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Stolen Focus by Johann Hari – Summary and Analysis

Posted on January 2, 2026 by Chris Lehnes

In “Stolen Focus”, author Johann Hari investigates the modern erosion of human attention through personal anecdotes and scientific research. He argues that our inability to focus is not a personal failure of willpower but a result of systemic environmental factors, including the rise of surveillance capitalism and addictive technology. The text highlights how digital platforms use algorithms to maximize screen time, which disrupts our flow states and capacity for deep thought. Hari describes his own digital detox in Provincetown to illustrate that individual isolation is an insufficient long-term solution to a global crisis. Ultimately, the book calls for an “Attention Rebellion” to reclaim our minds from corporate and structural forces that prioritize speed over depth. Through interviews with experts, he explores how better sleep, nutrition, and play are essential to restoring our collective focus.

Briefing Document: The Crisis of Stolen Focus

Executive Summary

This document synthesizes key findings on the contemporary crisis of attention, arguing that the pervasive decline in our ability to focus is not an individual failing but a systemic problem driven by powerful technological, social, and economic forces. Decades of research and expert testimony indicate that our environment is being systematically engineered to degrade focus for profit and productivity, a reality that necessitates a collective, structural response rather than isolated individual efforts.

Key Takeaways:

Systemic, Not Personal, Failure: The collapsing ability to pay attention is not primarily due to personal laziness or a lack of willpower. It is a societal issue caused by powerful forces—from Big Tech to broader economic pressures—that are actively “pouring acid on your attention every day.”
The Architecture of Distraction: The dominant business model of major technology platforms, “surveillance capitalism,” is fundamentally designed to capture and sell human attention. This model incentivizes the creation of features like infinite scroll and outrage-fueling algorithms that maximize screen time by hijacking psychological vulnerabilities, leading to a state of constant distraction and heightened societal anger.
Erosion of Deep Thinking: The crisis extends beyond simple distraction. Foundational states for deep thought are being systematically crippled. These include “flow states” (deep, effortless immersion), the cognitive patience fostered by deep reading, and the creative consolidation that occurs during mind-wandering—all of which are suppressed by an environment of constant switching and stimulation.
The Fallacy of “Cruel Optimism”: Solutions that focus exclusively on individual willpower—such as digital detoxes or self-help techniques—are a form of “cruel optimism.” They offer inadequate, small-scale answers to vast, systemic problems, effectively blaming the victim. This is analogous to responding to the obesity crisis with diet books alone while ignoring the toxic food environment that drives it.
A Call for an “Attention Rebellion”: Addressing the crisis requires a collective social and political movement. The path forward involves systemic changes, including the regulation of technology companies to ban surveillance capitalism, a widespread shift to a four-day work week to combat exhaustion, and a fundamental rethinking of a culture predicated on ever-increasing speed and growth.

I. The Nature of the Attention Crisis

The degradation of focus is a tangible, measurable phenomenon impacting individuals and societies. It manifests in the struggle to be present in one’s own life, as illustrated by a trip to Graceland where visitors, including the author’s godson, experienced the iconic location primarily through the mediated reality of iPads and smartphones rather than direct observation. This personal experience is a microcosm of a larger, scientifically documented trend.

A. Scientific Evidence of Shrinking Attention

A landmark study led by scientist Sune Lehmann at the Technical University of Denmark analyzed data from the 1880s to the present, including Google Books, Twitter, and movie ticket sales.
Key Finding: The research provides the first major scientific proof that collective attention spans have been shrinking for over 130 years. Topics now rise to peak popularity and fade from public discussion at an ever-accelerating rate.
Primary Cause: While the internet has dramatically accelerated this trend, the root cause is a continuous increase in the volume and speed of information. As Lehmann’s model demonstrates, “The more information you pump in, the less time people can focus on any individual piece of it.”
Consequence: The sacrifice for this speed is depth. As Sune Lehmann states, “Depth takes time. And depth takes reflection… All of these things that require depth are suffering. It’s pulling us more and more up onto the surface.”

B. A Systemic Problem, Not an Individual Failing

The prevailing narrative of self-blame—attributing distraction to laziness or lack of discipline—is a profound misunderstanding of the issue. The source context argues that this is a systemic problem being actively perpetrated.

An “Attentional Pathogenic Culture”: Experts believe society is creating an environment where sustained focus is exceptionally difficult, forcing individuals to “swim upstream to achieve it.”
An expert, when asked how one might design a society to ruin people’s attention, replied, “Probably about what our society is doing.”
The Core Argument: The document posits that there are twelve deep forces damaging attention, driven by powerful entities including, but not limited to, Big Tech. The central thesis is that “you are living in a system that is pouring acid on your attention every day, and then you are being told to blame yourself and to fiddle with your own habits while the world’s attention burns.”

II. Key Drivers of Attention Degradation

The crisis is multifaceted, stemming from a confluence of technological, physiological, and environmental factors that have fundamentally altered how we live, work, and think.

A. The Architecture of Distraction: Technology’s Business Model

The design of modern digital technology is a primary cause of attention degradation, driven by a business model known as surveillance capitalism. Former Silicon Valley insiders like Tristan Harris (ex-Google) and Aza Raskin (inventor of infinite scroll) provide a detailed critique.

The Business Model: Social media companies profit not just from showing advertisements, but from collecting vast amounts of user data to create predictive models. These models are then sold to advertisers who wish to influence behavior. This economic model has a single imperative: maximize user screen time to gather more data.
Designed for Addiction: To achieve maximum screen time, platforms are built using principles from B.F. Skinner’s behavioral psychology, creating “a craving” in users. Techniques include:
- Infinite Scroll: Designed by Aza Raskin, this feature removes natural stopping points, encouraging continuous, mindless consumption. Raskin estimates it makes users spend 50% more time on sites.
- Variable Reinforcements: The unpredictable delivery of “likes” and notifications operates like a slot machine, creating a compulsive need to check for rewards.
- Task Switching: Notifications are designed to constantly pull users away from other tasks, incurring a “switch cost effect” that slows thinking, increases errors, reduces creativity, and impairs memory.
Algorithms of Outrage: To keep users engaged, algorithms on platforms like YouTube and Facebook have learned that shocking, anger-inducing, and extreme content is most effective.
- The YouTube Effect: Former YouTube engineer Guillaume Chaslot revealed that the algorithm systematically recommends increasingly extreme content. Watching a factual video about the Holocaust could lead to Holocaust-denial content within five videos.
- Political Consequences: This dynamic has profound real-world impacts, contributing to political polarization and radicalization. In Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro’s rise was fueled by social media algorithms promoting his outrageous content, leading his supporters to chant “Facebook! Facebook!” upon his victory.

B. The Erosion of Foundational States for Focus

Beyond active distraction, the modern environment systematically undermines the mental states essential for deep thinking and well-being.

Flow States: Researched by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, “flow” is the deepest form of human focus, achieved when one is fully absorbed in a single, meaningful task at the edge of one’s abilities. Multitasking and constant interruption are antithetical to flow. Starved of flow, we become “stumps of ourselves, sensing somewhere what we might have been.”
Deep Reading: The decline in sustained reading of physical books represents a major loss of a common flow state.
- Comprehension: Studies show that reading on screens leads to lower comprehension compared to reading on paper. The gap for elementary school children is equivalent to two-thirds of a year’s growth.
- Empathy: Research by Professor Raymond Mar shows that reading fiction functions as an “empathy gym.” By simulating the inner lives of others, it measurably improves a reader’s ability to understand real-world emotions. This effect is not found with non-fiction or the fragmented narratives of social media.
Mind-Wandering: Far from being a waste of time, mind-wandering is an essential brain state (the “default mode network”) critical for consolidating memories, making new connections, and long-term planning. Constant digital stimulation suppresses this state, degrading the quality of our thinking.

C. Physiological and Environmental Assaults on Attention

Our ability to focus is also under direct physiological attack from changes in our lifestyles and physical environment.

Factor	Description of Impact
Sleep Deprivation	Chronic sleep loss has severe cognitive effects. Staying awake for 18 hours impairs reaction time to a level equivalent to 0.05% blood alcohol. The prefrontal cortex, crucial for judgment, is particularly sensitive. This is exacerbated by evening exposure to blue light from screens, which disrupts sleep-regulating hormones.
Stress & Hypervigilance	As demonstrated by Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, Surgeon General of California, stress and trauma (especially in childhood) trigger a state of hypervigilance. The brain becomes wired to constantly scan for threats, making deep, calm focus impossible. This is often misdiagnosed as ADHD.
Overwork & Exhaustion	Working hours have steadily increased, leading to widespread exhaustion. An experiment at Perpetual Guardian in New Zealand, led by CEO Andrew Barnes, proved that a four-day work week (for the same pay) led to a 35% decrease in off-task social media use, a 15% drop in stress, and an overall increase in productivity.
Diet & Pollution	A growing body of evidence suggests that modern diets high in processed foods and exposure to environmental pollutants (such as lead, BPA, and other industrial chemicals) directly harm brain function and focus. Professor Barbara Demeneix states, “there is no way we can have a normal brain today” due to this constant chemical exposure.

