I love watching people start a business and immediately go pick a fight they don't need to have.

They look at a massively crowded market and decide they are going to win by just sweating more than the next guy. They drop their prices by ten percent and call it a strategy. It is the exact same energy as sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic when there is a wide-open backroad right next to you. It just means you lack awareness.

Today on The Short Game Podcast, we are closing out 'The Leverage Week' with the ultimate playbook for asymmetric leverage: The Art of War by Sun Tzu.

If you are fighting a fair fight, you have already messed up. At NexYear, I do not compete with generic promotional companies for scraps. We bypass the entire frontline and drop a high-end physical asset directly on the CEO's desk.

In this episode:

• The Traffic Jam: Why competing to be a '10% cheaper' agency is a race to the bottom.
• Bypassing the Gatekeeper: How to use physical logistics to outmaneuver the digital noise.
• The Tycoon Move: How to win the battle before it even starts.

Look at your business. Are you bleeding out in a fair fight, or are you changing the rules so you don't have to fight at all? See you next week.

Powered by NexYear

The relationship infrastructure for the Wartime economy.

🌐 Website: www.nexyear.com

Listen to the Audio Experience:

🎧 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-short-game-by-nexyear/id1876109541

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7GIyob0JrM4UNblgLz7pAd?si=df34efe53fa94a84

Connect with NexYear:

💼 LinkedIn: NexYear LLC

📸 Instagram: @nexyear_

▶️ Subscribe on YouTube: NexYear USA

#WartimeCEO #NexYear #2026Economy #BusinessSurvival #RecessionProof

Everyone wants the freedom and the money of running their own company. But the second a supplier misses a deadline or a client yells at them, they completely fold.

They point fingers, they play the victim, and they quit. That is what a Spectator does. An Operator knows that the difficulty is the entire point.

Today on The Short Game Podcast, we are reading the ultimate playbook for handling chaos: The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday .

My entire business at NexYear is built on executing high-stakes logistics for VIPs. It is a total nightmare of broken timelines and damaged goods. And I love it. Because if it were easy, every lazy kid with a laptop would be doing it.

In this episode:

• The Loser Mentality: Why complaining about friction proves you aren't built for the arena.
• The Logistics Nightmare: How to handle it when a high-stakes campaign falls apart.
• The Moat: Why the sheer difficulty of reaching a CEO is the only thing keeping your competition out.

Stop complaining that your industry is too crowded. Be grateful it's hard. See you in the deep end.

Powered by NexYear

The relationship infrastructure for the Wartime economy.

🌐 Website: www.nexyear.com

Listen to the Audio Experience:

🎧 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-short-game-by-nexyear/id1876109541

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7GIyob0JrM4UNblgLz7pAd?si=df34efe53fa94a84

Connect with NexYear:

💼 LinkedIn: NexYear LLC

📸 Instagram: @nexyear_

▶️ Subscribe on YouTube: NexYear USA

#WartimeCEO #NexYear #2026Economy #BusinessSurvival #RecessionProof

Every day, I see Spectators complaining that they cannot get a meeting with a high-level VIP. They send a hundred cold emails. They beg for fifteen minutes of someone's time.

It is a lazy, stupid system. If you are asking someone for a favor before you have provided any upfront value, you are playing a loser's game.

Today on The Short Game Podcast, we are reading the book that changes the game: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini .

We do not beg CEOs for their time at NexYear. We drop a high-end, physical asset directly on their desk. We use the evolutionary psychology of reciprocity to create a debt. We do not ask for the door to be opened. We force it open.

In this episode:

• The Cold Email Trap: Why relying on hope instead of leverage is the definition of insanity.
• The Blueprint: How dropping custom Billykirk leather on a desk acts as a Trojan Horse.
• Psychological Debt: Why humans are hardwired to return favors, and how to cash in that debt.

Stop asking people for their time without giving them a reason to care. Figure out what you can put on their desk first.

Powered by NexYear

The relationship infrastructure for the Wartime economy.

🌐 Website: www.nexyear.com

Listen to the Audio Experience:

🎧 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-short-game-by-nexyear/id1876109541

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7GIyob0JrM4UNblgLz7pAd?si=df34efe53fa94a84

Connect with NexYear:

💼 LinkedIn: NexYear LLC

📸 Instagram: @nexyear_

▶️ Subscribe on YouTube: NexYear USA

#WartimeCEO #NexYear #2026Economy #BusinessSurvival #RecessionProof

I cannot stand people who make life harder than it needs to be. Right now, most people cannot focus on a single complex task for more than forty-five seconds without checking their phone.

They claim they are grinding while scrolling TikTok. It is sloppy, it is oblivious, and it is entirely avoidable incompetence.

Today on The Short Game Podcast, we are reading the book that fixes this: Deep Work by Cal Newport .

At NexYear, when we are building out a complex physical logistics campaign for a CEO, we cannot afford to be distracted. Real infrastructure requires real focus. If you want the freedom to live on your own terms, you have to stop doing fake work.

