Blind Trust

Promise someone you'll do right by them. No matter what.

Sounds naive? Let me tell you a story.

Two guys want success:

  • Don't know what it means

  • Don't know how to get there

  • Just know they want it

They make a promise: "Blind trust. Always."

What this means:

  • I trust you'll do right by us

  • You trust I'll do the same

  • No questions

  • No doubts

  • No matter what

Then life tests you:

  • Hard decisions come

  • Money's involved

  • Ego shows up

  • Fear creeps in

The answer's always simple:

  • Do the right thing

  • Trust they will too

  • Sleep well at night

This requires:

  • Integrity (do what's right)

  • Humility (admit mistakes)

  • Forgiveness (accept theirs)

  • Patience (trust takes time)

The result?

  • Built 8-figure company

  • Stayed friends through chaos

  • Slept well every night

  • Created real wealth

Now it's who I am:

  • Offer trust first

  • Some give it back

  • Others don't

  • Both teach you

The magic happens when:

  • Trust flows both ways

  • Goals align perfectly

  • Hearts want good things

  • Souls stay humble

Want proof?

  • Every deep relationship

  • Every true friendship

  • Every successful partnership

  • Starts with blind trust

The universe's secret:

  • Give trust first

  • Expect nothing back

  • Watch what returns

  • Smile at the result

Because:

  • There are no absolutes (except maybe trust?)

  • When stuck, leave it (trust will guide)

  • Everything will be OK (trust makes it so)

Think for yourself. Test everything. Keep what works.

And smile while you trust.

What's Your Highest Truth?

A 15-minute conversation changed my life. Here's what happened.

My friend John asked me this question. I gave dumb answers:

  • Make money

  • Help people

  • Pay rent

So I started asking others:

  • Smart friends

  • Business leaders

  • Random strangers

  • Anyone who'd answer

Then COVID hit. Naval Ravikant was doing Periscopes (live streams). One day, technical glitch. Just me and him. Audio only. 15 precious minutes.

I asked my favorite question: "What's your highest truth?"

He laughed. Then said three words: "Think for yourself"

The irony hit me like lightning:

  • I was asking everyone else

  • While avoiding my own truth

  • Looking outside for inside answers

That's when I got it:

  • Your truth is yours

  • Your path is yours

  • Your mind is yours

I used this to:

  • Build companies my way

  • Solve problems differently

  • Make millions thinking clearly

  • Stay calm thinking simply

Now I ask you:

  • What's your highest truth?

  • Don't ask others

  • Ask yourself

Because:

Want proof it works? You're thinking about your truth right now.

Think for yourself. Test everything. Keep what works.

And smile while you think.

Stop Trading Time For Money

Want to get rich? Build something that sells while you sleep.

Here's the truth about wealth:

  • Jobs make you money

  • Products make you rich

  • Software makes you super-rich

Why?

  • Time is limited

  • Products multiply

  • Software compounds

The math is simple:

  • Services: Your hours × Your rate

  • Products: Your product × Infinite customers

  • Software: Your code × Infinite uses × Zero cost

I tested this:

  1. Government Job

  • Trading time for money

  • Safe but limited

  • No multiplication

  1. Consulting Work

  • Better hourly rate

  • Still trading time

  • Still limited

  1. Software Company

  • Built once

  • Sold millions of times

  • Exit for 8 figures

The secret formula:

  1. Own Something

  • Your product

  • Your code

  • Your system

  1. Make It Repeatable

  • Customers buy while you sleep

  • Software runs while you sleep

  • Money grows while you sleep

  1. Let It Compound

  • More customers tell others

  • More users need more

  • More growth brings wealth

Want proof?

  • Every tech billionaire

  • Every successful app

  • Every software exit

The hard truth:

  • Your job is temporary

  • Your skills are leverage

  • Your product is freedom

Think for yourself. Test everything. Keep what works.

And smile while your product sells itself.

Pick Up The Phone and Dial

"Tim, I want to start a business."

Stop reading. Start calling.

Here's what really works:

  • Not your business plan

  • Not your perfect website

  • Not your clever strategy

Just:

Pick Up The Phone

  • Call potential customers

  • Call competitors

  • Call anyone who might help

Ask Real Questions

  • What problems do you have?

  • What solutions do you need?

  • How can I help?

