Every morning, as I stare at the man in the mirror, I'm faced with a gap that I’m not necessarily proud of. That gap is the space between the person I aspire to be and the flawed person staring back at me.

Some days, that gap is barely noticeable, but on others, it can feel as wide as the Grand Canyon.

I may have fallen short that day in my role as a husband, father, employer, or as simple as my workout. I may have made mistakes, lost my temper, or just failed to meet my own expectations of myself. It's in those moments that guilt, frustration, and even shame can creep in, and I question whether I am truly living up to my own standards.

However, I've learned that I am not alone in this struggle. The more transparent I am about it with others, the more I realize that many people experience the same internal battle. It's a reminder that we are all humans, and no one is perfect. We all have a gap between our ideals and our reality. It's not that the gap is there; it's how we choose to fill that gap that makes the difference.

I've come to realize that dwelling in frustration or guilt doesn't lead to growth or positive change. It only weighs me down and hinders my actions to narrow that gap. Instead, I choose to fill that gap with renewed energy to try again tomorrow. I use it as an opportunity for self-reflection, learning, and growth. I acknowledge my mistakes and shortcomings, and I strive to make amends, improve my actions, and align them with my ideals. I seek forgiveness and extend grace to myself and others, knowing that we are all on a journey of growth and transformation.

Whether it's through trusted friends, business mentors, my church’s community group, or prayer, having a support system can help us navigate the challenges of bridging the gap between our ideals and our reality.

In short, I've come to realize that what matters is not that there is a gap, but how I choose to bridge the gap. I choose to fill it with grace, a community of support, a commitment to do better, and renewed focus and energy.

What do you fill your gap with?

As a landscape business owner, I have spent years working with plants and trees, studying their growth patterns, and learning how to optimize their health and beauty. However, I have come to realize that pruning is not just a crucial practice for trees and plants, but it is also a valuable lesson in leadership and life in general.

Pruning is an essential task for maintaining the health and beauty of a garden, but it is much more than just randomly trimming branches. It involves a long-term vision, cutting back unhealthy or unproductive branches, and then even cutting back healthy portions to for the long-term goal.

1. Long-Term Vision

Just as our landscape technicians need to have a clear vision of what they want the plant to look like, a leader needs to have a clear picture of what they want long-term from their life. Having a long-term vision means knowing where you want to be in 3,5,or 10 years and working towards that goal with every cut. This involves making intentional decisions about what you need to do to get there, including what commitments to prioritize and what to let go of.

2. Pruning Unhealthy Branches

Pruning unhealthy branches is crucial for the growth and health of any plant. Similarly, in life, we need to remove unhealthy commitments that drain our energy and resources, preventing us from reaching our long-term vision. It can be hard to let go of things that are familiar, comfortable, or enjoyable, but we must prioritize our long-term goals and take the necessary steps to achieve them.

In my past, this has involved pruning habits, hobbies, and even certain friend groups. The good news is that the clearer the long-term vision you have of where you want to go, the more these choices become obvious roadblocks standing in your way. 

3. Pruning the Healthy Branches 

Sometimes, the hardest part isn’t creating the vision or pruning the unhealthy branches away - but pruning healthy branches seems counter-intuitive. Sometimes, we even have good commitments that are not aligned with our long-term vision. We must recognize that it's okay to let go of these commitments and activities, even if they are not harmful or negative. 

Jim Collins says that “Good is the enemy of great.” What he means by that is when your calendar is filled with “good” things, there will be no room for greatness.  Pruning out healthy branches that won't lead to your vision is not a no forever; but it is a no for now. For any worthy long-term goal, we will need to prioritize our time and energy on what's essential and let go of the things that don't take us where we need to go.

In Conclusion

The goal of pruning is not to leave the tree as-is; it is to create a better future. Pruning allows us to prioritize our energy and resources into fewer overall branches, leading to an improved future that mirrors our long-term vision. Having a long-term vision, pruning unhealthy branches, and pruning out healthy branches that won't lead to your vision are essential steps in creating a better future. Remember, just as pruning a plant is necessary for its growth and health, pruning in life is crucial for our personal and professional growth.

