Amer, Austin, and John discussed booking an Airbnb for their upcoming Patreon retreat in Chilliwack, BC. They reviewed several options and ultimately chose one with a life-size Monopoly board, double basketball court, and cold plunge, as these amenities were very appealing to the group.

John shared insights from a Wall Street Journal article on sports betting, noting that 91% of bettors are overly optimistic about their future winnings, despite being accurate in reporting their past losses. He also discussed the popularity of parlay bets and player prop bets, which are the most profitable for gambling companies.

The group discussed the parallels between investing, sports betting, and the monetization tactics used in video games, such as loot boxes and microtransactions. They noted how these industries all leverage human psychology and the desire to predict the future, often leading to losses for the average participant.

The group analyzed how different industries and trades are impacted by economic conditions, with discretionary and capital-intensive sectors like pools and roofing being more sensitive than essential services like plumbing. They discussed how this affects their own business and the need to adapt strategies accordingly.

Amer and John discussed their approaches to managing and coaching their teams, with John outlining his structured process of reviewing data, isolating issues, and providing targeted training and feedback. They also explored the distinction between managing and coaching, and the importance of developing these skills as business owners.

John shared his reflections on the similarities between Warren Buffett's approach as a successful investor and operator, and his own aspirations to develop complementary skills in capital allocation and coaching management teams. They discussed the importance of initial conditions and the potential for a holding company structure to leverage these abilities.

Here is a link to Chris Thomson's podast - The Leaders of Tomorrow

A casual exploratory conversation with Chris Thomson, Head Coach of Student Works, covering leadership, personal development, and business philosophy.

• Chris emphasizes integrity, continuous learning, and personal growth as key to long-term success in business and life

• Student Works' success attributed to focused strategy, strong culture, and developing leaders through hands-on experience

• Chris advocates for finding one's unique strengths and contributions rather than trying to excel at everything

• Meditation, journaling, and regular personal development practices are crucial for maintaining clarity and effectiveness as a leader

• Focuses on developing a strong culture of integrity and continuous improvement

• Emphasizes being an exemplar and living the values you espouse

• Believes in giving people opportunities to grow, even if they initially struggle

• Advocates for clear standards and removing those who don't align with company values

• Stresses the importance of being a "student of the game" and continuously learning

• Grew from $10 million to $35 million annual revenue in past 7 years

• Implemented minimum performance standards (e.g. $40k booked by May 1st) to improve quality

• Focused strategy on core business, avoiding distractions that previously limited growth

• Improved systems, marketing, and recruitment processes based on learnings from competitors

• Emphasizes developing leaders through hands-on experience running their own operations

• Daily meditation practice focusing on body scan, emotional awareness, and thought observation

• Regular journaling to gain clarity on thoughts and feelings

• Participates in mastermind groups and personal development programs (e.g. Landmark, Hoffman Process)

• Reads 30-40 books per year to continually expose himself to new ideas

• Recently completed a 300-hour coaching course to further develop skills

• Believes financial success should be a byproduct of creating value, not the primary goal

• Advocates for building wealth slowly and living below means in early career

• Warns against tying self-worth to net worth or material possessions

• Emphasizes the importance of having a clear life philosophy and living it consistently

• Recommends focusing on experiences over material goods once financial stability is achieved

• Develop a clear vision for your life and work towards it consistently

• Focus on building valuable skills rather than just following passion

• Be cautious about over-extending financially in early stages of business

• Continuously invest in personal growth and development

• Find ways to contribute value to others rather than focusing solely on personal gain

• Interested individuals can email Chris at cthompson@studentworks.com to learn more about Student Works

• Those curious about the program should consider working for a current Student Works operator to gain experience

• Listen to the Leaders of Tomorrow podcast for more insights from Chris and successful alumni

• Read "So Good They Can't Ignore You" by Cal Newport for insights on skill development vs. passion

Austin shares that he recently completed a 2-week sleep challenge, aiming to get 100% of his sleep needs each night. He discusses how the travel and busy schedule he's had over the past few months left him feeling exhausted, and the challenge helped him reset his sleep patterns and feel more rested.

