Vision without categories is a foreign language. People need frameworks to understand what you're talking about. They're imagination is limited to their current mental paradigms.

Leaders create those frameworks, as they build the mental architecture that turns tasks into meaningful contribution.

Leader create categories.

Consider raising your prices. Not arbitrarily. But strategically. Identify the customer segment that values what you do and is willing to pay for it. Then price for them. Yes, you'll lose some customers. That's the point. You're filtering them out.

Stop pricing defensively. Start pricing strategically. Filter for quality, not volume. You get what you charge. Price is a filter, not a barrier.

Christmas isn't just a story about salvation. It's a statement about creation. God entered the material world to redeem it, not escape it. That should change everything about how you view your business. The Word became flesh. Heaven invaded earth. Your business matters. The Incarnation Impacts Industry.

Merry Christmas.

Every new initiative costs more than money. It costs focus, clarity, energy. And those are finite.

The math might work, but that doesn't mean you should do it. Strategy isn't just about what you pursue. It's about what you're willing to walk away from.

Don't fall prey to the dilution delusion.

Strategy is choosing what you're for and what you're not for. It's defining the game you're playing and how you intend to win it. And if you can't explain it simply, you haven't done the work.

One customer. One offering. One advantage. A crisp and clear strategy.

Fixed costs, variable costs, contribution margin are the mechanics of how your business actually makes money. You need to know what number you're after each month.

You need to know your breakeven point.

Business owners are generally optimists. That's why they're business owners. They have hope for a better future. And, that optimism many times is naive and simple. It can keep business owners continually walking the tight rope sitting atop an elephant.

They spend what they make. They operate on thin margins. They assume the good times will continue indefinitely. And when they don't - when the market shifts, when a major customer leaves, when an economic downturn hits - they feel the hurt. But they act as if it was out of their control.

The issue isn't that winter came. Winter always comes. The issue is that they didn't prepare for it.

Data and KPIs don't make your business better. Better decisions do. And better decisions come from measuring the right things, the things you can actually act on.

Stop tracking vanity. Start tracking action. Know the score, but manage the game.

Measure what matters.

What gets reviewed gets done. What doesn't get reviewed gets forgotten.

Systems and processes are essential. But without a review cadence, they're just documents. You need the rhythm of accountability to turn good intentions into consistent execution.

Use meetings to drive results.

Tighten up your accounts receivable, and don't play games with cash. An invoice is only a promise to get paid. Promises are broken all the time. You're not done until you've collected payment.

Getting paid isn't greed. It's stewardship. It's professionalism. And it's customer service.