As a big fan of "Yellowstone," I've spent far more hours than I care to admit watching the story about the Dutton ranch. It's a fascinating look into the world of high-stakes ranching, politics, and family dynamics. But as someone who's also interested in leadership insights, I've found that the show offers some valuable wisdom on the topic. Here are three takeaways I've gleaned about leadership from "Yellowstone."

Lesson #1: Balancing leadership and friendship can be tricky

In season 3, there's a scene where John Dutton tells his son Kayce, "I never had much luck leading men and being their friend." This quote really stuck with me because it highlights the difficult balance that leaders often face. On one hand, you need to be able to earn the trust and respect of your team, which can be challenging if you don't have a strong rapport with them. On the other hand, you also need to be able to make tough decisions and hold people accountable, which can strain even the closest of relationships. Finding the right balance between leadership and friendship is critical for success, but it's not always easy.

I learned this the hard way early on in my professional career. I became close friends with a direct-report, and that allowed me to put off difficult conversations about his job performance. As a result, entitlement slipped into the organization, and I ultimately lost both a close friend and a previously solid team member.

Lesson #2: Live Up to Your Brand

The Dutton family takes great pride in their ranch and brand. John tells his son, “A brand isn't something you earn, it's something you live up to.” This quote highlights that a brand, whether it's personal or organizational, is a reflection of the values and reputation that you have built over time.

As a leader, you need to understand that your personal brand is a key part of your identity, and it can be an incredibly powerful asset if you cultivate it carefully. Living up to your brand means being consistent in your actions, your words, and your behavior. It means showing up every day with the same level of passion,  dedication, professionalism, and integrity that you expect from others. Ultimately, the lesson of "Yellowstone" is that a brand is more than just a logo or name. It's a reflection of who you are and what you stand for.

By living up to your brand, you can earn the trust and respect of others and build a legacy that carries on long after you're gone.

Lesson #3: The Law of the Harvest

The slow and methodical pace is one of the things that stands out most about the ranching lifestyle. When it comes to farming or ranching, you can't rush it, and the same principle applies to leadership.

You can cram for an exam or put in extra hours to meet a deadline, but when it comes to leading people, there are no shortcuts. Developing a team, building trust, and creating a strong culture take intentional action and effort over a long period of time. As a leader, you need to plant the seeds of success and then patiently nurture them, waiting for the right time to harvest the rewards. This "Law of the Harvest" is a powerful reminder that effective leadership is a perpetual, long-term game - not a quick fix.

In our on-demand culture of Amazon Prime and Get Rich Quick schemes, patience appears to be a lost art. A few years ago, I wrote about Jocko Willink's quote, "Discipline Equals Freedom," and that quote reminds me so much of the importance of patience in leadership. 

When I look back at the times when my lack of discipline to be patient has cost me both in influence and dollars, I realize just how crucial this quality is in leadership and in life.

In conclusion, "Yellowstone" is much more than just a TV show, and that helps me feel better about the countless hours I've spent watching it as "learning" purposes. The show offers a wealth of insights into leadership, and these three lessons from the Dutton family are just the tip of the iceberg. As a fan of the show and a student of leadership, I find these lessons to be incredibly valuable and inspiring, and I'm excited to continue investing time watching Yellowstone, 1883, and 1923.

This time of year is typically all about resolutions or goals, as my team and I set milestones we hope to achieve this year. In preparation for the new year, we also review last year’s goals and analyze what we did well and what we could have done differently, as we set action steps to move us into the next season. 

How can we improve A? 
How do we reduce B?
Why did we stop C?
You know the drill.

However, after several years of writing about goals, this year I wanted to focus on a tool I found a year ago that had a profound impact on me and a peer group that I’m a member of. 

Last year, a mentor mentioned the impact of writing a letter to your future self and writing about things you hope will be true when you open that email. 

Although any time frame can be used, I used 1 year in advance for my letter.

I started out with the things you will not be surprised with if you’ve read my corner for long—goals I wanted to have hit and habits I wanted to have kept/quit, — but it also led me somewhere I don’t go very often.

Introspection.

Ever tried to journal? I’ve heard of many that use it as such a great tool for self-analysis, but I’ve never committed to it long enough to really develop the skill.