D. The Transformation of Childhood and the Rise of ADHD

Children’s attention problems are escalating dramatically, a trend that cannot be explained by biology alone. The very nature of childhood has been radically altered in ways that undermine the development of focus.

The Collapse of Free Play: Unsupervised, unstructured play has been nearly eliminated from children’s lives, replaced by homework (up 145% between 1981-1997), screens, and adult-supervised activities.
The Importance of Play: Free play is “the primary technology for learning.” It is where children learn negotiation, problem-solving, emotional regulation, and how to pursue their own intrinsic motivations—the internal drive to do things for their own sake, which is the foundation of sustained attention.
An Environmental Mismatch: Drawing an analogy from veterinary science, the text suggests children are like zoo animals. When a horse is confined to a stall, it develops compulsive behaviors because its “frustrated biological objectives” (the need to run and graze) are denied. Similarly, children are being raised in environments that thwart their innate needs for play and autonomy, leading to behaviors labeled as ADHD.

III. The Fallacy of Individual Solutions and “Cruel Optimism”

The dominant cultural response to the attention crisis is to advocate for individual self-discipline. This approach, while well-intentioned, is fundamentally flawed and represents a form of “cruel optimism.”

The Provincetown Experiment: The author’s three-month digital detox in Provincetown demonstrated the profound benefits of disconnecting—a recovery of flow, deep reading, and calm. However, it also highlighted the limitations of this approach: it is a privilege few can afford, and the return to the normal environment quickly eroded the gains.
The “Indistractible” Argument: This viewpoint, championed by tech designer Nir Eyal (author of Hooked), posits that distraction is caused by “internal triggers” and can be managed through personal life-hacks.
The Obesity Analogy: This individual-centric view is compared to the failed response to the obesity crisis. For decades, the culture blamed individuals for being overweight and sold them diet books. This failed because the root problem was a systemic change in the food environment. Similarly, digital diet books will not solve the attention crisis.
Authentic Optimism: The alternative is to collectively address the underlying causes of the problem. Instead of shaming individuals, the focus must shift to changing the toxic environment that is degrading everyone’s attention.

IV. A Path Forward: Systemic Change and the “Attention Rebellion”

Reclaiming focus requires a collective fight to change the systems that are stealing it. This involves a multi-pronged strategy aimed at reforming technology, work culture, and ultimately, our societal values.

A. Reforming Technology

The business model of surveillance capitalism must be dismantled.

Ban the Current Model: Regulation is needed to make the current “track and manipulate” business model illegal.
Shift to New Models: Alternatives include subscription-based services (where the user is the customer, not the product) or treating major platforms as public utilities.
Redesign for Human Values: Once financial incentives are realigned, technology can be redesigned to serve human intentions, not to capture attention. Simple changes could include:
- Batching notifications into a single daily update.
- Designing platforms to facilitate real-world meetups.

B. Reclaiming Time and Rest

Structural changes are necessary to combat the culture of exhaustion.

The Four-Day Work Week: Widespread adoption of a shorter work week has been proven to increase focus, reduce stress, and maintain or even boost productivity.
The Fight for Time: Historically, gains like the weekend were not given freely by employers; they were won through decades of organized labor campaigns. A similar fight will be required to reclaim more time for rest and reflection.

C. Building a Movement: The Attention Rebellion

Individual action is insufficient; a broad-based social movement is required to force systemic change.

Historical Precedent: The women’s rights movement and the successful campaign to ban leaded gasoline demonstrate that organized citizens can defeat powerful interests.
“Site Battles”: Activist Ben Stewart suggests the movement can gain momentum through “site battles”—dramatic, nonviolent confrontations at symbolic locations (e.g., Facebook HQ) to raise public consciousness about the crisis.
The Goal: The movement’s aim is “personal liberation—liberating ourselves from people who are controlling our minds without our consent.”
The Ultimate Challenge: In the long term, a sustainable solution will require challenging the core logic of an economy built on perpetual growth, which fuels the relentless demand for more speed, more consumption, and ultimately, less attention. As Dr. Charles Czeisler notes, “our economic system has become dependent on sleep-depriving people. The attentional failures are just roadkill. That’s just the cost of doing business.”

Contact Factoring Specialist, Chris Lehnes

The Rise and Fall of Saks Fifth Avenue: From Luxury Icon to Potential Bankruptcy

Posted on December 24, 2025 by Chris Lehnes

From its beginnings as a single storefront in Washington, D.C., to its current status as the centerpiece of a multi-billion dollar luxury conglomerate, Saks Fifth Avenue has been the ultimate arbiter of American high fashion. However, as of late December 2024 and 2025, the gilded halls of its flagship stores face a grim reality: the threat of Chapter 11 bankruptcy.¹

Following a massive $2.7 billion acquisition of Neiman Marcus Group, the newly formed Saks Global is grappling with a staggering $4.7 billion debt load, severe vendor payment backlogs, and a “last resort” consideration of bankruptcy as a major $100 million debt payment looms.²

Part I: The Gilded Origins (1867–1924)

The story of Saks begins with Andrew Saks, a young merchant who opened his first clothing store in Washington, D.C., in 1867.³ By 1902, he moved his operations to New York City, opening a massive store in Herald Square.⁴ After Andrew’s death in 1912, his son Horace Saks took the reins, envisioning a retail experience that moved beyond the middle-class bustle of 34th Street.⁵

The 1924 Flagship Opening

The defining moment in the brand’s history occurred in 1924. Horace Saks partnered with Bernard Gimbel of the Gimbel Brothers department store empire.⁶ Together, they opened the flagship Saks Fifth Avenue at 611 Fifth Avenue, directly across from what would later become Rockefeller Center. It was a revolutionary move: the first major retail operation to open in what was then a residential district.⁷

Part II: The Golden Era and National Expansion (1926–1990s)

After Horace Saks’s sudden death in 1926, Adam Gimbel—Bernard’s cousin—became president.⁸ Adam was a visionary who redecorated the store in the Art Moderne style and pioneered the concept of “specialty shops” within the store.⁹

First Resort: In 1926, Saks became the first specialty store to go national, opening a branch in Palm Beach, Florida.¹⁰
Post-War Growth: During the 1940s and 50s, Saks expanded into Beverly Hills, Detroit, and San Francisco, positioning itself as the primary rival to local luxury powers like I. Magnin.
Corporate Musical Chairs: In 1973, the company was sold to British American Tobacco (BATUS).¹¹ Under this ownership, the chain grew to over 50 stores before being sold again in 1990 to Investcorp for $1.6 billion.

Part III: The Modern Era: Public Ownership and HBC (1996–2021)

In 1996, the holding company went public as Saks Holdings, Inc., and was later acquired by Proffitt’s, Inc.¹² for $2.1 billion. The company changed its name to Saks Incorporated, merging the luxury brand with a portfolio of more accessible department stores.

The Hudson’s Bay Acquisition

In 2013, the Canadian Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) purchased Saks for $2.9 billion.¹³ Under CEO Richard Baker, the strategy shifted toward a “real estate first” model, leveraging the immense value of Saks’ physical locations.

In 2021, HBC made the controversial decision to split the digital and physical businesses.¹⁴ Saks.com became a separate e-commerce entity (funded by Insight Partners), while the brick-and-mortar stores remained under the “Saks Fifth Avenue” banner.¹⁵ This move was designed to unlock tech-level valuations for the website, but critics argued it hollowed out the brand’s core identity.

Part IV: The Current Crisis: Debt, Synergies, and the Neiman Merger

The current financial turmoil stems from an aggressive bet placed in late 2024.¹⁶ HBC orchestrated a $2.7 billion acquisition of Neiman Marcus Group, merging its two biggest rivals—Saks and Neiman Marcus—under a new umbrella called Saks Global.¹⁷

The Financial Strain

The merger was intended to create a luxury giant with $7 billion in annual revenue, backed by technological support from Amazon and Salesforce.¹⁸ However, the integration has been plagued by several factors:

Vendor Revolt: Since February 2025, CEO Marc Metrick has admitted to an 18-month backlog of overdue payments to vendors.¹⁹ Many designers, including major luxury houses, began pausing shipments, leading to “inventory stumbles.”²⁰
Mounting Debt: Total debt for Saks Global is estimated at $4.7 billion.²¹ The company has been forced into multiple debt restructurings, including a $600 million emergency injection in mid-2025 that S&P Global Ratings classified as “tantamount to a default.”
The $100 Million Deadline: Reports in late December 2025 indicate that Saks faces a critical interest payment of over $100 million due by December 30.²²
Luxury Slump: A broader pullback in U.S. consumer spending on luxury items—driven by inflation and economic uncertainty—has seen Saks’ revenue fall by nearly 16% year-over-year.

Financial Metric (2025)	Estimated Status
Total Debt	$4.7 Billion
Q2 Net Loss	$288 Million
Revenue Change	-13% to -16% (Pro forma)
Credit Rating	CCC (S&P Global)

Is Bankruptcy Inevitable?