Be Brutally Honest

  • "I'm just starting out"

  • "I'm trying to learn"

  • "I want to help"

My 8-figure exit started with calls:

  • Called strangers

  • Took bad meetings

  • Asked dumb questions

  • Made endless mistakes

  • Learned everything

The pattern never fails:

  • More calls = More learning

  • More learning = Better product

  • Better product = Real business

Truth about business:

  • Customers won't find you

  • You must find them

  • It starts with one call

Scared to dial?

  • There are no absolutes (they might say yes)

  • When stuck, leave it (next call's waiting)

  • Everything will be OK (it always is)

Want proof?

  • Every business I built

  • Started with a call

  • Ended with millions

So right now:

  1. Stop reading

  2. Pick up your phone

  3. Dial someone

  4. Take notes

  5. Repeat

Think for yourself. Test everything. Keep what works.

And smile while you dial.

Focus Changes Everything

18-hour days built one company. Now I build a different life.

Here's what changed:

  • Sold the company

  • Moved back east

  • Got a dog named Waffles

  • Started a family

  • Bought two houses

  • Rebuilt old friendships

  • Made new ones

The money part?

  • Harder than building a company

  • Markets go up and down

  • Time makes it grow

  • Patience beats stress

Wild truth:

  • Worked 28 years for freedom

  • Got exactly what I wanted

  • Still want to build things

  • This time, differently

New focus: Kokotree

  • Preschool app

  • Help kids learn

  • Build it calmly

  • No 3AM panic

Old lessons still work:

But now I add:

  • Sleep matters

  • Family first

  • Waffles needs walks

  • Friends need time

  • Money comes back

The secret? Success isn't a destination. It's freedom to choose your focus.

Want proof?

  • Built one company with stress

  • Building another with peace

  • Both ways work

  • Second way's better

Think for yourself. Test everything. Keep what works.

And smile while Waffles plays.

How I Help Others

30,000 people bought my book. Here's why it works.

Most business books are complex:

  • Track engagement scores

  • Measure employee sentiment

  • Follow 57-step plans

I wrote a different book: "Who the Hell Wants to Work for You?"

The simple truth:

  • Happy employees stay

  • Unhappy employees leave

  • Everything else is noise

The book shows three things:

  1. Pick Good People Let them be themselves.

  2. Build Real Relationships Talk less. Listen more.

  3. Create Better Culture Actions beat words.

Why it works:

  • No corporate speak

  • No complex systems

  • Just human truth

The reviews say:

  • "Reality check"

  • "Addicting read"

  • "Practical information"

  • "Fun and useful"

Because:

Think for yourself. Test everything. Keep what works.

And smile while your team grows.

How I Beat Anxiety

Money didn't fix it. Success didn't fix it. Two simple mantras did.

Most advice about anxiety is complex:

  • Try this medication

  • Do these breathing exercises

  • Change your whole life

Here's what actually worked:

  1. Accept Death "There are no absolutes"

  • Nothing lasts

  • Nothing's certain

  • You'll die someday

  • That's OK

  1. Accept Peace "Everything is going to be OK"

  • Say it out loud

  • Mean it fully

  • Smile while saying it

  • Repeat as needed

The funny thing?

  • Made millions - still anxious

  • Built companies - still anxious

  • Finally tried mantras - anxiety gone

Now I:

  • Pay my bills

  • Eat pho when I want

  • Sleep well at night

  • Wake up calm

Anxiety and stress? Same problem. Different names. Both steal your peace. Both fade with simple truths.

Think for yourself. Test everything. Keep what works.

And smile while eating pho.

Everything Is Going To Be OK

Sounds naive? Let me prove it works.

Here's what happens when you believe this:

  • Lose everything? You'll rebuild

  • Big problem? You'll solve it

  • Feel stuck? You'll move

  • No answers? You'll find them

I tested this truth:

  • Slept on couches

  • Got cheated twice

  • Started over thrice

  • Built millions from zero

Each time I thought: "This is it. I'm done." Each time I was wrong.

Why? Because:

  1. You're Stronger Than You Think

  • Your brain solves problems while you sleep

  • Your network helps when you ask

  • Your creativity works when you're calm

  1. Time Changes Everything

  • Today's crisis is next year's story

  • Today's stress is tomorrow's lesson

  • Today's impossible is next month's solved

  1. Solutions Come From Calm

  • Stress blocks answers

  • Panic kills creativity

  • Fear stops action

The formula:

  • Bad thing happens

  • Say "Everything is going to be OK"

  • Sleep on it

  • Wake up curious

  • Start solving

Not dead? Not injured? Then you're OK. Solutions will come.

