For those of you that are new here, every week I send what I call a 1x1x1.
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One thought from my week.
One interesting find/tool from my week.
One image from my life.

Let's dive in 👇

Thought from the week

I meet a lot of business owners. This month for example, I'll connect with over 30 founders and owners.

And every now and again, I connect with someone that shakes my frame. Makes me rethink everything I'm working on.

Yesterday, I spent the morning with the owner of Thump Coffee Roasters - Bobby Grover.

Bobby was generous enough to spend the morning with me tasting coffee, giving me a tour of his roasting and baking operation, and sharing his story of how he built one of the most iconic coffee brands in the PNW.

I won't share all the details of our time together, but here are my favorite takeaways 👇

1. Every detail matters - Bobby obsesses over every aspect of the Thump experience. The ingredients are house made, the butter is imported from France, the roast for the beans is tested repeatedly until its perfect.
2. The most important part of the coffee, the people - Every employee smiles at you, gives you good vibes, and cares deeply about the product they are selling. It shows. They'll wait months if needed to hire the perfect person for the job.
3. A brand that appeals to many - Bobby and his designer are incredibly thoughtful when it comes to branding, incorporating notes of hard work, quality, and a brand that almost anyone can relate to. This has helped them expand into multiple markets quickly. I always say it and I'll say it again - branding matters!
4. "I never look over the fence" - This is the response I got when I asked if he takes any inspiration from competitors. Bobby just does what he thinks is cool and valuable. It's him pushed out to world and now other coffee brands are trying to follow.

My favorite takeaway though is just spending time with people that have found their Ikigai. Their purpose and reason for being. People like that always get me fired up!

Interesting find/tool of the week

I love having team members read Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink. Turns out Bobby from Thump has all his team members read it as well.

Haven't read it? Snag it here.

Image from my life

My buddies hooked me up with this shirt for Pono Ventures 🤙 For those that don't know, Pono means righteousness, balance, or integrity. It encompasses the idea of living in harmony with oneself, others, and the environment. In Hawaiian culture, it reflects doing what is morally right, being fair, and maintaining balance in relationships and actions.

See you all next week!