Management has maintained that “a restructuring is not being contemplated” publicly, but internal sources suggest that Chapter 11 bankruptcy is now being weighed as a “last resort.”²³ The company is reportedly negotiating a debtor-in-possession (DIP) loan—a specific type of financing used only when a company is preparing for a bankruptcy filing—to keep the lights on while it restructures.²⁴

Conclusion: The Future of a Landmark

If Saks Global files for bankruptcy, it would represent one of the most significant retail collapses of the decade. While the brand itself is likely to survive in some form, the “store of dreams” is currently a case study in the dangers of high-leverage mergers during a retail downturn.

US GDP Growth: A Look Ahead to 2025

Posted on December 23, 2025 by Chris Lehnes

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate

Let’s explore the potential trends in its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate throughout 2025. While no one has a crystal ball, we can analyze current trajectories, expert projections, and potential influencing factors to paint a picture of what lies ahead.

The Current Economic Pulse (Briefly looking back at late 2024)

To understand 2025, it’s crucial to acknowledge the economic momentum (or lack thereof) leading into it. We’re likely seeing a continued moderation from the robust growth experienced in the immediate post-pandemic recovery. Inflation, while hopefully tamer, will still be a key variable, influencing consumer spending and investment. Interest rates, dictated by the Federal Reserve, will also play a significant role. Let’s imagine a snapshot of the US economy as we enter 2025.

Q1 2025: A Cautious Start?

As 2025 kicks off, many economists anticipate a period of continued cautious growth. Businesses may still be adjusting to lingering supply chain complexities and a potentially tighter labor market. Consumer spending, the bedrock of the US economy, might see moderate gains, influenced by real wage growth (or lack thereof) and household savings levels. Investment in new projects could be selective, driven by a desire for efficiency and technological advancement. We might see the GDP growth rate hover in the lower to mid-2% range during this initial quarter.

Q2 2025: Finding its Rhythm

Moving into the second quarter, we could witness the economy starting to find a more stable rhythm. Factors such as potentially easing inflationary pressures and a clearer outlook on monetary policy could provide more certainty for businesses and consumers. We might see a slight uptick in manufacturing activity and continued strength in the services sector. Technological innovation, particularly in areas like AI and green energy, could begin to show more tangible contributions to productivity.

Q3 2025: Potential for Acceleration

The third quarter often provides a good indicator of annual performance, and 2025 could see some positive momentum building. If global economic conditions stabilize and major geopolitical tensions remain subdued, US exports could see a boost. Domestically, renewed consumer confidence, perhaps fueled by a strong job market and stable prices, could lead to increased discretionary spending. Business investment might also pick up as companies look to capitalize on growth opportunities. This could be a quarter where GDP growth nudges closer to the mid-2% to even 3% range. Imagine the vibrancy of a thriving economy in full swing.

Q4 2025: A Strong Finish or Continued Moderation?

The final quarter of 2025 will be crucial in determining the overall annual growth rate. Much will depend on the preceding quarters’ performance and any new unforeseen global or domestic events. A strong holiday shopping season, robust corporate earnings, and continued investment in key sectors could lead to a solid finish. However, potential headwinds like persistent inflation or unexpected global economic slowdowns could temper growth. The Federal Reserve’s stance on interest rates will also be keenly watched. The year could conclude with growth stabilizing, setting the stage for 2026.

Key Influencing Factors for 2025:

Inflation and Interest Rates: The Fed’s ability to manage inflation without stifling growth will be paramount.
Consumer Spending: The health of the consumer, driven by wages, employment, and savings, is always a critical determinant.
Business Investment: Companies’ willingness to invest in expansion, R&D, and technology will fuel future growth.
Global Economic Health: International trade and geopolitical stability will have a ripple effect on the US economy.
Technological Advancement: Innovations in AI, automation, and green technologies could boost productivity.

In conclusion, 2025 is shaping up to be a year of continued adaptation and potential growth for the US economy. While we can anticipate some fluctuations, a path of cautious yet steady expansion seems to be the prevailing view among many analysts. The resilience and dynamism of the American economy will undoubtedly be tested, but its capacity for innovation and recovery remains a powerful force.

Contact Factoring Specialist, Chris Lehnes

The 4.6% Unemployment Wake-Up Call

Posted on December 16, 2025 by Chris Lehnes

As we sit here in mid-December 2025, the “soft landing” narrative that dominated headlines for the last two years feels significantly bumpier than advertised. The release of the November jobs report—delayed and distorted by the recent government shutdown—dropped a reality check on the US economy: 4.6% unemployment.

This is the highest level we’ve seen since late 2021. With only weeks left in the year, the big question isn’t just where we end 2025, but whether this upward trend is a blip or a break in the dam.

The “Shutdown” Distortion & The Real Trend

We spent October flying blind due to the federal data collection freeze, which makes the November numbers even more jarring.

The jump to 4.6% (up from 4.3% in August) wasn’t just a statistical noise event. The underlying data shows a cooling engine:

Hiring Freeze: Employers added only 64,000 jobs in November.
Revisions: August and September numbers were revised downward, revealing that the labor market was weaker than we thought before the shutdown drama.
Sector Rot: While healthcare and construction are holding up, we are seeing real contraction in transportation, warehousing, and federal employment.

The Policy Headwinds: Tariffs and Immigration

We cannot ignore the elephant in the room: the policy shifts of the second Trump administration. The search results and economic reports highlight two major levers pulling on the labor market right now:

Tariffs: Businesses are clearly pausing hiring to assess the cost impact of new trade barriers. The “wait-and-see” approach is freezing capital expenditure and headcount.
Immigration Crackdowns: Industries reliant on immigrant labor (agriculture, hospitality) are facing supply shocks, but paradoxically, this hasn’t lowered the unemployment rate yet—likely because the broader cooling in demand is outpacing the contraction in labor supply.

The Speculation: Where do we hit the finish line?

So, what will the final number be for 2025?

The December jobs report won’t be released until January 9, 2026, but we can make an educated speculation based on the high-frequency data we have now.

My Prediction: 4.6% – 4.7%

I believe the unemployment rate will likely hold at 4.6% or tick up slightly to 4.7% to close out the year. Here is why:

Seasonal Lulls: December hiring is usually robust in retail, but with consumer confidence shaky and inflation stickier than hoped, seasonal hiring has been muted.
The Lag Effect: The Fed’s recent rate cuts (referenced in the Dec 10 meeting) take months to work through the system. They won’t save the December jobs numbers.
Momentum: The trend line is undeniably upward. When unemployment rises 0.5% from its cycle low (which was down near 3.4%), it rarely stops immediately. We have breached that “Sahm Rule” threshold.

The Bottom Line

2025 is ending on a note of caution. We aren’t in a freefall, but the labor market has lost its ironclad resilience. The “employee’s market” of 2022-2023 is officially dead; 2026 will be about protecting the gains we have left.

Contact Factoring Specialist, Chris Lehnes

Get Funded by Year-End with Factoring

Posted on December 9, 2025 by Chris Lehnes

Factoring can provide your client the cash they need through the holiday season. Contact me to learn how to get your client funded by year-end.

We focus on the quality of your client’s accounts receivable, ignoring their financial condition.

This enables us to move quickly and fund qualified businesses including Manufacturers, Distributors and a variety of Service Businesses in as few as 3-5 days. Contact me today to learn if your client is a factoring fit.

Factoring Program Overview

$100,000 to $30 Million
Quick AR Advance
Non-Recourse
No Audits. No Financial Covenants.
Most businesses with strong customers eligible.

We specialize in difficult deals :

Start-ups
Weak Balance Sheets
Historic Losses
Customer Concentrations
Poor Personal Credit
Character Issues

Benefits of Factoring During the Holiday Season

Factoring offers a strategic financial solution for your clients to maintain cash flow stability during the busy holiday period. As businesses experience increased sales and operational expenses, access to immediate funds becomes crucial for seizing opportunities, managing payroll, and covering inventory costs. Unlike traditional loans that may involve lengthy approval processes or stringent credit requirements, factoring provides quick and flexible funding based on accounts receivable.

By leveraging factoring, your clients can unlock working capital without adding debt or risking their creditworthiness. This ensures they remain agile and competitive during a critical time of the year when customer payments may be delayed or unpredictable. Additionally, factoring can help sustain growth initiatives, support seasonal staffing needs, and enhance overall financial resilience.

I invite you to reach out to discuss how this financing option can be tailored to meet your client’s specific needs. With our streamlined process and focus on quality receivables, we can facilitate funding in as few as 3-5 days—empowering your client to maximize their holiday sales and finish the year strong. Contact me today to explore how we can assist in securing the necessary capital before the year concludes.

The Need to Lead by Dave Berke – Summary and Analysis

Posted on November 25, 2025 by Chris Lehnes

In this third book in the Extreme Ownership trilogy, a retired fighter pilot and TOPGUN instructor, now serving as the Chief Development Officer at Echelon Front, teaches listeners the importance of leadership and how to implement it. The Need to Lead invokes the classic Top Gun movie quote. It is also an undeniable truth that author Dave Berke experienced as a Marine Corps officer, fighter pilot, TOPGUN instructor, ground combat leader, husband, and father. This book, based on his experiences and teachings, helps listeners be better leaders and understand that leadership is a universal requirement for success, no matter the environment. Every person needs to lead in order to succeed.

