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

The meeting begins with Austin, John, and Amer introducing themselves and sharing their current locations - Austin is in Istanbul, Turkey, John is in Vancouver, and Amer's location is not specified. They discuss the significant time difference between their locations.

Austin describes his positive experience in Turkey so far, noting the friendly and vibrant energy of the country. He also mentions the prevalence of hair transplant surgeries, which he finds interesting.

Austin discusses the logistics of planning the upcoming January training in Turkey, which will bring together 59 people from two countries. He shares his excitement about the opportunity to meet and train with people he has worked with remotely for years.

Austin describes his successful strategy for overcoming jet lag, which involved carefully managing his sleep schedule and using melatonin. He is proud of how well he has handled the time zone change and long flights.

John and Amer share their own experiences with jet lag, with John noting that he has never struggled with it, even on long flights. They discuss how jet lag affects people differently and the importance of finding the right travel strategy.

The group discusses a conversation Jordan had about the unique challenges of coaching and managing Gen Z employees, who may struggle with a lack of direction and a sense of apathy towards work. They explore potential reasons for this phenomenon and consider ways to better support and engage this generation.

Amer shares his insights on what makes a great presentation, drawing parallels to the emotional impact of music and film. He emphasizes the importance of incorporating personal experiences and vulnerability into presentations to create a deeper connection with the audience.

Austin reflects on how he can apply Amer's advice to the upcoming sales training, focusing on how to make the content more personal and meaningful for the participants. He is inspired to find ways to convey the "why" behind the training and to infuse his own experiences and passion into the delivery.

The meeting begins with casual conversation and banter between the participants, including discussions about escape rooms, hockey, and travel.

Austin provides a detailed overview of Canada's recent failure at the World Juniors hockey tournament, including the team's lack of practice, controversial coaching decisions, and the backlash from fans. He highlights the significance of this tournament for Canadian hockey pride and development.

John shares his experience taking the Landmark advanced course, including how the online format has advantages over the in-person version, the personalized nature of the sessions, and the powerful concepts he's learning around shared agreements, reality vs. perception, and taking accountability for mistakes.

John opens up about a personal "act" he has of hiding and covering up his mistakes, tracing it back to a childhood experience of wetting the bed. He describes how he's been working to overcome this act, including having vulnerable conversations with his wife and former employee Max.

Amer provides suggestions for John on how to better incorporate the Landmark teachings into his daily life, such as having accountability partners, writing down his insights, and using visual cues or reminders.