Fire Your Friends in 2024!

Why Your Inner Circle Will Make or Break Your Next Big Move?

When I was 14 years old, I was sitting on the deck with my dad just shooting the shit, you know, father-son stuff.  He shared some wisdom with me, knowledge that I am sure he learned from others, that has profoundly changed my life.

Unfortunately, I did not really pay much attention to it at the time because I was, like most of us were, a know-it-all teenager.  His words of wisdom didn’t really make sense until I got much older.  He said, “Mike, you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with”.  Now, when he said it, I was like “Yeah dad, whatever, I am playing baseball and golfing with my teammates.”



I have my school friends. I was kind of a nerd in high school. I had my study buddies and National Honor Society group, so I had my peer network. I was not thinking about how my friends in high school, college, and beyond would have an impact on my life, my health, my companies, my net worth, my parenting skills, my leadership skills.  I don’t think too many 14-year-olds go there. 

Unfortunately, my dad died of a heart attack a few years after he shared this advice and I so wish I could go back now and thank him and tell him how right he was.

 Now, I would imagine you have heard that saying before, or something similar, at various times throughout your life but I do have a question,

have you ever actually taken action?

Have you intentionally tried to upgrade your peer group or networking groups?
Have you joined any organizations or Masterminds with the sole intention of hanging around with people who play the sport of entrepreneurship better or differently than you do?
And I am not talking about passive action like joining a referral group where hugs and cuddles are the focus.  I am talking about massive, let’s go knock the damn doors down and aggressively seek out new people to put into my life.

So, ask yourself, as we close out one year and blast into another, are your existing peers, your friends, your family, your coworkers, your networking groups, all the people you hang around with, are they pushing you forward or holding you back?  Are they supporting your mission to build an amazing company that is better, stronger, faster, brings in more cash, provides you time freedom, has more impact in the world, and helps you realize your dream? Do you have people in your life that will call “bullshit” on your excuses?

If you're always the smartest, most driven person in the room, you're in the wrong room. Period.

So, as we close out another year and start eyeing those sparkly New Year's resolutions, let's stop the bullshit: Most of that New Year, New Me crap is simply garbage. But here’s a real-deal change that’s not just some fancy fairy tale – it's about who you rub shoulders with.

 Let me paint you a picture. It's December, you're scribbling down your goals for the next year – same old song and dance. But this time, you make a conscious decision to upgrade your inner circle, to start hanging out with people who are where you want to be.



Entrepreneurs who don’t just talk big, they live big. People who aren’t just dreaming of success; they're designing it, day in and day out.

 And, If you think, even for a second, that your peer group won't affect your trajectory? Think again. It's like this – if you're always hanging with people who are content with the status quo, who never push the envelope, who are happy playing small ball, guess what? That complacency is contagious. On the other hand, if you put yourself in the same room with high-flyers, risk-takers, and visionaries – their drive, their hustle, and their relentless pursuit of next-level will start to rub off on you.

Recently I was at a 3-day event in Austin, TX, and hanging around with a group of high-flyer, next-level players.  The discussions at dinner were about taking a company public, their next venture fundraise, the integration of the $50m company they just bought, and the technical problems they were having with their private jet.  I’m talking next-level conversations!  It was very cool!

My message is really about reshaping your mindset, your standards, your very definition of what's possible. When you’re surrounded by people who challenge you, who stretch your thinking, who make you question your limits – that’s when the magic happens. That's when you start seeing opportunities where others see obstacles.

So, as we roll into the New Year, make a resolution that actually means something, and face facts, your comfort zone will kill you.  Step out of complacency and step into a circle that challenges you, inspires you, pushes you to be the best damn version of yourself. Remember, we're not just playing the game of business here; we're playing the game of life. In this game, the stakes are high, the rewards are monumental, and the only way to win is to play alongside those who refuse to settle for anything less than extraordinary.