In this episode:

• The Attention Deficit: Why context-switching destroys your ability to actually think.
• The VIP Standard: You can't build bulletproof supply chains while answering 40 group chat messages.
• The Freedom Metric: How to buy your freedom with two hours of uninterrupted execution.

Put your phone in another room for 90 minutes. Let's see if you even know how to sit with your own thoughts anymore.

Powered by NexYear

The relationship infrastructure for the Wartime economy.

🌐 Website: www.nexyear.com

Listen to the Audio Experience:

🎧 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-short-game-by-nexyear/id1876109541

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7GIyob0JrM4UNblgLz7pAd?si=df34efe53fa94a84

Connect with NexYear:

💼 LinkedIn: NexYear LLC

📸 Instagram: @nexyear_

▶️ Subscribe on YouTube: NexYear USA

#WartimeCEO #NexYear #2026Economy #BusinessSurvival #RecessionProof

If you look at the internet today, everyone is bragging about how little sleep they get. They post pictures of their laptops at 2 AM and think exhaustion is a personality trait.

That is the Clown mindset. Working 18 hours a day doing low-level tasks isn't a flex; it's the business equivalent of sitting in the left lane going 45 mph.

Today on The Short Game Podcast, we are kicking off 'The Leverage Week' by reading the ultimate playbook for building a machine: High Output Management by Andy Grove .

I break down exactly how we use systemic leverage at NexYear. When you are building access campaigns for VIPs, you cannot afford to physically pack every box yourself. You have to be the architect, not the bricklayer.

In this episode:

• The Incompetence Trigger: Why blindly hustling without a strategy means you lack awareness.
• The Operator Reality: How to buy back your time so you can run the strategy, play golf, and actually live your life.
• Systemic Output: Handle a vendor problem once, build the rule, and never deal with it again.

Look at your calendar. Are you actually moving the needle, or are you just driving slow in the fast lane? See you in the deep end.

Powered by NexYear

The relationship infrastructure for the Wartime economy.

🌐 Website: www.nexyear.com

Listen to the Audio Experience:

🎧 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-short-game-by-nexyear/id1876109541

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7GIyob0JrM4UNblgLz7pAd?si=df34efe53fa94a84

Connect with NexYear:

💼 LinkedIn: NexYear LLC

📸 Instagram: @nexyear_

▶️ Subscribe on YouTube: NexYear USA

#WartimeCEO #NexYear #2026Economy #BusinessSurvival #RecessionProof

In this special Emergency drop of The Short Game, Drew Meitner steps away from the usual business playbook to analyze a fundamentally broken social economy: the modern dating market. For driven men in their 20s and 30s, the landscape has completely shifted. Dating apps and social media have created a rigged attention economy that artificially inflates options and funnels matches toward a tiny fraction of CEOs, VIPs, and clients.

This episode takes a raw, data-driven look at the harsh realities of modern courtship. We break down the illusion of endless choice fueled by filters and OnlyFans, the psychological toll on good men playing a zero-sum game, and the paradox of modern women wasting their prime years chasing casual encounters. Finally, we define what a truly rare, grounded 50/50 partner actually looks like today, and why your ultimate strategy must always be focusing on your own baseline value.

Powered by NexYear

The relationship infrastructure for the Wartime economy.

🌐 Website: www.nexyear.com

Listen to the Audio Experience:

🎧 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-short-game-by-nexyear/id1876109541

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7GIyob0JrM4UNblgLz7pAd?si=df34efe53fa94a84

Connect with NexYear:

💼 LinkedIn: NexYear LLC

📸 Instagram: @nexyear_

▶️ Subscribe on YouTube: NexYear USA

#WartimeCEO #NexYear #2026Economy #BusinessSurvival #RecessionProof

A massive logistics campaign goes wrong. A shipment is late. A custom box is ruined. What is your first instinct?

If you immediately point your finger at the shipping company or blame the client for sending the wrong file, you are a Clown. Playing the victim might protect your ego in the short term, but it proves you have zero control over your own business.

Today on The Short Game Podcast, we are finishing 'The Empire Week' by reading the ultimate leadership manual: Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink.

I break down exactly how we handle broken supply chains and vendor failures at NexYear. When you are dealing with VIPs and CEOs, there are no excuses. If my vendor messes up, it is my fault for hiring them. If FedEx crushes a box, I do not blame the algorithm. I eat the cost, overnight a replacement, and take 100% of the blame.

If you want the glory, you have to wear the crown.

In this episode:

• The Ego Trap: Why pointing fingers destroys your chain of command .

• The Logistics Reality: How a 25-year-old Operator forces older supply chains to meet his standard.

• The Moat of Trust: How to turn a massive failure into an unbreakable relationship with a high-level client.

See you in the deep end."

Powered by NexYear

The relationship infrastructure for the Wartime economy.

🌐 Website: www.nexyear.com

Listen to the Audio Experience:

🎧 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-short-game-by-nexyear/id1876109541

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7GIyob0JrM4UNblgLz7pAd?si=df34efe53fa94a84

Connect with NexYear:

💼 LinkedIn: NexYear LLC

📸 Instagram: @nexyear_

▶️ Subscribe on YouTube: NexYear USA

#WartimeCEO #NexYear #2026Economy #BusinessSurvival #RecessionProof

You got the meeting. You are sitting across from a CEO. And out of pure nervousness, you talk too much.

