3 life-changing pieces of advice from the founder of FedEx Kinko’s

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Hi there,

A couple of weeks ago, I got to take in the wisdom that is Paul Orfalea, the founder of FedEx Kinko's.

I honestly couldn’t get enough, which is why I wanted to share what I learned just in case it stops you in your tracks like it did when I first heard it:

First, Paul looks at his life as a stool with three pegs. The first is love.

The second, work. The third, play. The idea?

If you're leaning too far on one, it means you’re going to fall over in at least one of the areas because you're not adequately invested in the others.

I think most people talk about work-life balance like it’s this tightrope, but in reality, imagine it’s a seat that holds and supports you with the people you love and the things that bring you enjoyment.

You need all three for the stool to stay balanced.

Then, Paul shared that “busyness is not your friend.” Ouch—ya got me there.

Keep in mind that this advice is coming from a man who’s dyslexic, hyperactive, and wholeheartedly admits he can only sit in a meeting for two hours before he has to get outside to do something with his hands.

What it taught me is that it’s easy to convince yourself that you’re making progress and taking aligned action toward your goals when your calendar is filled to the brim.

But is it really serving you?

Are you really getting things done?

Finally, Paul shared that our most important act in business and in life is to “give the glory.”

I think it’s so easy for us to get caught up in big wins and accolades and viral posts on social media about our latest achievements. But most of the time? There are dozens of people behind the scenes who contributed to every single one of your successes—big or small.

You’ll be surprised how much more there will be to say thank you for in the future, the more time you take to acknowledge it today.

Grateful for you,
Vanessa

Ps. One of the things Paul touched on was teaching financial literacy and entrepreneurship at a young age as well as raising kids to not be a**holes. More to come on a future newsletter but I’d love to know if you have any thoughts on this topic!! Send me a note!