I used this to:

  • Stay calm through losses

  • Think clearly in chaos

  • Find better answers

  • Build back stronger

The real secret?

Want proof? You've survived 100% of your worst days. So far, you're undefeated.

Think for yourself. Test everything. Keep what works.

And smile because you're still here.

There Are No Absolutes

Even this one. That's the point.

Think about it:

  • "Always do this" isn't always right

  • "Never do that" sometimes works

  • "Must follow these rules" will fail you

Even my rules for success:

  • Simple writing? Sometimes complex works

  • Leave it? Sometimes fight back

  • Everything OK? Sometimes it's not

But here's the truth:
You're going to die.
I'm going to die.
Everyone reading this will die.

So why does "no absolutes" matter?

Because it frees you:

  • From perfect solutions

  • From certain answers

  • From others' "musts"

I used this freedom to:

  • Start over (three times)

  • Build companies (from nothing)

  • Exit rich (after being broke)

  • Stay happy (through it all)

The secret?

  • Bad times end

  • Good times end

  • Everything changes

  • Nothing lasts

And that's perfect.

Because:

  • When you're winning: No absolutes

  • When you're losing: No absolutes

  • When you're stuck: Leave it

  • When you're scared: Everything's OK

Want proof? You're alive right now. Reading this. Breathing. Thinking. Free to choose.

So choose happiness. Choose optimism. Choose to think for yourself.

You have one life. No absolutes means it's yours to live.

Think for yourself. Test everything. Keep what works.

And smile because nothing lasts forever.

From Zero to Exit

I lost everything. Twice. Here's how simple rules won.

The timeline:

  • Left safe government job

  • Moved to California

  • Slept on a couch

  • Got swindled by partners

  • Started over

  • Partners embezzled everything

  • Started over again

  • Built something real

  • Sold for 8 figures

The pattern? Every loss taught one lesson: Keep it simple.

Here's how we built it:

  1. Start Small

  • One customer at a time

  • One feature at a time

  • One employee at a time

  1. Stay Real

  • Do every job yourself first

  • Train your replacement

  • Move to the next problem

  1. Think Clear

  • No fancy business plans

  • No MBA buzzwords

  • No "growth hacking"

Just:

  • Build something useful

  • Make it work better

  • Help real people

The result?

  • Millions of daily users

  • Enterprise-level software

  • 8-figure exit

Then two MBAs "knew everything better." So we smiled and left.

The secret?

  • There are no absolutes

  • When stuck, leave it

  • Everything will be OK

Want proof? Every time I lost everything, these rules brought it back. Bigger.

Think for yourself. Test everything. Keep what works.

And smile when the MBAs arrive.

Leave It

My dog taught me how to live better. Here's what happened.

We got Waffles, our first dog. Mini-Golden Doodle. Pure love with fur. Here she is:

The trainer taught us all the usual commands: sit, stay, come.

But one command changed everything:

"Leave it."

Simple words. Powerful lesson:

  • Dog sees something interesting

  • You say "leave it"

  • Dog walks away

  • Life goes on

Then it hit me:

  • Bad thought? Leave it

  • Angry email? Leave it

  • Office drama? Leave it

  • Past mistake? Leave it

  • Future worry? Leave it

Your brain is like a puppy:

  • Wants to chase every thought

  • Gets excited by problems

  • Needs clear commands

  • Responds to consistency

But here's the magic:

Add two more commands to "leave it":

  1. "There are no absolutes"

  2. "Everything is going to be OK"

Now you have a complete system:

  • "Leave it" stops the chase

  • "No absolutes" kills the drama

  • "Everything OK" brings peace

I use this daily:

  • Client angry? Leave it

  • Competition winning? No absolutes

  • Market crashing? Everything OK

Sounds too simple? Ask Waffles. She's happier than most humans.

Want proof it works?

The secret isn't complex:

  • Dogs don't overthink

  • Dogs don't hold grudges

  • Dogs just... leave it

Think for yourself. Test everything. Keep what works.

And pet your dog while doing it.

Simple Beats Smart

Two posts changed my life.

  1. How to Write Better

  2. How to Stress Less

Here's the bigger pattern.

I wrote about writing better and stressing less. Different topics. Same truth.