The moment you over-explain your product to prove you deserve to be there, you hand over your power. You become just another desperate vendor they can squeeze on price.

Today on The Short Game Podcast, we are reading the ultimate survival guide for the corporate snake pit: The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene.

I break down exactly how I navigate high-stakes meetings with VIP clients at NexYear. We focus heavily on Law 4: Always Say Less Than Necessary.

When you pitch, state your price. State your value. And then shut up. Let the silence sit in the room. Force the other side to break it first.

In this episode:

• The Imposter Syndrome Trap: Why talking fast kills the deal.

• Weaponized Silence: How to make executives negotiate against themselves.

• The Peer Dynamic: Forcing CEOs to treat you as an equal, not a 25-year-old vendor.

See you in the deep end.

Powered by NexYear

The relationship infrastructure for the Wartime economy.

🌐 Website: www.nexyear.com

Listen to the Audio Experience:

🎧 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-short-game-by-nexyear/id1876109541

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7GIyob0JrM4UNblgLz7pAd?si=df34efe53fa94a84

Connect with NexYear:

💼 LinkedIn: NexYear LLC

📸 Instagram: @nexyear_

▶️ Subscribe on YouTube: NexYear USA

#WartimeCEO #NexYear #2026Economy #BusinessSurvival #RecessionProof

Open your inbox right now. Count how many emails say, 'Let's circle back on this next week' or 'We will review this and get back to you.'

That is the sound of a company dying. Corporate America moves at a snail's pace because leadership tolerates a sluggish culture. Everyone is comfortable. Everyone is slow.

If you are a 25-year-old Operator trying to take market share from giant legacy companies, you cannot afford to be slow. Speed is your ultimate weapon.

Today on The Short Game Podcast, we are reading the playbook for ruthless execution: Amp It Up by Frank Slootman.

We break down how to cure the disease of slow business by demanding the impossible. When a vendor or employee says a project will take two weeks, the Tycoon asks, 'Why can't it be done by tomorrow morning?'

I explain exactly how NexYear uses extreme velocity to beat out massive logistics agencies. We don't have a 30-year legacy brand to hide behind, so we operate like a strike team. If a vendor is slow, we cut them. If a standard isn't met, we burn it down and start over. Speed builds trust.

Stop tolerating a slow pace. Compress the timeline.

In this episode:

• The Disease of 'Next Week': Why delaying decisions destroys your momentum and your margins.

• Increase Velocity & Raise Standards: How to stop accepting 'good enough' from your team and your vendors.

• The NexYear Strike Team: How to use extreme execution to win Fortune 500 contracts as a young Operator.

See you in the deep end.

Powered by NexYear

The relationship infrastructure for the Wartime economy.

🌐 Website: www.nexyear.com

Listen to the Audio Experience:

🎧 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-short-game-by-nexyear/id1876109541

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7GIyob0JrM4UNblgLz7pAd?si=df34efe53fa94a84

Connect with NexYear:

💼 LinkedIn: NexYear LLC

📸 Instagram: @nexyear_

▶️ Subscribe on YouTube: NexYear USA

#WartimeCEO #NexYear #2026Economy #BusinessSurvival #RecessionProof

Look around. Everyone in our generation is launching the exact same business.

The same AI wrappers, the same social media agencies, the same dropshipping stores. They look at a crowded market packed with a thousand identical companies and think, 'I'll just work harder. I'll just be 10% better.'

That is a race to the bottom. If you are competing on being slightly better or slightly cheaper, your margins are going to zero. You are playing a loser's game.

Today on The Short Game Podcast, we are reading the ultimate Tycoon playbook: Zero to One by Peter Thiel.

We break down why copying what already exists (going from 1 to n) makes you a commodity, and why the only way to build massive wealth is to do something completely new (going from 0 to 1) .

I explain exactly how we built a moat around NexYear. If I had started another 'corporate gifting' company, I would be fighting 10,000 other 25-year-olds for scraps. Instead, we built a Monopoly on B2B Access. We have zero direct competitors because no one else is willing to build the hard, unsexy physical infrastructure required to pull it off.

Stop fighting for scraps. Build the monopoly.

In this episode:

• The 1 to n Trap: Why starting another copycat agency is a waste of your twenties.

• Competition is for Losers: Why true Capitalists avoid competition at all costs.

• The NexYear Monopoly: How doing the hard, physical logistics builds a moat no one can cross.

See you in the deep end.

Powered by NexYear

The relationship infrastructure for the Wartime economy.

🌐 Website: www.nexyear.com

Listen to the Audio Experience:

🎧 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-short-game-by-nexyear/id1876109541

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7GIyob0JrM4UNblgLz7pAd?si=df34efe53fa94a84

Connect with NexYear:

💼 LinkedIn: NexYear LLC

📸 Instagram: @nexyear_

▶️ Subscribe on YouTube: NexYear USA

#WartimeCEO #NexYear #2026Economy #BusinessSurvival #RecessionProof