Amer shares that he recently led an intensive 10.5-hour training session for his sales team, focusing on mindset and self-awareness. He incorporated a lot of interactive exercises and made sure to lead by example, sharing his own experiences and insights. The team found the training valuable in reconnecting with the fundamentals of their roles.

Amer discusses the value he found in relearning core concepts and principles, rather than just learning new information. He realized the importance of revisiting the basics and how it can provide fresh perspective and renewed commitment.

The group explores the concept of cause and effect, and how our actions and habits impact our lives and businesses. They discuss the importance of taking full personal accountability, rather than blaming external factors or other people.

The meeting concludes with the group reflecting on the key insights and lessons from the discussion, and committing to apply them going forward in their personal and professional lives.

The team discussed the key highlights from the recent January training for RFG franchisees, including:

• Spending ~2 hours on active listening and communication skills, using interactive games to demonstrate how often people get distracted or stop listening

• Incorporating humor and personal stories into a presentation on the importance of providing detailed estimates, with the "Top 10 Worst Estimate Requests" being a hit

• Conducting a "blind spot" exercise where franchisees interviewed close business partners to get feedback on areas for improvement

The group explored the nuances of building a personal brand versus a business brand on social media. Key points included:

• Avoiding oversharing personal financial details or victories, as that can backfire and distract from the core business message

• Positioning oneself more as a spokesperson for the contracting.com brand, rather than the individual, to maintain authenticity and focus

• Leveraging the team's expertise and stories to create valuable content, rather than just the founder's personal narrative

• Recognizing that a smaller but highly engaged following is often more valuable than a large but disinterested audience

The discussion shifted to the importance of cultivating a "stakeholder" mentality rather than just optimizing for shareholder metrics like follower count. Key insights included:

• Viewing the audience as stakeholders in the contracting.com mission, rather than just passive consumers

• Drawing parallels to Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway, where the brand and mission have outlasted the individual

• Recognizing that some followers may actually be detrimental if they don't align with the core values and vision

• Focusing on building a cult-like following of true believers, rather than just maximizing vanity metrics

The group explored the potential impact of contracting.com's mission to raise industry standards, including:

• Short-term benefits to customers but potential long-term backlash from contractors if the bar is raised too quickly

• Risks of a "race to the bottom" as contractors try to undercut each other, leading to consolidation and capital intensity

• The need to carefully manage the pace of change to avoid alienating the existing contractor base while still driving progress

The meeting concluded with a recap of the key takeaways and next steps, including:

• Amer committing to position himself more as a spokesperson for the contracting.com brand rather than just a personal brand

• Exploring ways to leverage the team's expertise and stories to create valuable content, rather than just the founder's narrative

• Maintaining a stakeholder-focused mindset and cultivating a highly engaged, mission-aligned audience rather than just optimizing for vanity metrics

• Carefully managing the pace of industry disruption to avoid alienating the existing contractor base while still driving progress

The meeting begins with Austin, John, and Amer introducing themselves and sharing their current locations - Austin is in Istanbul, Turkey, John is in Vancouver, and Amer's location is not specified. They discuss the significant time difference between their locations.

Austin describes his positive experience in Turkey so far, noting the friendly and vibrant energy of the country. He also mentions the prevalence of hair transplant surgeries, which he finds interesting.

Austin discusses the logistics of planning the upcoming January training in Turkey, which will bring together 59 people from two countries. He shares his excitement about the opportunity to meet and train with people he has worked with remotely for years.

Austin describes his successful strategy for overcoming jet lag, which involved carefully managing his sleep schedule and using melatonin. He is proud of how well he has handled the time zone change and long flights.

John and Amer share their own experiences with jet lag, with John noting that he has never struggled with it, even on long flights. They discuss how jet lag affects people differently and the importance of finding the right travel strategy.