By adopting the right leadership mindsets and behaviors, we gain the capacity to solve problems, support the people around us, and amend our mistakes. How do we develop these necessary skills? By embracing the principles imparted to Berke from each humbling moment in the 1) EVERYONE IS A From the CEO to the most junior employee, everyone at every level, is a leader. Leadership isn’t about rank, title, position, or function. The more people see themselves as leaders, the more they want to contribute to the team’s success. 2) LEADERSHIP EXISTS IN EVERY Leadership is often viewed as an attribute relevant to our professional lives, but it exists in every capacity, it applies in every situation. The same behaviors should guide us as parents, spouses, family members, and friends of all kinds. 3) EVERY PROBLEM WE FACE IS A LEADERSHIP The problems we confront at work aren’t caused by external factors. They are caused by our failure to lead. Our child’s behavior isn’t just a function of their age and tendencies; it’s about us as parents. If a lack of leadership is the problem, and good leadership is the solution, then how we lead becomes the most critical factor affecting the outcome. 4) LEADERSHIP IS A Good leaders aren’t simply born. Leadership can be learned, which means every single person in the world can get better at it if they choose. This book is their guide. Through compelling stories from TOPGUN training and combat to the boardroom and at home, Berke gives listeners the necessary tools to succeed..

The Need to Lead: A Briefing on Core Leadership Principles

Executive Summary

This document synthesizes the core leadership principles, mindsets, and actions detailed in Dave Berke’s The Need to Lead. The central thesis posits that leadership is not a function of rank or title but a universal and necessary skill for success in any endeavor, from the battlefield to the boardroom to the family home. The framework is built upon four foundational beliefs: 1) everyone is a leader, 2) leadership applies in every capacity of life, 3) every problem is a leadership problem, and 4) leadership is a skill that can be learned and improved.

The analysis is divided into two parts. Part I: The Mindsets of a Good Leader examines the internal frameworks required for effective leadership. Key mindsets include recognizing that all problems stem from a lack of leadership, making humility the most critical attribute to counteract a destructive ego, fighting the constant threat of complacency, developing detachment as a “superpower” for clear decision-making, and understanding that the pursuit of constant improvement is superior to the myth of perfection.

Part II: The Actions of a Good Leader details the external behaviors that manifest from these mindsets. These actions include taking “Extreme Ownership” for all outcomes, especially preemptively; listening more than talking to build trust and gather information; embracing and leading through change to avoid stagnation; consistently putting the team’s success ahead of individual recognition; and preparing the team to thrive in the leader’s absence, which is the ultimate measure of leadership success. Each principle is illustrated through personal anecdotes from a distinguished career as a Marine Corps fighter pilot, TOPGUN instructor, and ground combat leader.

Foundational Philosophy: The Four Core Beliefs

The leadership philosophy presented is built upon four core beliefs codified at the leadership consultancy Echelon Front. These beliefs assert that leadership is a universal requirement and a learnable skill applicable to every facet of life.

Everyone Is a Leader: Leadership is not contingent on rank, title, or position. Anyone who interacts with another person or whose actions impact a team or outcome is a leader. Embracing this definition empowers individuals at all levels to contribute to solving challenges and achieving success.
Leadership Exists in Every Capacity: The principles of leadership are not confined to professional life. They are equally applicable and essential in personal roles as parents, spouses, and community members. The most challenging leadership test is leading oneself, as the ego can lead to destructive personal choices.
Every Problem Is a Leadership Problem: Issues are not caused by external factors, bad processes, or ineffective bosses, but by a failure to lead. This perspective is transformative because it positions leadership as the universal solution, empowering individuals to exert influence over outcomes rather than seeing themselves as victims of circumstance.
Leadership Is a Skill: Good leaders are not born; they are made. Like any other skill, leadership can be learned, practiced, and improved. While some may have natural inclinations, everyone can benefit from leadership development through a cycle of trying, failing, assessing, learning, and improving.

Part I: The Mindsets of a Good Leader

Effective leadership begins with cultivating a specific set of internal mindsets that govern perception, attitude, and reaction. These mindsets are often counterintuitive to natural human tendencies.

1. Every Problem Is a Leadership Problem

A core tenet is that leaders must reject passivity and the “it is what it is” mentality. When faced with challenges, a leader’s responsibility is to act, even when circumstances feel beyond control, to exert influence and shape the outcome.

Inaction as Failure: In a combat story from Ramadi, Berke’s initial inaction during a mortar attack, based on the assumption that it was a routine event, led to his team being pinned down in a well-coordinated ambush. This experience illustrates that doing nothing is a leadership failure that cedes control to external forces and creates a “leadership vacuum” where negative outcomes are likely.
Proactive Engagement: Leaders must anticipate challenges, assess options, and execute a plan. They do not wait for a situation to deteriorate to a point where no good options remain. The responsibility of leadership is to fill the void and dictate the outcome, rather than letting the situation dictate it.

2. Humility Is the Most Important Attribute in a Leader

Ego, while a source of self-worth, becomes an enemy when unchecked. It prevents leaders from accepting blame, admitting ignorance, and listening to others. Humility is the essential counterbalance that enables learning, growth, and team cohesion.

The Danger of Ego: During Marine Corps Basic School, Berke’s high performance fueled his ego, causing him to become arrogant and dismissive of struggling peers. A peer review stating he “would be one of the best Marines in the platoon… if he didn’t already think that he was” was a wake-up call.
Humility in Action: True leadership involves helping teammates who are struggling, recognizing that their failure is the team’s failure. Humility allows for brutally honest self-assessment, which is critical for improvement. A humble leader puts the team’s success first.

3. Complacency Is a Killer

Complacency is a distinct threat that emerges when success seems imminent. It is a contentedness to a fault, causing a leader to drop their guard, overlook risks, and fail to follow through, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

The Trap of Assumed Victory: In a one-on-one dogfight against his TOPGUN commanding officer, Tom “Trim” Downing, Berke gained a clear advantage and grew complacent, assuming the fight was won. This allowed his opponent to execute an unexpected maneuver and “kill” him.
Constant Vigilance: The lesson is that leaders must be “unrelenting” and “leave nothing to chance.” They must remain attentive to every potential risk and weakness until the mission is complete. Good leaders are discontented to a fault, always pushing for every possible advantage.

4. Detachment Is a Superpower

Effective leaders must be able to detach from their own emotions, ego, and perspective to see situations clearly and make rational decisions. This is not about being aloof, but about gaining control over internal reactions that cloud judgment.

Controlling Emotional Reactions: During naval water survival training, Berke initially panicked in the “Dilbert Dunker” simulator. To succeed in the more complex “helo dunker,” he had to learn to control his fear, use objective reference points, and empathize with his teammates’ perspectives to navigate the chaotic environment.
The Power of Perspective: Detaching from one’s own viewpoint is crucial. By putting themselves in others’ shoes, leaders can better assess problems and find solutions. This holistic view allows leaders to anticipate what might happen next and make more effective decisions.

5. Perfection Is a Lie

The demand for perfection is counterproductive. It creates a culture where team members hide small mistakes to avoid criticism. These hidden errors accumulate and eventually lead to catastrophic failure.

The Goal of Constant Correction: During his first F-18 Carrier Qualifications, Berke became obsessed with flying a “perfect” landing after a poor start. This led him to ignore small, low-on-glideslope deviations rather than making necessary corrections, a far more dangerous habit. The lesson from his Landing Signal Officer (LSO) was that there is no perfect pass; the goal is constant, minute correction of errors.
A Culture of Improvement: A good leader fosters an environment where mistakes are openly acknowledged and used as opportunities for learning. The best teams, like those in Naval Aviation, understand the best they can achieve is “OK,” and this humility drives a relentless pursuit of improvement.

Part II: The Actions of a Good Leader

The mindsets of a leader are manifested through a set of disciplined, external actions. These behaviors build trust, empower teams, and drive success.

6. Take Ownership

Leaders must accept ultimate responsibility for everything that happens under their purview. Taking “Extreme Ownership” destroys excuses and grants the leader the control needed to solve problems.

The Burden of Command: Berke recounts the death of Corporal Chris Leon in Ramadi. For years, he viewed it as a tragic but unavoidable consequence of war. Reading Extreme Ownership led him to the realization that, as the commander, Chris’s death was 100% his responsibility. He had failed to proactively address the increasing sniper threat.
Preemptive Ownership: The most powerful form of ownership is preemptive. This involves actively looking for potential problems on the horizon and addressing them before they occur. This proactive stance is superior to being reactive and gives leaders the maximum possible control over outcomes.

7. Listen

While traditional leadership is associated with talking and giving orders, the most overlooked and effective leadership behavior is listening. Talking less and listening more demonstrates care, builds trust, and allows a leader to gather critical information.

Communication Imbalance: Upon returning from the hyper-vigilant environment of Ramadi, Berke’s combat-ingrained habit of being the sole communicator (“vehicle commander”) caused him to shut down his wife’s voice, damaging their relationship. He had to learn to be quiet and listen to reconnect.
Listening as a Tool: By actively listening, leaders can understand their team’s real needs and challenges. When people feel heard, they become more engaged, take more ownership, and are more receptive when the leader does need to speak. Listening to one’s own internal voice is also crucial for self-awareness and emotional control.