Both start with overthinking:

  • Writers add fancy words to sound smart

  • Stressed minds add problems to feel prepared

  • Both make things worse

Here's the pattern that fixes both:

  1. Strip Everything Down

  • Remove extra words

  • Remove extra thoughts

  • Remove extra worries

  1. Trust Simple Rules

    1. For writing:

      1. Use short sentences

      2. Write like you talk

      3. Show don't tell

    2. For stress:

      1. There are no absolutes

      2. When stuck, leave it

      3. Everything will be OK

  1. Take Simple Action

I used this pattern to:

  • Sell a company for 8 figures

  • Beat my own anxiety

  • Help others do both

Simple isn't easy. Your brain will fight it. It wants complexity. Wants to sound smart. Wants to worry.

But simple works.

Want proof? Look around:

  • Apple's success: Make it simple

  • Navy SEALs: Keep it simple

  • Warren Buffett: Invest simple

The secret isn't finding new answers. It's trusting simple ones.

Think for yourself. Test everything. Keep what works.

And smile while doing it.

How to Stress Less

I stress-tested this advice. It actually works.

Your mind adds problems. Makes up stories. Creates fake drama.

Most stress comes from:

  • Overthinking everything

  • Adding "what-ifs"

  • Making things complex

Here's what works:

  1. There Are No Absolutes - Nothing is permanent. Nothing is certain. Eventually, you will die.

  2. Leave It - Bad thought? Leave it. Bad situation? Leave it. Bad feeling? Leave it.

  3. Everything Will Be OK - Say it. Mean it. Smile while saying it.

I used this to build companies. Beat anxiety. Help others do both.

Want proof it works? You're calmer already.

Think for yourself. Test everything. Keep what works.

How to Write Better

Simple words made me millions. Here's exactly how.

Your customer doesn't read. They scan. They're busy. They want answers now.

Most writing fails because:

  • Writers try to sound smart

  • Marketers add fancy words

  • Everyone overthinks it

Here's what works:

  1. Use Three-Word Sentences Like this one.

  2. Delete Every Extra Word
    Bad: "We are pleased to offer our valued customers 24/7 monitoring solutions"
    Good: "Your site stays up"

  3. Write Like You Talk
    Bad: "Leverage cutting-edge solutions"
    Good: "Get more customers"

I used this to sell a software company. No fancy words. No marketing speak. Just clear writing that makes sense.

Want proof it works? You're still reading.

Think for yourself. Test everything. Keep what works.

Hat tip to Scott Adams, Robert Cialdini, Chris Voss, Naval Ravikant. Thank you all.

How to connect Apple TV to Hotel Internet

Hotel internet connections often require you jump through a few hoops before you get connected.

They have a step during the wifi connection process called "captive portal". It's a pop-up screen that usually requires you to enter your last name and room number before you get connected. Sometimes its just a button that you need to click. Sometimes it's something else.

This is fine if you're on a phone or laptop. But AppleTV doesn't let you enter this information.

Here's how to bypass this "captive portal" nonsense.

First, you must have an Apple laptop.

Second, get your AppleTV connected to the hotel TV on the HDMI, and make sure its plugged into the power outlet. Get AppleTV accessible on the Hotel TV. You may have to figure this out, most likely changing the input settings on the TV.

Third, once AppleTV is accessible on the hotel TV, navigate to:

Settings > Network

** Do not connect to the hotel wifi yet. **

Look for the "Wi-Fi MAC address" at the bottom of the screen. It will look something like this:

64:d2:c4:a2:c0:a8

Write it down because you will need it later.

Fourth, now we will "spoof" the Apple TV's MAC address.

On your laptop, open a Terminal window. (Command + Spacebar, then type terminal)

Paste this into terminal:

sudo ifconfig en0 lladdr <your appletv Mac address>

It will look similar to this:

sudo ifconfig en0 lladdr 64:d2:c4:a2:c0:a8

It will ask you to enter your laptop admin password. Do that and hit return. There will not be any output. That command set your laptop MAC address to your AppleTV MAC address. That's the "spoof".

Now, on your laptop, click on the wifi icon in the top bar, and connect to the hotel wifi. Enter your info (usually your last name and room number) and connect to the hotel wifi.

Fifth, we need to change the laptop MAC address back to its original. Put this command into Terminal and hit return.

sudo ifconfig en0 lladdr \ >   $(networksetup -getmacaddress en0 | awk '{print $3}')

Sixth, in your AppleTV, go to:

Settings > Network > Wifi

Connect to the same hotel wifi network that you just connected to on your laptop.

You should be good to go.

If it doesn't work, "forget network" from AppleTV and your laptop. Then unplug and replug your AppleTV from its power source. Restart your laptop. Try this process again.

Painting

Experimenting with canvas and paint.