The group discusses a conversation Jordan had about the unique challenges of coaching and managing Gen Z employees, who may struggle with a lack of direction and a sense of apathy towards work. They explore potential reasons for this phenomenon and consider ways to better support and engage this generation.

Amer shares his insights on what makes a great presentation, drawing parallels to the emotional impact of music and film. He emphasizes the importance of incorporating personal experiences and vulnerability into presentations to create a deeper connection with the audience.

Austin reflects on how he can apply Amer's advice to the upcoming sales training, focusing on how to make the content more personal and meaningful for the participants. He is inspired to find ways to convey the "why" behind the training and to infuse his own experiences and passion into the delivery.

The meeting begins with casual conversation and banter between the participants, including discussions about escape rooms, hockey, and travel.

Austin provides a detailed overview of Canada's recent failure at the World Juniors hockey tournament, including the team's lack of practice, controversial coaching decisions, and the backlash from fans. He highlights the significance of this tournament for Canadian hockey pride and development.

John shares his experience taking the Landmark advanced course, including how the online format has advantages over the in-person version, the personalized nature of the sessions, and the powerful concepts he's learning around shared agreements, reality vs. perception, and taking accountability for mistakes.

John opens up about a personal "act" he has of hiding and covering up his mistakes, tracing it back to a childhood experience of wetting the bed. He describes how he's been working to overcome this act, including having vulnerable conversations with his wife and former employee Max.

Amer provides suggestions for John on how to better incorporate the Landmark teachings into his daily life, such as having accountability partners, writing down his insights, and using visual cues or reminders.

Amer and Austin engage in lighthearted conversation, discussing topics like Amer's encounter with an attractive woman at a smoothie shop, and Austin sharing stories about the recent upset victory of Latvia over Canada in the World Junior Hockey Championship.

Austin provides detailed context on the tournament format, Latvia's historical performance, and the factors that led to their surprise win over the heavily favored Canadian team. He highlights Canada's overconfidence, lack of discipline, and the standout performance of Latvia's young goaltender.

Amer shares insights from a study commissioned by Bill Belichick that examined the common traits of elite athletes like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Tom Brady. The key findings include obsessive preparation, mental toughness, intrinsic motivation, adaptability, leadership, and fearlessness under pressure.

Amer and Austin discuss how the principles from Belichick's study could be applied to building high-performing teams in a business context. They explore ideas around maximizing resources, optimizing the "operator" experience, and the importance of nurture vs. nature in developing talent.

Amer reflects on his tendency to be direct and impatient in conversations, and how that can negatively impact his relationships. He acknowledges the need for more intentionality, patience, and acting from a place of love rather than negative emotions.

Amer and Austin wrap up the conversation, noting the time and Amer's upcoming meeting with another friend, Austin Walker. They agree to end the call and continue their discussion at a later time.

Austin and John discuss their excitement for the upcoming Christmas season and the cold weather in their respective regions. They reminisce about fond memories of skating on frozen lakes and playing pond hockey.

John shares that he has found a better balance between his coaching responsibilities and his investing activities. He discusses the physical distinction between his work and home environments, and how this has helped him be more focused and productive at the office.

Austin outlines several significant changes happening in his business, including the launch of a new franchise (Decify), the integration of the Lebanese accounting team, and a shift in how the sales coaching is structured with Sully focusing on larger franchises.

Austin shares insights he gained from a financial advisor about strategies for aggressively paying down a mortgage, including taking advantage of the ability to make lump sum payments of up to 15% of the mortgage value per year.

John discusses the challenges in the condo market in the Okanagan region, including the significant oversupply of new condos being built and the collapse in condo prices. He explains why he and Trisha have decided to hold onto their condo and rent it out rather than sell it.

Amer shares his interest in learning more about project management best practices, citing examples from the video game industry. The group discusses the potential benefits of implementing an intranet system to better organize and manage the company's resources and processes.

Austin outlines a key goal for 2025 - to create a centralized intranet system to better manage and distribute the company's resources and documentation across the franchise network. The group also discusses Amer's plans to collaboratively set 2025 goals for his business.