8. Change

While it is human nature to resist change because it is uncomfortable and unpredictable, the ability to innovate and adapt is vital for the survival and success of any individual or organization.

Overcoming Ingrained Habits: When transitioning to the F-22 Raptor, Berke’s vast experience in older jets became a liability. His established habits were incorrect for the new fifth-generation fighter. He had to overcome his initial resistance and ego, humbly learn from less-experienced pilots, and fundamentally change his approach to flying.
Leading Through Change: Good leaders embrace change, even when the team is successful, to avoid complacency and stay ahead of the competition. They must be humble enough to listen to new ideas from all levels of the organization and guide the team through the friction of implementation.

9. Put the Team First

A leader’s success is a direct result of the team’s work. Therefore, a good leader subordinates their own ego and deflects credit and praise to the team.

Acknowledging the Collective Effort: After a near-impossible night carrier landing in a snowstorm, Berke received significant praise but felt like a “fraud.” He realized his safe recovery was the result of a massive, coordinated effort by hundreds of sailors—from the LSOs to the catapult and arresting gear crews. This led him to build relationships with and acknowledge the team members doing the thankless, critical work.
Empowerment Through Recognition: When leaders give credit to the team, it empowers individuals, validates their contributions, and encourages them to take more ownership. This builds a stronger culture where team members are invested in supporting one another, leading to greater mission success.

10. Prepare for Your Departure

The ultimate measure of a leader’s success is how well their team can perform and thrive in their absence. A leader’s duty is to develop other leaders and build a resilient organization that is not dependent on any single individual.

The Unplanned Test: A family medical emergency with his young daughter, Isabella, forced Berke to abandon his command of the world’s first F-35 squadron without any preparation or transition. He returned a month later to find the squadron operating flawlessly, a testament to the decentralized command culture he had fostered.
Building a Lasting Legacy: Leaders must constantly work themselves out of a job by training and empowering their subordinates. By pushing decision-making down to the lowest possible level and ensuring everyone understands the mission’s “why,” they create a team that can lead itself through any crisis. The best leadership outlasts the leader.

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Trust & Inspire by Stephen Covey – Summary and Analysis

Posted on November 21, 2025 by Chris Lehnes

Briefing Document: The Trust & Inspire Leadership Model

The core principles of the “Trust & Inspire” leadership model, is presented as an essential paradigm shift from the traditional “Command & Control” style. The central argument is that while the world, the nature of work, and the workforce have fundamentally changed, prevailing leadership styles have not, creating a significant gap between organizational potential and performance.

The obsolete Command & Control model, even in its more modern “Enlightened” form, is transactional, focuses on compliance, and manages people as resources to be controlled. This approach is increasingly ineffective in an era defined by five key emerging forces: rapid global change, the shift to collaborative knowledge work, the decentralization of the workplace, a diverse workforce with new expectations, and the expansion of individual choice.

The Trust & Inspire model offers a relevant, transformational alternative. It is a people-centered approach rooted in the belief that individuals possess inherent greatness and potential. This model operates through three core responsibilities, or “Stewardships”:

Modeling: Leaders establish credibility and moral authority through their own behavior, embodying virtues like humility, courage, authenticity, and empathy.
Trusting: Leaders actively and intelligently extend trust to their teams, moving beyond mere trustworthiness. This is operationalized by clarifying expectations and practicing mutual accountability to grow people’s capabilities and confidence.
Inspiring: Leaders connect with people on a personal level and connect them to a shared purpose, fostering a sense of contribution that ignites intrinsic motivation and commitment, which far surpasses what external motivation can achieve.

Ultimately, the Trust & Inspire framework is positioned as the most effective means to meet the two epic imperatives of the modern era: winning in the workplace by creating a high-trust culture that attracts and retains talent, and winning in the marketplace by fostering the collaboration and innovation necessary for relevance and success.

1. The Case for a New Leadership Paradigm

The foundational premise is that a profound disconnect exists between the demands of the modern world and the prevailing leadership methodologies. While organizations face immense pressure to produce more for less, the vast majority of the workforce possesses far more talent and creativity than their jobs require or allow them to contribute. This gap is a direct result of clinging to an outdated leadership paradigm.

The Obsolescence of Command & Control

The traditional leadership style, “Command & Control,” is a relic of the industrial age. It operates from a paradigm of position and power, treating people as things to be managed efficiently. Its core tools are containment, coercion, and compliance, often through “carrot-and-stick” motivation. While this model has been refined into a kinder, gentler “Enlightened Command & Control” that incorporates elements like emotional intelligence and mission statements, its fundamental paradigm of control remains unchanged.

This style is increasingly irrelevant and ineffective for several reasons:

It stiﬂes innovation and creativity by fostering fear and discouraging risk.
It garners compliance at best, but fails to generate heartfelt commitment.
It is transactional rather than transformational, focusing on short-term tasks over long-term capability development.
It is ill-suited to a world where people demand autonomy, purpose, and trust. As the source states, “Operating from a Command & Control paradigm today is like trying to play tennis with a golf club.”

The Five Emerging Forces Driving Change

The need for a new leadership model is propelled by five interconnected global shifts:

Force	Description
1. The Nature of the World Has Changed	The pace and nature of change are unprecedented, driven by disruptive technologies like AI, robotics, and digitization. Human knowledge is now estimated to double every twelve hours, making a “learn-it-all” mindset essential over a “know-it-all” one.
2. The Nature of Work Has Changed	Work is now predominantly knowledge- and service-based, requiring collaboration, innovation, and creativity. The focus has shifted from hands to minds.
3. The Nature of the Workplace Has Changed	The traditional physical office is becoming less relevant. Work is increasingly virtual, hybrid, or globally dispersed, leading to flatter organizational structures that require greater speed and flexibility.
4. The Nature of the Workforce Has Changed	The workforce is more diverse than ever, with up to five generations working together. Younger generations (Millennials, Gen Z) have different expectations, prioritizing purpose and meaningful contribution over just a paycheck.
5. The Nature of Choice Has Changed	Technology has created infinite choice for consumers and employees. The rise of the gig economy and virtual work means top talent has unprecedented options and will choose organizations where they feel trusted, valued, and inspired.

The Two Epic Imperatives of the Modern Era

These five forces create two non-negotiable imperatives for any organization seeking sustained success:

Win in the Workplace: Create a high-trust culture that can attract, retain, engage, and inspire the best people. Trust is the primary driver of engagement; a study by ADP Research Institute found that employees are 14 times more likely to be fully engaged when they trust their leader. Beyond engagement is inspiration, which a Bain & Company study showed makes employees 125% more productive than merely satisfied employees.
Win in the Marketplace: Collaborate and innovate successfully to stay relevant in a disruptive world. Command & Control stifles the risk-taking and psychological safety necessary for true collaboration and innovation. A high-trust culture, by contrast, makes people 32 times more likely to take a responsible risk and 11 times more likely to innovate.

2. Defining the Trust & Inspire Model

Trust & Inspire is a leadership style based on the belief that people have greatness inside them and that a leader’s job is to unleash that potential. It is a shift from managing people to leading people.

Core Philosophy and Contrasts

The fundamental difference lies in the leader’s paradigm—their view of people and leadership.

Aspect	Command & Control	Trust & Inspire
Paradigm	Position and Power. Sees people as things/assets.	People and Potential. Sees people as whole individuals.
Focus	Managing and controlling people.	Unleashing talent and potential.
Motivation	Extrinsic (carrot and stick).	Intrinsic (purpose, meaning, contribution).
Outcome	Compliance and coordination.	Commitment and collaboration.
Approach	Transactional (efficiency-focused).	Transformational (effectiveness-focused).
Mindset	Scarcity (competing for credit/resources).	Abundance (elevating caring over competing).
Goal	Get things done.	Get results in a way that grows people.
Metaphor	Machinist leveraging resources.	Gardener creating conditions for growth.

The Five Fundamental Beliefs of a Trust & Inspire Leader

This leadership style flows from five core beliefs that shape a leader’s mindset and subsequent actions.

Belief	Implication for the Leader’s Job
People have greatness inside them.	My job is to unleash their potential, not control them.
People are whole people.	My job is to inspire, not merely motivate.
There is enough for everyone.	My job is to elevate caring above competing.
Leadership is stewardship.	My job is to put service above self-interest.
Enduring influence is created from the inside out.	My job is to go first.

3. The 3 Stewardships of a Trust & Inspire Leader

Trust & Inspire leadership is not an abstract theory but a practical framework built on three interdependent stewardships, or core responsibilities.

1st Stewardship: Modeling (Who You Are)

Modeling is the source of a leader’s credibility and moral authority. It is built on the belief that leaders must “go first” to create enduring influence. People are far more impacted by a leader’s example than their words.