However, this act led me deeper than any journaling prompt I have ever tried.

As I put myself in the shoes of my one-year-older self and opened this letter, I realized some unavoidable truths that weren’t so clear until I took a moment to fast-forward time.

Some were about my family. Some were about my faith. Some were about memories I wanted to create. 

Most of all, it led me to look at things from a different vantage point than I had ever considered.

Writing a letter to your future self can be a powerful tool, and I will use it much more regularly from now on. The act of putting your thoughts, feelings, and aspirations onto paper can help you clarify your values, identify your priorities, and create a sense of accountability to your future - of which no one has more interest in than you.

For more information, or to use the tool I used, visit futureme.org. It’s a free service that is worth every moment you put into it. 

Does Christmas ever get messy with your family?

Maybe you have that sibling that’s a black sheep….or that in-law with the backwards politics….or that cousin who is just hard to be around...

Most of us have that family gathering over the holidays where we can’t help but find ourselves looking at our watch counting the minutes till we can leave because of that person.

Almost every family has that person who makes the holidays…well…messy.

Whether the messy comes from a topic as polarizing as politics, as unimportant as football teams, as pivotal as major life choices, or as simple as arriving on time - when I’m honest with myself, it all comes back to a choice I’ve made, and a choice I’m not proud of.

It’s generally me choosing to not give grace - grace that’s been so abundantly given to me.

When I really pull back the curtain further, it’s me projecting my perceptions and preferences onto another person. And not just anyone either - a family member.

Grace is going out of the way to give compassion and kindness to someone -  even if they don’t deserve, appreciate, or return it. It’s also something I need a lot of - because my list of mistakes is LONG. Just ask my wife!

When it gets messy this holiday season, here’s to giving a gift that no one will open, but everyone should feel: Grace.

Here's to a Merry - not messy- Christmas.

Our community is full of local businesses that offer many different services to meet our needs, from coffee shops to plant shops, gift shops to restaurants. These businesses help create our community and give it the character we all know and love. Without these shops, we would be missing out on what truly creates our unique community.

Every year as we ent the holiday shopping season, I like to remind my friends and family the importance of shopping small local businesses.  This year I wanted to give 5 Quick Reasons to shop small:

1. Our community is significantly impacted by small businesses
Small businesses not only create jobs, but also proven higher paying careers and opportunities. Payroll from prosperous small businesses are returned to the local neighborhood, helping to fund the development of new small enterprises. Shopping with Amazon, while extremely convenient, does nothing for our local community.

2. You can’t beat personalized customer service
When you spend locally, you don't have to worry about calling the 800 number for customer support. One of the main benefits shopping local has is the ability to receive individualized, hands-on, and memorable customer service. 

3. Small businesses give to local non-profits
You support your community beyond the economy when you shop at a local business. Most local businesses are supporters of local non-profits and charities. If you divert that money to a big-box store somewhere else, your neighborhood won't gain anything at all. Additionally, such taxes are used to pay for public employees like firefighters as well as public amenities like parks, roads, and sidewalks.

4. Small Businesses create the community you live in
Shopping locally provides an opportunity for neighbors to interact. Someone you frequently encounter at a neighborhood coffee shop is simpler to get to know than someone you simply pass by and wave at occasionally. Knowing your neighbors enables you to trade favors or suggest local businesses for services.

5. Simply put, shopping local just feels good
Shopping locally is a personal investment in your local community, and its something to be proud of. There is a personal satisfaction associated with knowing that you are helping and investing in your community.

So before you head to the Amazon app or big box stores to cross items off your holiday list, see what local small businesses have to offer and support your community.

Unfortunately, we all have tough times - those challenging times that we know will pass, but seem to take forever. Whether it’s in our family, our health, our relationships, our finances, or in our community; we all face challenges.

As a friend once explained - we are all either heading into, coming out of, or in the middle of one of life’s storms.  What is vitally important, however, is not what hard times come along (because inevitably they will), but how we respond when they do.

Sometimes, we become bitter while we wonder why the world or God seems so unfair. Some call this a victimhood mentality. At some level, we give up and completely lose hope.

