IT’S MY BIRTHDAY 🎉

This morning at 1:10 AM I officially turned 31 years old. Life’s crazy. Moves faster every single day.

I still feel like that 14 year old kid who was climbing trees and doing pranks with his friends. We actually almost got arrested when we put over 50,000 plastic forks and knives into my high school’s lawn for highschool prank day.

Those were the days. Begging for life to speed up so you could turn 18, go away to college and become an adult. With a blink of your eyes, everyone around you is now married, settled down with kids, complaining they don’t get to see their friends anymore.

This year I’ve been making more of an effort to wake up and try to make every day my best day ever. As cliche as it sounds, I really think 31 is going to be my best year yet.

With that, I’m going to try to bang out the best listicle ever for you.

31 Things On My Mind

1) I see a lot of people trying to build a personal brand in 2023. Don’t give up after six weeks of trying. You also need to understand what your end goal is with this personal brand. Is it to close retail deals? Is it to build a newsletter? Is it job security or landing new clients? Remember - BE PERSONAL. So many are talking about conversion rate, paid ads, and other nerdy stuff. Those people are a dime a dozen. Be yourself. There’s only one of them.

2) Prioritize actual work. Spend less time in your email. Those people can wait.

3) Make time for your loved ones and do your best to not talk about work! More than likely your significant other didn’t fall in love for you because you had a sick Shopify store or the new upsell app you installed is converting at 43%. More than likely they just want your vulnerable, care free self. Put the work talk away for a bit and be present.

4) Speaking of being present. My favorite days this year have been when I put my phone away in a drawer or suitcase. Try it one or two days over the holidays. I promise you, you’ll be so damn happy for it.

5) Take a few minutes each week to show people you care. An employee did something good? Let them know you noticed. Has a friend been busting his ass to start his business? Cheer him on with a text. It might just be me, but the lil sentences of encouragement go a long way and take up real estate in my head almost days later sometimes.

6) Stop spending money on crappy, overpriced software. If you are stuck paying with software ask them to lower the bill or you’re moving to an alternative. Unless you’re a massive org, less is more.

7) Spend more time on creative. We moved to a new agency at the backhalf of the year and the amount of content they are testing (static, videos, gifs, etc.) is crazy compared to CROSSNET from 2018-2022.

8) 2024 will be the year of AI. Learn how to get good at it and outsource things as quickly as possible.

9) Stop comparing yourselves to others its not healthy. I saw a homie of mine post a screenshot of $1M in revenue in one day. Absolutely insane. So proud of him, but I shouldn’t feel like shit knowing I haven’t accomplished that yet.

10) Set 2024 goals. Not New Year’s Resolutions like eat less cookies and go to the gym more. Actual goals you work towards every single day and you’ll be proud of yourself at the end of the year.

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11) What’s the one thing you’re spending too much time on right now? Do you have to do it? If not and money permits, find somebody to take it over

12) I’m in the process of hiring a personal assistant to work 15-20 hours to week. I’ve been working with a firm for the past two months learning how to properly use an assistant and to manage one properly. I could not be more excited. They are going to start taking over all the partnership and sales follow ups for Founders Club, this newsletter and CROSSNET.

13) Founders Club seriously has the potential to be a 7 figure business in mid-2024 and I could not be more excited. Every week we’re getting more and more entrepreneurs of incredible brands joining the club. The benefits and sessions we’re hosting are legit helping people build their companies and unlock tons of new revenue. We’d love to have you. Check it here.

14) Creating this newsletter still is one of the best things I ever did.

15) Watching the Knicks and Jets every night continue to be the biggest waste of time I could ever spend. One day we’ll win. One day.

16) Lyndsey I love you. If you’re reading this. Thanks for everything.

17) There’s alot of crazy ways to make money. Building a personal brand and doing the newsletter/podcast route that everyone seems to do may actually not be the best for you. Especially if you don’t like creating content. Have an ATM route? Real estate? Create an agency? Affiliate revenue? Hell I was with a kid last night who runs his own sports book since sports gambling down here in Florida is impossible to do. He takes your bet, gives you the real odds, and like any casino wins more than he loses. Dudes cruising making an extra $20-30k a month passively.

18) There’s come a point where all the hustle and money becomes pointless. In my opinion atleast. I don’t need to be a billionaire or hell even have a $100M. I learned that a long long time ago. Got money for matcha, three meals a day, vacation anywhere I want, and a nice house? Got all my friends and family? Didn’t fuck em over and be all alone in the chase of some extra bread? That’s the life I want.

19) Spend less time on Twitter and Instagram. My screen time is disgusting. Need to do better prioritizing being a “micro-influencer” vs my fingers burning 100 calories themselves today.

20) If you didn’t subscribe to my newsletter yet you’re dumb - https://chrismeade.beehiiv.com/

21) People are always going to copy your shit. Don’t stress about them. They’ll never do it the same way you do.

22) I saw something the other day about planning out one major goal and 4 smaller goals for 2024 and use them as a driving force throughout the year. I love that.

23) I’m getting into running. It’s only been like two weeks. But I’ve ran 21 miles in the past seven days. My body is hurting. I’m not one of these small 130lb soaking wet running guys. But my times good and I’ve been feeling great.

24) San Francisco is beautiful. I’m quick to talk shit when I see the media ripping it with the homeless and all the crazy politics. It’s time to be more open minded and don’t make conclusions until I see for myself. This goes for people. businesses, ideas, and much more

25) Ups & downs are just temporary. I started 2023 scared as fuck. We’re we going bankrupt? Was the company doomed? Could we get our shit together? I’d go to bed crying 2 nights a week. We woke up and fought every day for the company’s survival and our mental sanity. If you’re not doing great right now, that’s okay. Better days are possible.

26) Fancy cars, watches, and clothes really don’t do it for me. It’s 100% okay to not spend your money on these things. You’re not less of a man. Especially if you can secretly afford them but just choose not to. Understand what makes you happy and stick to it.

27) Social outings have led to more drinking than I’d like to. I made it to 23 without taking a sip of alcohol. I lost my dad to alcoholism when I was 18. The life mission has always been to stay as far away from that shit as possible. Traveling around the world and hosting these dinners has led to a few more drinks a month than I’d like. We’re talking maybe 1 glass of alcohol every week, but its more than I’d personally like. Time to turn it back.

28) Never go to bed mad.

29) Something on your mind? Talk it out. Most of the time you’re going to feel better that you did. Holding shit in is not healthy.

30) Call your family more. Tell them you love them.

31) You’re great just the way you are. Social media is so fucked at making us feel we’re not cool, pretty, in shape, rich enough. Fuck that. It’s all a scam. If you’re posted up reading this on your phone or laptop, sipping a coffee, or thinking about all the fun you had over the weekend you’re probably better off than 99% of the population.

Thanks for Reading

If you’re still reading and you made it to number 31 thank you.

Writing this every week has become so therapeutic. It’s an unreal feeling meeting people in real life telling me they love reading this every week and that its been helpful.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You’re not only helping me provide for myself and my family but helping thousands of other entrepreneurs.

Have a great week! I’m signing off and spending some time enjoying my birthday!

All the love in the world,

Chris