Credibility: This is a function of both Character (integrity, intent) and Competence (capabilities, results). Both are necessary for trust.
Moral Authority: This is influence earned through consistent, uplifting behavior, distinct from the formal authority of a title.
Key Behavioral Virtues to Model:
- Humility and Courage: Humility is recognizing that principles govern, not ego. Courage is acting on those principles, especially when difficult. This combination creates leaders who are “modest and willful, shy and fearless.”
- Authenticity and Vulnerability: Authenticity is being who you say you are (“to be rather than to seem”). Vulnerability is the courage to let others see who you really are, creating connection and trust.
- Empathy and Performance: Empathy is seeking first to understand another’s perspective, which builds trust and enables influence. Performance is delivering results, which builds credibility and converts cynics. The two are synergistic.

2nd Stewardship: Trusting (How You Lead)

This stewardship moves beyond simply being trustworthy to actively extending trust to others. The primary challenge in leadership is not a lack of trustworthy people, but trustworthy people who do not extend trust.

The “Why”: To Grow People. The most significant outcome of extending trust is the growth and development of the person being trusted. People rise to the occasion, develop new capabilities, and reciprocate the trust given to them.
The “How”: Clarify Expectations and Practice Accountability. Extending trust is not a blind act; it is “smart trust.”
- Clarify Expectations: Create a shared, mutual understanding of desired results, guidelines, and available resources upfront. This is the behavior of prevention.
- Practice Accountability: Hold yourself accountable first, then hold others accountable to the mutually agreed-upon expectations. This shifts the dynamic from a leader judging others to individuals judging themselves against the agreement.

3rd Stewardship: Inspiring (Connecting to Why)

Inspiration is identified as the new engagement and the quality people most want in a leader. It is a learnable skill that comes from connection.

Connecting with People: This creates the foundation for inspiration.
- Self-Level (Find Your “Why”): A leader must first connect with their own purpose to authentically help others.
- Relationship Level (Caring): Genuinely care for others as whole people. As the adage goes, “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
- Team Level (Belonging): Foster a culture of inclusion where every member feels they are an important part of something larger than themselves.
Connecting to Purpose: Once personal connections are established, a leader can connect the work to a deeper sense of purpose, meaning, and contribution.
- This moves beyond mission statements to help individuals see how their specific role contributes to a significant outcome (e.g., the NASA janitor “helping put a man on the moon”).
- Purpose turns a job into a calling and is the key to unlocking discretionary effort and passion.

4. Practical Application and Overcoming Barriers

The Stewardship Agreement as a Core Tool

The “Stewardship Agreement” is a practical tool for operationalizing the Trust & Inspire model. It is a psychological and social contract that clarifies expectations and accountability, shifting the paradigm from manager to coach. It is particularly effective for remote and hybrid work environments.

Five Elements of a Stewardship Agreement:
1. Desired Results: What do we want to accomplish, and why?
2. Guidelines: Within what boundaries will we operate?
3. Resources: What support is available to achieve the results?
4. Accountability: How will we know how we’re doing? (Ideally, this enables self-evaluation).
5. Consequences: What are the implications of achieving or not achieving the results?

Common Barriers to Adoption

The text identifies five common mental barriers that prevent leaders from shifting to a Trust & Inspire style, along with solutions for each.

Barrier	Description	Solution Mindset & Action
1. “This Won’t Work Here”	The belief that one’s specific industry, company, boss, or culture is an exception where Trust & Inspire is not viable. This mindset places the problem “out there.”	Mindset: I am part of the solution. Action: First model the desired behavior within your circle of influence, then mentor others who are inspired by your example and results.
2. Fear (“But What If…”)	Fear of losing control, of failure, of being burned by betrayal, of not getting credit, or of personal inadequacy (“imposter syndrome”).	Mindset: The potential return outweighs the risk. Action: Extend “smart trust” by balancing risk and return, operate with an abundance mentality, and intentionally build personal credibility.
3. “I Don’t Know How to Let Go”	The deep-seated need to control tasks and methods, often stemming from the belief that “if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.”	Mindset: Failure is the pathway to growth and innovation. Action: Develop a high tolerance for failure, focusing on learning and course correction. Empower people with autonomy over their tasks.
4. “I’m the Smartest One in the Room”	The conscious or unconscious belief that the leader’s ideas are inherently the best, leading them to diminish the contributions of others.	Mindset: I need the strengths of those around me. Action: Become a “multiplier” by practicing humility, listening first to understand, and having a growth mindset for others, not just yourself.
5. “This Is Who I Am”	The belief that one’s leadership style is fixed and unchangeable, a product of a long-standing identity or past successes.	Mindset: I’m the programmer, not the program. Action: Actively “rescript” your leadership style by seeking out new models and mentors. Recognize that past success does not guarantee future relevance.

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Brief Summary of Book: The Multiply Method: Simple Systems for Building a Solid, Sustainable Network Marketing Team by Sarah Robbins

Posted on November 17, 2025 by Chris Lehnes

Here is a quick description and cover image of book The Multiply Method: Simple Systems for Building a Solid, Sustainable Network Marketing Team written by Sarah Robbins which was published in August 12, 2025. You can read this before The Multiply Method: Simple Systems for Building a Solid, Sustainable Network Marketing Team PDF EPUB full Download at the bottom.

Discover The Multiply Method, Sarah Robbins’ proven system for simplifying network marketing, scaling your team, and creating lasting success–developed from her journey to building a $2 billion annual sales business. Are you ready to take your network marketing business to the next level? As a kindergarten teacher who was uncertain about her future, Sarah Robbins often wondered what she would do if she lost her job. How would she support herself, especially at the height of a recession? Then one day, she received an offer she couldn’t refuse, to join a network marketing adventure. Before she knew it, her part-time side hustle became her full-time career. And based on her many years of experience, she has developed a simple, effective system–one that she’s used to build a business with over $2 billion in annual sales. In this accessible guide, Robbins shares all of the techniques and strategies she uses daily not only in her own company but also with her coaching clients from across every industry. The Multiply Method will show you how Reframe prospecting as inviting to take off the pressure Use conversations as presentations that turn interest into opportunity Close the deal by conquering objections Launch new team members with quick, easy wins Leverage social media in a way that leads clients to you And develop leaders who also multiply. Whether you’re new to network marketing or a seasoned professional, The Multiply Method gives you the tools to simplify your efforts, scale your team, and create a legacy you can be proud of. If you’re ready to unlock your business’s potential, join the countless others who have used this simple system to build extraordinary success. Your breakthrough starts here!

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Briefing Document: The Multiply Method by Sarah Robbins

Executive Summary

This document provides a comprehensive synthesis of “The Multiply Method,” a book by Sarah Robbins that outlines a framework of simple, replicable systems for building a sustainable network marketing team. The core argument is that success in network marketing is not dependent on personality, pre-existing networks, or salesmanship, but on the consistent implementation of proven, duplicable systems. The method is rooted in authentic relationship-building and leadership development, treating the business model as a form of “pseudo-franchising” where success can be scaled through duplication.

The author’s personal journey serves as a primary case study. After building a sales team that generated over $2 billion in annual sales, the business model was dismantled overnight. Robbins successfully rebuilt a new team faster than the first by applying the exact systems outlined in the book, validating the method’s effectiveness irrespective of the company or circumstances.

The Multiply Method is comprised of ten interconnected systems: Prospecting, Presenting, Closing, Fast Start, Customer Acquisition, Customer Retention, Events, Social Media, Leadership Development, and Team Training. Key strategies include reframing prospecting as the “art of inviting” through a Compliment → Conversation → Connection model, simplifying presentations to a WHY → WHAT → WHO framework, and handling objections with a Feel-Felt-Found technique. The ultimate goal is to create a culture of duplication where leaders multiply other leaders, resulting in exponential and sustainable growth.

Author’s Journey and Method Validation

Sarah Robbins began her career as a kindergarten teacher during the 2008 recession, facing job insecurity. At her mother’s encouragement, she started a network marketing business part-time. Despite having no systems or upline support, she invested in mentorship and developed her own systematic approach. This led to building a sales team of hundreds of thousands, serving millions of customers, and achieving over $2 billion in annual sales within five years.

A pivotal moment occurred when the company’s model changed, effectively eliminating her team and over 99% of her income overnight. Faced with this monumental loss, Robbins chose to rebuild from the ground up with a new company. This experience became the ultimate test for her systems. She successfully applied the Multiply Method and reached the top of the new company’s compensation plan in her first full month, proving the method’s principles are universal and not company-dependent. This journey reinforces the core message that success is rooted in strategy, leadership, and authentic relationships, not just the product or pay plan.

The Core Philosophy: The Power of Replicable Systems

The central thesis of “The Multiply Method” is that network marketing operates like a “pseudo-franchise” model, but without the high overhead costs of traditional franchises. Success is achieved not through individual charisma or unique skills, but by replicating simple, effective systems that anyone can follow.

Comparison to Franchising: Like Starbucks, which provides a consistent experience globally through replicable procedures, network marketing thrives when distributors follow a common system. The key is to provide new team members with a simple system to “plug into and duplicate.”
Simplicity and Momentum: The fastest-growing teams focus on simplicity. Momentum is built by many people consistently doing a small amount of work. The simpler the system, the faster it builds and duplicates.
Systems-Dependent, Not Sponsor-Dependent: The model ensures that success is not contingent on who sponsors a new member. When strong systems are in place for training and operations, anyone can plug in and find the resources they need to succeed.

