeneberger (Episode 29). Scott shared something his mom, Sue “Sassy” Schoeneberger, likes to say:
“The future is unknown—and therefore, friendly.” – Sassy Schoeneberger (I don’t even know her an she’s getting a ❤️ emoji)
That line stuck with me. So rather than worry, I’m choosing to TRY to be curious, excited, and optimistic about what’s ahead.
Oh, and I better not forget, my wife, Nadine, is the ETERNAL optimist, so I’m fortunate to have her when Mr. Positivity is Out of Office!
Excelsior!
🎧 Listen to Episode 29 – Scott & Chanel Schoeneberger
🕸️ Here’s the fascinating story behind Stan Lee’s Latin catchphrase
💻 T – Technology: One Way I’m Using ChatGPT
I’ve always wanted to share more of what I’ve learned over the years—through books, mentors, experiences—but never really had the bandwidth or system to do it well. Until now…well I don’t have the perfect system yet, but I’ve found some help.
Lately, I’ve been feeding a list of all of the books I’ve read or listened to along with any summary notes into ChatGPT—Ziglar, Munger, Ramsey, and dozens of others—and building a searchable, personalized leadership archive.
But this isn’t just about summarizing.
It’s about connecting dots, distilling patterns, and accelerating implementation.
How am I getting it? I’ve asked ChatGPT to create a chart with the Title, Author, Date Published, and the Top 5 teachings of each book.
For example, I recently used it to build a one-page guide on leadership maturity—pulling ideas from The Coaching Habit, Extreme Ownership, The Go-Giver, and more. Now I’ve got a tool I can use to mentor team members or reference in strategy sessions. It’s actionable, it’s alive, and it’s mine.
I’ve also asked it to cross reference biblical teachings against the teachings of some of the books. Making the connections across 100’s of books and going back to the wisdom of the bible has really opened my eyes.
Call it my AI-powered second brain—and it’s been a game-changer.
Come on…
Shoot me a note with ways you’re leveraging ChatGPT or other AI LLMs.
Also, I can share the list that I have going so far…
💡 N – Noteworthy Insight: Don’t Wear What You Haven’t Earned
“If you don’t read it, I’m taking that sticker off with a razor blade and crushing your license plate.” – Leon LaBrecque, JD, CPA, CFP®, CFA, on Atlas Shrugged
I recently met Leon LaBrecque through some mutual friends. We grabbed coffee on the deck of the Otis Hotel Harbor Springs—and he made an impression fast. First of all, he’s one heck of a storyteller…along with a JD, CPA, CFP, and CFA…, and probably more than that!
He told me a story about a young man he was mentoring—someone who had a vanity license plate that read: “Who is John Galt?” (As a nod to Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.)
Leon asked, “Have you read it?” “No.” “Then I’m taking the sticker off with a razor blade and crushing your license plate. You’re not dignifying the reading.”
His message was simple: If you’re going to publicly represent an idea—especially a deep or philosophical one—you’d better understand it, and if you agree with it, live by it.
Even though I disagree with Ayn Rand almost completely, that hit me.
If you’re going to slap a sticker—or a label—on your life, make sure you live it, know it, earn it.
I’ve always said: You won’t see a political party sign in front of my house—unless my wife runs for office.
Why not?
Because promoting people you don’t truly know—especially in absolute terms—makes no sense to me. And speaking in absolutes? That’s one of the fastest ways people reveal how little they actually understand.
We lose nuance. We lose empathy. We lose credibility when we pretend to be experts on things—or people—we haven’t truly examined.
Maybe the wiser path is to stay curious and stay human.
We need to have our convictions. But not everything needs to be branded with a side.
🗣️ In an upcoming episode of the BLTnT Podcast, I talk with R. York Moore—a man with an incredible story of transformation. He shares how his parents, deeply influenced by Ayn Rand’s objectivism, eventually ended up facing homelessness. That conversation cracked something open in me around ideology, identity, and what really holds us together.
Stay tuned and check in at The BLTnT Podcast site or wherever you consume podcasts.
💪 T – Transformation: Let Them
You can’t control people. You can only control your reaction.
I’ve known that for a while—but living it? That’s taking some work.
Over the last two plus years, I’ve been trying to shift the way I respond when people flake, disappoint, don’t reciprocate, or don’t follow through. Not with cynicism (which can be my default), but with something healthier.
Then I came across this book from Mel Robbins—and it helped name something I’d been leaning into already! That was validating!
She calls it “The Let Them Theory”. In the book she says things like:
Let them show you who they are.
Let them leave the group chat.
Let them talk behind your back.
Let them not support you.
Let them drift.
The point is: You don’t need to chase, change, or carry them (whomever “them” is [or are]).
It’s not indifference—it’s actually more like liberation. When I think about it in the professional world, it frees up energy for the people and projects that are aligned, not just available. It lets you trade control for clarity…and peace.
This has quietly been one of the biggest mindset upgrades in my life lately. So, I’m keeping it close:
Let them.
And let yourself move forward anyway.
⚡Teaser alert⚡ In upcoming editions, I’ll be talking about how this has helped me in my family relationships.
🎬 That’s a Wrap
If you made it this far—thank you. This is what you can expect weekly from Five Bites – The BLTnT Podcast Newsletter…bite-sized insights designed to help you think sharper, lead better, and live a little fuller.
☮️ Until next time,
Excelsior!
Thank you to our sponsor 🛡️ Auxiom 🙌
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Got a story to share?
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Visit bltnt.com to explore past podcast episodes or drop me a line through the contact form. You can also reply directly to this newsletter or connect with me on LinkedIn.
About 5 Bites
5 Bites is a weekly serving of bite-sized insights across Business, Life, Technology, and Transformations—built for leaders, learners, and curious minds who want faster takeaways that stick and ignite something explosive 🧨