Politics, Technology, and the Future of Business (2/22/25)

Even greater is the pressure on business owners, real estate professionals and entrepreneurs, as the ever changing landscape of business can be an additional source of uncertainty and frustration.

Yet there is an emerging trend in business that counteracts the assumption that life must be stressful. It's a move away from the demands and expectations of a set schedule, and no longer the notion that a business owner must sacrifice everything for the sake of business.

Some gurus refer to it as the "four hour workday" or becoming a "lifestyle entrepreneur." It's the idea of being your own boss and creating the flow of income that allows you to live a life of freedom.

Freedom to spend time with your family.

I call it creating your ideal life. 

Here are three strategies to sort through the noise and create a life you love.

1. Start with a compelling vision.

Decide what you are working towards and create a timeline for achieving it. 

Where do you want your business to be five years from now?

How much money will you have in the bank?

What will your relationships look like?

How do you want to feel?

Why are you working towards this particular goal?

Then work backwards to the three year point, one year, and finally a month by month assesment.

Keep in mind that because the nature of technology is rapidly changing by the day and even by the hour, shortening your timeframes may help in this process.

Peter Drucker, in his writings entitled Managing Oneself, a Harvard Review article on life and what it takes to see success, and why so few do, Peter outlines a very simple experiment. 

Simply write down in a notebook what results you expect to achieve one year from now. Look at it everyday, or tuck it away and don't look at all. Then one year fro now refer back to that page in your notebook and assess how you did.

Put emotion into this process.

2. Pay attention to your industry trends, political indicators, and technology trends.

What I say next may offend you, but these are three things that cannot be shoved under the rug. 

Consider them the three elephants in the room.

Elephant #1.

Therefore, it is the responsibility and duty of the business owner or real estate professional to recognize the trends and pivot accordingly.

Does this mean pivoting to a different model?

Does this mean you may want to explore additional avenues of income, specifically from sources that are recurring every month?

Does this mean you may want to evaluate your sales and marketing strategy?

Does this mean that perhaps you should be investing in real estate yourself?

These are questions that only you can answer, but the answers are mission critical to the person who is working towards creating their ideal life.

Elephant #2

While remaining as non-political as possible, each person must be aware of how the United States voted and what the next 100 days of President Trump's time in office will mean for your business and creating your ideal life.

Here's the answer.

No one really knows. 

But what is known is that the Dept of Govt Efficiency has transparently reported "DOGE's total estimated savings are $55 billion, which is a combination of fraud detection/deletion, contract/lease cancellations, contract/lease renegotiations, asset sales, grant cancellations, workforce reductions, programmatic changes, and regulatory savings."

From a business standpoint, shrinking the size of government will yield positive benefits to business, and the return of sensible governance and the rule of law.

Could there be short terms challenges? Absolutely.

Could inflation tick up? Absolutely.

Will there be benefits to the business environment over the next 12-24 months? Absolutely.

That said, all businesses will be affected differently.

The biggest successes in business do not come to the person with the most knowledge, they come from the person that is willing to adjust and leads with discipline, decisive actions, and a daring attitude.

Elephant #3

Technology is here, specifically AI is here. 

AI is already advancing at speed of sound. So what can a business leader or real estate professional do? Be a person who recognizes the technological changes, and is open to a new way of seeing the world.

This does not mean that you are required to be part of each and every trend.

But what it does mean is that perhaps you become curious about the technology, and begin to explore.

Perhaps you test ChatGPT and maybe even subscribe to a version that allows you to send voice memos to the system.

Perhaps you test Grok3 or Gemini, by simply entering some basic prompts.

I  invested in my own training in May 2023 to become one of the world's first AI Certified Agents.

AI simply will enhance the skills of the person who is committed to growth.

Human connection is still a cornerstone of life.

3. Remember that you only have one life to live, so live it well.

Creating your ideal life does not happen in one day, or even one year.

Seasons of work that create the results.

Seasons of play where you enjoy life.

Seasons of rest and relaxation.

Seasons where you invest in your family.

The great news is that you are the creator of your own life.

You can blend these seasons together on a daily basis, or you can shuffle them across the year.

The most important part of your ideal life is having these four components.

Family, Fitness, Finances, Faith.

And, most importantly, enjoying the small things with gratitude.

Enjoy the journey.

PS - if there is a topic within this weekly newsletter that you would like me to break down in greater detail or if there is a topic you would like to suggest for a future edition, text me at 619-630-9618.

My mission is to provide you with the highest value of original content. Content to help you build your business, serve others, grow your influence, expand your thinking, and ultimately win.