The 10 Core Systems of The Multiply Method

The method is a comprehensive framework broken down into ten essential systems designed to build and scale a network marketing business.

System	Core Function	Key Objective
1. Prospecting	The “art of inviting” people into the business.	To generate leads and start conversations by finding potential customers and partners.
2. Presenting	Turning interest into opportunity through authentic conversations.	To share the product and business opportunity in a clear, professional, and replicable way.
3. Closing	Guiding prospects through the decision-making process.	To overcome objections and enroll new customers, consultants, or connectors.
4. Fast Start	Onboarding new team members for immediate success.	To launch new distributors effectively, helping them earn their first paycheck and promotion.
5. Customer Acquisition	Building a strong, customer-centric business base.	To attract, engage, and enroll loyal customers who are excited about the products.
6. Customer Retention	Keeping customers engaged and reordering.	To create lifelong advocates through consistent follow-up, encouraging reorders, referrals, and upgrades.
7. Events	Accelerating growth through virtual and in-person experiences.	To showcase the product, opportunity, and community in an impactful, experiential way.
8. Social Media	Attracting ideal clients through strategic online content.	To generate an endless stream of organic leads by providing value and sparking curiosity.
9. Leadership Development	Creating leaders who multiply other leaders.	To transform the organization by duplicating leadership, which is the “real gold” of the business.
10. Team Training & Communication	Building a unified culture of duplication.	To hold the team together with consistent training and communication systems that are stress-free.

Detailed System Breakdown

1. Prospecting: The Art of Inviting

Prospecting is positioned not as selling, but as making connections. Top earners are universally great prospectors who prioritize people over product and relationship over revenue.

The Three-Step System:Compliment → Conversation → Connection
- Compliment: Start with a genuine compliment or congratulations to initiate or rekindle a relationship. This can be based on a social media post or recent life event.
- Conversation: Ask open-ended questions and be genuinely interested in the other person. The acronym TINY (Their Interest, Not Yours) is a guiding principle.
- Connection: When the moment feels right, connect the conversation to the business. This is often framed as seeking an opinion or help with expansion, keeping it pressure-free.
Approaching Unknown Contacts: The same three-step system applies, often initiated by complimenting service or an attribute, leading to a conversation, and then connecting by offering a sample and exchanging social media details for follow-up.
The Cost of Passive Prospecting: The story of “Stacey,” a highly-networked woman on the author’s “dream team” list, illustrates the danger of assuming an ideal prospect will reach out. While Robbins hesitated, another distributor, Rose, proactively used the system, connected with Stacey, and recruited her. Stacey became the company’s number one recruiter that year.

2. Presenting: Sharing Powerfully and Professionally

Effective presentations are short, conversational, and focused on the prospect. The core system avoids scripts in favor of a simple, three-part story.

The Presentation Framework:WHY → WHAT → WHO
1. Connect First: Begin by asking the prospect, “What excites you most about this opportunity?” to tailor the conversation to their interests.
2. Share Your WHY: Explain why you joined the business and what it allows you to do. Focus on meaning over money (e.g., “In part-time hours, the business allowed me to pay for my child’s college fund”). This is more relatable than large income claims.
3. Share WHAT You’re Doing: Briefly cover the company, products (focusing on results), pay plan, and positioning/timing.
4. Share WHO You’re Looking For: Explain that you are looking for customers to try the products and partners to join the team. Then ask, “Who do you know that this would be great for?” This referral-based approach removes pressure.

3. Closing: Conquering Objections

Closing is a systematic process to guide an interested prospect to a decision.

Simple Closing System: Identify Interest → Provide Information + Share Next Steps → Follow Up + Enroll
Handling Objections with the Feel-Felt-Found Method: This technique validates the prospect’s concern before addressing it. The formula is: “I understand how you feel… I felt the same way when I started… but here’s what I found out…”
- “No Money”: Acknowledge the feeling, share a personal story of financial tightness, and explain how the business was an investment that paid off. Offer solutions like preselling or saving up.
- “No Time”: Share stories of others who successfully built the business in part-time hours alongside busy lives. Ask, “If I can teach you a way to do this successfully in under an hour per day, would that be of interest?”
- Product Pricing: Build value by framing the cost relative to daily expenses (e.g., “a cup of coffee per day”), highlighting premium results, and mentioning the money-back guarantee.
- “I’m Not a Salesperson”: Reframe the business as a relationship business built on systems, not sales tactics.
- The “No” Response: Treat “no” as “not now.” Respond with “No problem!” and ask to add them to a VIP list for future offers. It takes an average of seven exposures to get a “yes,” so the fortune is in the follow-up.

4. Fast Start: Onboarding New Distributors

A strong start is critical for new distributor success and retention. The system focuses on four key areas.

Effective Enrolling: The enrollment appointment serves as the first on-the-job training. Walk the new partner through enrollment offers, their new website, and key team resources.
Goal Setting: Have a deep conversation about their “WHY” to establish an emotional connection to their goals. Break the “big WHY” into immediate short-term goals (e.g., earning back their investment).
List Building: Guide them through a “brain dump” exercise using a memory jogger to create a list of people to invite, emphasizing not to pre-judge anyone.
Launching: The most successful way to start is with a launch event (in-person or virtual). This gives the new distributor a simple first task—inviting—while the sponsor handles the presentation. It helps them get their first customers, earn their first paycheck, and build belief.

5. Events: Accelerating Growth

Events are a cornerstone of the method for both launching new distributors and ongoing team growth. They maximize time and create an experiential environment.

Event Structure:
- Pre-Event (Inviting): The new distributor’s primary focus is personally inviting people and following up.
- The Event (Presenting): The sponsor presents to keep it simple for the host. The format includes: Welcome/WHY (from the host), Opportunity, Product Overview, and a Call to Action/Close. A key part of the close is offering one-on-one consultations to make personalized recommendations.
- Post-Event (Closing): Follow up with every guest to thank them, answer questions, and enroll them as a customer or partner.
Virtual Events: Follow a similar flow, using chat for engagement and sharing testimonials and before-and-after images on screen to provide social proof.

6. Customer Acquisition and Retention

A healthy business is built on a large base of happy customers, who are the best brand ambassadors and potential future distributors.

Customer Acquisition System:Recommendation → Validation → Enrollment
1. Recommendation: Ask, “If you could change one thing about your [skin, health, etc.], what would it be?” Then make a specific product recommendation.
2. Validation: Provide social proof with before-and-after photos or testimonials. Avoid overwhelming with technical details.
3. Enrollment: Create urgency by mentioning a special offer or guarantee and directly ask, “Would you like to give it a try?”
Customer Retention System: Treat customers like royalty to earn their loyalty. This is achieved through a monthly five-question follow-up system:
1. How are you loving your product?
2. What are you low on that I can help you replenish this month?
3. Can I share something new (or an exciting offer) with you?
4. As a distributor, I get great benefits—are you interested in learning more?
5. I build my business on referrals—do you know anyone this would be great for?

7. Social Media That Sells

The social media strategy focuses on attracting leads organically by providing value rather than direct selling.

Core Principles:
- Give Great Value: 90% of content should serve the ideal customer “avatar” with inspiration, education, and motivation. The goal is to be “the place people check on purpose.”
- Storytelling, Not Selling: Share stories about the product (testimonials, before-and-afters) and the opportunity (success stories, recognition, events) instead of posting sales links.
- Curiosity Marketing: Intentionally withhold the company or product name to spark interest and prompt questions. Use a call to action like, “Comment INFO below” to generate leads and conversations.
Content-to-Cash Formula:
1. Create curiosity with engaging, value-add content.
2. Prompt engagement in the comments with questions or a one-word call to action.
3. Convert the interest in DMs using the Recommendation → Validation → Enrollment system.

8. Leadership and Duplication Systems

Duplication is the key to sustainable, long-term success. A three-tiered training system is proposed to develop leaders at every level.

All-Team Training: Weekly calls accessible to everyone, consisting of an opportunity/open house call (so the team’s job is just to invite) and a basic skills training call.
Aspiring Leader Training: Programs like “Future Fives” for motivated individuals aiming for leadership ranks. These programs use applications, commitments, and weekly accountability calls to drive activity and promotions.
All-Star (Leadership) Training: Monthly one-on-one “Power Shot” strategy sessions with key leaders to review metrics (sales, sponsoring), set goals, and strategize, ensuring a strong pulse on the organization.

Creating Team Culture

Culture is described as “the glue that holds the team together” through all seasons of business. It is built on two pillars: Communication and Community.

Communication: Maintain open channels through weekly calls, newsletters for recognition and announcements, and team pages/chats for daily connection.
Community & Experiences: Foster a sense of belonging through company events, team retreats, and consistent recognition. People may join for the financial opportunity, but they often stay for the fun and friendships.
Collaboration: Create an unstoppable culture by giving team members roles and responsibilities in team meetings and trainings. When people have buy-in, they build belief.
Playing the Long Game: A key aspect of the culture is leading with integrity and truth. Leaders should coach their teams to understand that business, like the economy, has cycles. True success and legacy are built by picking a company and sticking with it through all seasons, not by chasing “shiny objects.”