Othertimes, however, we stand strong. We examine our strategies and actions - adjusting where we can - while holding firm to the core beliefs and principles that guide our lives.

I would never wish adversity on anyone, and yet, without it some of us will never know who we truly are.

I love the quote from Nancy Reagan that says "People are like tea bags. You never know how strong they are until you put them in hot water."

Tough times force us to examine ourselves. They burn out our weaknesses and make us stronger for the future. Tough times can force us to grow in ways that good times allow us to ignore or cover up. Tough times force us to grow, mature, and learn.

When adversity comes, and it comes to all of us at different times and ways, I challenge you not just to accept it. I challenge you to rail and fight against it. Do not fold.

But whatever you do, don't resent it. Learn from it, and share your lesson with others who will inevitably face something similar in due time.

Over the past 18 years in business, The Master's has been focused on becoming an organization that ‘clients love doing business with, and team members
love working for.’ It is more than a vision statement, as it is the framework in how we make decisions.

Some of the ingredients for team members loving where they work are a healthy culture, being a part of something larger than themselves, and opportunities for growth. Strong team members want opportunities to develop their career, provide for their families, and see the bigger picture. They want to be challenged. One of my most important jobs is ensuring we provide those opportunities for growth throughout our team.

In that vein, we are excited to announce our new location opening on the northside of St. Augustine. Nocatee is one of the fastest-growing communities in the nation, and it’s centrally located between St. Augustine and Jacksonville Beach. We will start out serving the communities near Nocatee, World Golf Village, St. Johns, St. Augustine, and Ponte Vedra Beach.

Many of you have worked with Chase, who has been with us for 10 years, and he will be the manager of this new location. Chase, Brooke, and their son Hudson were raised and are well known in the St. Augustine area; and we look forward to watching him succeed in his new role.

He will hit the ground running as we have engaged with a business that already has an established footprint in lawn pest control and landscape maintenance clients in the area.

If you know anyone that lives around the Nocatee area, we would love your referrals! I cannot tell you how grateful I am for our client’s consistent support of my team and company. Thank you for helping make this new opportunity a possibility!

August can be such a challenging month! As the summer draws to an end, most families experience a little change of schedule heading into fall. Some of the reset is heading back to school, the end of vacation season, business schedule changes, and several other changes that August triggers.

It’s also a very challenging month for some who’s kids move into their next stage of life. Some are seeing the taillights of their child heading off for their first year at college. Some parents are finding themselves the parents of middle or high school students for the very first time.

Personally, this transition is more real to me because my toddler that I wrote about a couple years ago is now officially in elementary school.

A famous person once said, ‘The days are long, but the years are short.’ I just didn’t realize how short they were.

As we all experience some sort of reset this fall, I thought I would share the 3 areas of focus I have my sights on in hopes it is helpful for your transition as well:

Reset your morning - One area that influences so much of my life is my morning routine, and it’s an area that I really put a lot of effort into. To each their own, but hitting snooze just to wake up in a frenzy to get dressed and out the door with breakfast in hand is not a recipe for my success.

If this is an area you are looking to reset, do yourself a favor and read “The Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod. That book completely changed my perception of the morning routine, and I could never go back to waking up stressed like before.

Reset your bedtime - Regardless of your morning routine choice, it is driven completely by your bedtime routine.  This summer, I caught myself allowing our son to stay up later; which in turn led to me being up later; which resulted in some rushed and tired morning routines.

While I like to blame the longer days of summer, the truth is I was just not following my preferred routine. With the earlier bedtime schedule for school, it creates more margin to follow my bedtime routine of preparing for the upcoming day, packing my gym bag, and getting a full night’s rest.

Reset your goals - The most important thing about this reset is re-aligning with my long-term goals. We’re almost 3 quarters through the year, but summer has a tendency to put a lull in progress. My hope is that being more focused in these two routines, it will help me continue progress in the four F’s I have goals in; Faith, Family, Fitness, and Finance.

What areas do you want to produce better results in?

Many health and fitness professionals call it ‘the second new year,’ as they see a rush similar to resolution time with gym memberships. Whatever your goals are, make sure you use this transition to refresh your energy, motivation, and focus on forward progress in the areas that matter most to you.

Where could your life use a reset?