Never Too Rich To Dig A Ditch

Leadership isn’t always about staying clean — it’s sometimes about staying close.

A lot of founders forget what it feels like to sweat through a job. They lose touch with the unglamorous work that actually keeps the lights on. The Elbow Grease.

I like to keep that muscle from atrophying. I still enjoy rolling up my sleeves and grabbing the shovel, or as my cousin calls it the goon spoon, - and it reminds the team that no one is above the dirt.

This isn’t always about saving money, but keeping momentum and staying grounded. Im Not saying the best use of my time is digging now, but I was raised in construction digging ditches and the moment you stop doing the hard jobs, you stop understanding the people who do.

Agenda:

⏳️ Estimated Read Time: 6 minutes (of packed lessons & and pictures of me in a ditch)

Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

A few weeks ago I was standing in a pile of sand, shovel in hand, sweating through my shirt, because that was needed that day, time and moment.

I’ve dug through clay and rock back in Canada, the kind of ground that bends shovels and breaks spirits. Compared to that, this was butter.

98 times out of 100, I hire the job out, But the 2 odd times matter.

It reminds me I’m capable.
It shows the team I’ll never ask them to do something I won’t do myself.
It keeps vendors honest.
It protects the bottom line.

And truthfully, it feels good. There’s a pride that comes from finishing something with your own hands. I sleep great on those nights.

About halfway down, the ditch stopped being easy. I hit a buried boulder. Then another. Then a slab of concrete some lazy crew had dumped decades ago.

Every shovel of sand was supposed to be simple. Instead I was wrestling obstacles I hadn’t anticipated.

That’s business. You think you’re moving through a smooth plan. Then you smack into something hidden. A problem from the last guy. A cost you didn’t expect. A competitor who buries you in noise.

Most people can’t handle the discouragement. They call it too hard, too expensive, not worth the effort.

But if you keep digging — widen the trench, adjust the plan, stay on the line you set — you come out the other side. It’s slower. It’s heavier. But the job gets done.

A danger for leaders is getting too far away from the ground. When you stop touching the work, you lose touch with what it costs, how long it takes, and what good looks like.

That’s how bad decisions get made. Overpaying. Overstaffing. Overestimating.

It isn’t efficient, but doing it once in a while is illuminating - and I find it rewarding. Because when you’ve felt the friction yourself, you lead differently. You build trust. And you get the truth faster than any report will give you.

Growing up, Saturdays were half days. My dad would be at work until noon or one and that rhythm stuck with me.

Even now, Ria and I will head out when most people take the day off. Holidays. Evenings. Extra hours because that’s where we see momentum getting built.

Sometimes you do it yourself because no one else is around and you don’t have a choice. Sometimes you do it because it would cost you double in overtime. Sometimes you do it because you’re wired to keep moving.

That willingness to put in the elbow grease has saved us more times than I can count, not to mention the projects that finished faster and the quality held higher.

We also show the kids. They come to the job site on Saturdays. They sweep. They carry. They do the little jobs. How else could they possibly begin to understand how great they have it - and how much goes into a project, a street, a business?

If they don’t want to? We don’t let a “no” stand alone. If you don’t like sweeping, what’s your alternative? What’s your solution? What else can you do to contribute?

They’ve driven the Gator on the vineyard. They’ve chopped wood. Knox has even climbed into the excavator (safely). They need to feel the weight of real work. They need to see they’re capable and we give them the grace of trying without conequence.

We remind them that fun feels better after effort. The beach is sweeter when you’ve pushed a broom first. The cold drink on the beach tastes better when it’s earned.

As a founder or entrepreneur, there is a balance. You don’t have to dig every ditch.

Hire it out. Build a team. Scale.

But never let yourself believe you’re above the work. That’s where you are missing the boat.

Pick one trench in your life or business. Something you’ve been avoiding. Something you’ve been trying to hand off without ever touching yourself.

Do it once. Start to finish. Feel the edges.

Call ten customers yourself. Run support for a day. Audit your expenses line by line. Sit on the shop floor. Clean the dish pit.

Whatever it is, get your hands dirty. You’ll see things you would have missed.

I’ve been digging ditches since I was a kid, be it a shovel, bobcat, loader, excavator, etc. (As you can see by all the ditch photos)

Respect the work and the people who do it.

When you hit a rock, keep digging. When the quote is outrageous, grab the Goon Spoon. When the plan gets messy, remember you’ve done harder things.

You’re never too rich to dig a ditch.

The 17 AI Hacks Smart Solopreneurs Are Using to Build 7-Figure Businesses (While They Sleep)

Why Skilled Trades Create Entrepreneurs Faster Than College Degrees

Why Business Leaders Must ‘Clean the Bathroom’

Lululemon Update:

Lulu is down 33% the last 6 months. We talked about it a few weeks ago. This week the founder posted this.

I bough into Circle. A stablecoin company @ $133. Currently down a few dollars since I bought but looking at a long term position.

Was really convinced by the guys at the All-in Summit booth.

A stable coin is: A stable-coin is a type of cryptocurrency designed to maintain a stable value, typically by pegging its price to a real-world asset like the U.S. dollar.

Disclosure: This is not Financial advice, seek professional advice for your investment questions and decisions.