Here is a link to Chris Thomson's podast - The Leaders of Tomorrow

A casual exploratory conversation with Chris Thomson, Head Coach of Student Works, covering leadership, personal development, and business philosophy.

• Chris emphasizes integrity, continuous learning, and personal growth as key to long-term success in business and life

• Student Works' success attributed to focused strategy, strong culture, and developing leaders through hands-on experience

• Chris advocates for finding one's unique strengths and contributions rather than trying to excel at everything

• Meditation, journaling, and regular personal development practices are crucial for maintaining clarity and effectiveness as a leader

• Focuses on developing a strong culture of integrity and continuous improvement

• Emphasizes being an exemplar and living the values you espouse

• Believes in giving people opportunities to grow, even if they initially struggle

• Advocates for clear standards and removing those who don't align with company values

• Stresses the importance of being a "student of the game" and continuously learning

• Grew from $10 million to $35 million annual revenue in past 7 years

• Implemented minimum performance standards (e.g. $40k booked by May 1st) to improve quality

• Focused strategy on core business, avoiding distractions that previously limited growth

• Improved systems, marketing, and recruitment processes based on learnings from competitors

• Emphasizes developing leaders through hands-on experience running their own operations

• Daily meditation practice focusing on body scan, emotional awareness, and thought observation

• Regular journaling to gain clarity on thoughts and feelings

• Participates in mastermind groups and personal development programs (e.g. Landmark, Hoffman Process)

• Reads 30-40 books per year to continually expose himself to new ideas

• Recently completed a 300-hour coaching course to further develop skills

• Believes financial success should be a byproduct of creating value, not the primary goal

• Advocates for building wealth slowly and living below means in early career

• Warns against tying self-worth to net worth or material possessions

• Emphasizes the importance of having a clear life philosophy and living it consistently

• Recommends focusing on experiences over material goods once financial stability is achieved

• Develop a clear vision for your life and work towards it consistently

• Focus on building valuable skills rather than just following passion

• Be cautious about over-extending financially in early stages of business

• Continuously invest in personal growth and development

• Find ways to contribute value to others rather than focusing solely on personal gain

• Interested individuals can email Chris at cthompson@studentworks.com to learn more about Student Works

• Those curious about the program should consider working for a current Student Works operator to gain experience

• Listen to the Leaders of Tomorrow podcast for more insights from Chris and successful alumni

• Read "So Good They Can't Ignore You" by Cal Newport for insights on skill development vs. passion

Austin shares that he recently completed a 2-week sleep challenge, aiming to get 100% of his sleep needs each night. He discusses how the travel and busy schedule he's had over the past few months left him feeling exhausted, and the challenge helped him reset his sleep patterns and feel more rested.

Amer shares that he recently led an intensive 10.5-hour training session for his sales team, focusing on mindset and self-awareness. He incorporated a lot of interactive exercises and made sure to lead by example, sharing his own experiences and insights. The team found the training valuable in reconnecting with the fundamentals of their roles.

Amer discusses the value he found in relearning core concepts and principles, rather than just learning new information. He realized the importance of revisiting the basics and how it can provide fresh perspective and renewed commitment.

The group explores the concept of cause and effect, and how our actions and habits impact our lives and businesses. They discuss the importance of taking full personal accountability, rather than blaming external factors or other people.

The meeting concludes with the group reflecting on the key insights and lessons from the discussion, and committing to apply them going forward in their personal and professional lives.

The team discussed the key highlights from the recent January training for RFG franchisees, including:

• Spending ~2 hours on active listening and communication skills, using interactive games to demonstrate how often people get distracted or stop listening

• Incorporating humor and personal stories into a presentation on the importance of providing detailed estimates, with the "Top 10 Worst Estimate Requests" being a hit

• Conducting a "blind spot" exercise where franchisees interviewed close business partners to get feedback on areas for improvement

The group explored the nuances of building a personal brand versus a business brand on social media. Key points included:

• Avoiding oversharing personal financial details or victories, as that can backfire and distract from the core business message

• Positioning oneself more as a spokesperson for the contracting.com brand, rather than the individual, to maintain authenticity and focus

• Leveraging the team's expertise and stories to create valuable content, rather than just the founder's personal narrative

• Recognizing that a smaller but highly engaged following is often more valuable than a large but disinterested audience

The discussion shifted to the importance of cultivating a "stakeholder" mentality rather than just optimizing for shareholder metrics like follower count. Key insights included:

• Viewing the audience as stakeholders in the contracting.com mission, rather than just passive consumers

• Drawing parallels to Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway, where the brand and mission have outlasted the individual

• Recognizing that some followers may actually be detrimental if they don't align with the core values and vision

• Focusing on building a cult-like following of true believers, rather than just maximizing vanity metrics

The group explored the potential impact of contracting.com's mission to raise industry standards, including:

• Short-term benefits to customers but potential long-term backlash from contractors if the bar is raised too quickly

• Risks of a "race to the bottom" as contractors try to undercut each other, leading to consolidation and capital intensity

• The need to carefully manage the pace of change to avoid alienating the existing contractor base while still driving progress

The meeting concluded with a recap of the key takeaways and next steps, including:

• Amer committing to position himself more as a spokesperson for the contracting.com brand rather than just a personal brand

• Exploring ways to leverage the team's expertise and stories to create valuable content, rather than just the founder's narrative

• Maintaining a stakeholder-focused mindset and cultivating a highly engaged, mission-aligned audience rather than just optimizing for vanity metrics

• Carefully managing the pace of industry disruption to avoid alienating the existing contractor base while still driving progress