Praise for The Multiply Method

The book has received endorsements from several prominent figures in business and network marketing:

John C. Maxwell: Calls Robbins “a leader who multiplies leaders” and the book “a road map to building a legacy by developing people.”
Donna Johnson: Praises Robbins for mastering the simple skills of networking and delivering authenticity and compassion.
Rob Sperry: States that Robbins has “built it, led it, and knows how to teach it,” calling the book a “proven playbook.”
Troy Dooly: Refers to the book as an “incredible resource” and an “absolute treasure” for nurturing leaders.
Emily Ford: Highlights the book’s actionable insights on authentic conversations, social media, and multiplying impact.
Jordan Adler: Describes Robbins as “the real deal” who leads with heart, integrity, and authenticity.

AI Value Creators – Audiobook Summary and Analysis

Posted on November 11, 2025 by Chris Lehnes

Briefing Document: Key Insights from “AI Value Creators”

Executive Summary

“AI Value Creators” presents a compelling argument that the current generative AI era represents a pivotal “Netscape moment”—a point of technological democratization that is not merely an opportunity but an economic imperative for businesses and governments alike. The central thesis is that sustained growth in a world of declining populations and expensive capital can only be achieved through massive productivity gains, for which AI is the primary catalyst.

The document advocates for a fundamental strategic shift from a +AI mindset (adding AI to existing processes) to an AI+ approach (reimagining business with an AI-first strategy). The ultimate goal is to become an AI Value Creator, an organization that leverages an AI platform to tune foundation models with its unique, proprietary data. This is identified as the only sustainable competitive advantage in a future where generic models will commoditize.

Success in this new era is defined by a core formula: AI Success = Foundation Models + Data + Governance + Use Cases. Navigating the inherent tension between progress and risk requires balancing the paradox that responsibility and disruption must coexist. This balance is achieved through a combination of Leadership, widespread Skills development, and a commitment to Openness (in platforms, data, and community). Organizations are urged to act with urgency, view AI as a value generator rather than a cost center, and begin their journey with safe, internal automation projects to build experience and confidence.

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1. The “Netscape Moment” of Generative AI

The emergence of generative AI is framed as a “Netscape moment,” an analogy to the 1994 debut of the first web browser which made the internet tangible, personal, and accessible to the masses.

Democratization of Technology: Generative AI, primarily through the natural language prompt, has taken AI “out of the hands of just the privileged few and democratized [it] for the many.” This accessibility is poised to unleash a wave of innovation and fundamentally change how data is stored, communication happens, and business is conducted.
A World-Changing, Not World-Ending, Technology: While acknowledging concerns about AI, the authors assert, “we don’t think a technology has to be world ending to be world changing.” It is positioned as a tool that will become an integral, “ambient” part of business operations, providing assistance in the background.
The Inevitable Divide: Just as the original Netscape moment created a divide, this new wave of AI will separate adopters from laggards. Those who embrace and integrate AI will reshape the future, while those who do not will face “hefty societal or business consequences.”
AI is Not Magic: Despite its seemingly magical capabilities, AI is fundamentally based on math and science. The document demystifies the technology, explaining that AI connects data points by guessing numerical sequences (vectors). An LLM is more accurately described as a “large number guessing model,” which operates on numerical representations of language, images, and sound.

2. The Strategic Imperative: From `+AI` to `AI+`

A core argument is the necessity of a profound mental model shift for organizations to thrive. This involves moving beyond simply incorporating AI into current operations and instead rebuilding processes around AI’s capabilities.

The +AI Mentality (The Past): This is the common approach of adding AI to existing business processes. While AI adoption has doubled in the last five years, most organizations remain in this mode, which limits potential gains.
The AI+ Mentality (The Future): This is an “AI first” strategy. It involves reimagining and creating entirely new workflows that leverage AI from the ground up. The document asserts that “the companies that adopt an AI+ mentality today… will be the winners of today’s Netscape moment.”
The Rebooted AI Ladder: This framework guides the transition from +AI to AI+.
- Foundation: A robust, AI-infused Information Architecture (IA) to collect, organize, protect, and govern data.
- Rung 1: Add AI to applications.
- Rung 2: Automate workflows.
- Rung 3: Reimagine and replace existing workflows with new AI and agentic workflows.
- Top Rung: Let AI do the (rote) work, achieving a true AI+ state.

3. Becoming an AI Value Creator vs. an AI User

The document outlines three primary modes of AI consumption, drawing a critical distinction between passively using AI and actively creating unique value with it. The latter is presented as the only path to long-term differentiation.

Consumption Model	Description	Status	Key Considerations
Baked into Software	AI is embedded in off-the-shelf products (e.g., Grammarly, Adobe Photoshop).	AI User	Sets a new, higher baseline for productivity but offers no competitive differentiation, as it is available to everyone.
API Call to a Model	An application calls an external, third-party generative AI service (e.g., ChatGPT).	AI User	A viable approach, but entails significant risks: the model is an opaque black box; data privacy is a concern; the organization has no control over training data or governance; and value is disproportionately extracted by the service provider.
AI Platform Approach	An organization uses a platform with tools to access, customize, and deploy various models (open source and proprietary) using its own data.	AI Value Creator	The most comprehensive and recommended model. It allows the business to create and accrue unique value, maintain control over data and governance, and build defensible, proprietary AI assets.

“The only sustainable competitive advantage will come from your data… the only AI that is differentiated in value from any other model for your business will be the AI that is further trained, steered, or tuned to your data on your business problems.”

4. A Framework for Execution and Investment

To ensure AI projects deliver tangible business value, a pragmatic two-dimensional framework for classification and strategy is proposed.

Dimension 1: Budget Intent
- Spend Money to Save Money (Renovation): Using AI to improve efficiency and reduce costs. This includes projects focused on automation and optimization.
- Spend Money to Make Money (Innovation): Using AI to generate new revenue streams, enter new markets, or transform the business model. This includes projects focused on prediction and transformation.
The Acumen Curve: A visual tool to plot AI initiatives along an x-axis of business impact (from cost reduction to transformation) and a y-axis of value. This helps organizations visualize their investment portfolio and focus on business outcomes, not just technology projects.
The “Shift Left, Shift Right” Strategy:
- Shift Left: A concept borrowed from software development, redefined to mean using AI to address problems earlier in a process to reduce costs, defects, or negative outcomes (e.g., using AI for preventative maintenance, early disease detection, or streamlining internal HR processes). This is a “spend money to save money” activity.
- Shift Right: Using the savings, experience, and confidence gained from “shifting left” to fund innovative, transformational projects that create new business models. This is a “spend money to make money” activity. Kodak’s failure to shift from film to digital photography is cited as a cautionary tale.

5. The Emergence of Agentic AI

Agentic AI is highlighted as a major breakthrough and the next frontier in enterprise productivity. Unlike task-oriented AI, agents are goal-oriented and autonomous.

Definition: An agent is a program where the flow logic is defined and controlled by the AI (an LLM) itself. Users provide a goal or desired outcome, and the agent independently plans and executes the necessary tasks to achieve it.
Examples of Agentic AI:
- A team of agents (researcher, writer, social media poster) collaborating to create and distribute a blog post.
- An agent tasked with improving a company’s Net Promoter Score (NPS) by 10 points, which would research, analyze, and propose an action plan.
- AI shopping agents that navigate websites to find products and complete purchases autonomously.
Potential: Agents have the potential to unlock the next wave of productivity gains by automating complex, multi-step workflows.

6. The Economic Imperative and Persuasion Equations

Chapter 3 argues that AI adoption is not a choice but a necessity for economic survival and growth, based on current macroeconomic trends.

Equation 1: GDP Growth = ↑ Population + ↑ Productivity + ↑ Debt
- With global populations declining and debt becoming more expensive, productivity is the only remaining lever for sustained economic growth. This creates an urgent, unavoidable imperative for AI.
The Core Paradox: Responsibility and disruption must coexist.
- Organizations cannot afford to wait on the sidelines due to perceived risks. The economic need for productivity forces them to embrace the disruption of AI while simultaneously implementing it responsibly.
Equation 2: AI Success = Foundation Models + Data + Governance + Use Cases
- This formula outlines the essential pillars for a successful AI strategy. Data is emphasized as the key long-term differentiator, while governance is critical for operating with confidence.
Equation 3: Finding the Balance = Leadership + Skills + Open
- This formula provides the means to navigate the core paradox. Success requires:
  - Leadership: To guide the organization responsibly through disruption.
  - Skills: A massive, company-wide upskilling effort to create a workforce capable of leveraging AI.
  - Open: A commitment to open platforms that allow for model choice, transparency in data and training, and collaboration within the open-source community (e.g., Hugging Face, AI Alliance).

7. Key Principles and Recommendations

The document concludes with a set of actionable principles for organizations embarking on their generative AI journey.

Act with Urgency: This is a transformative technological moment that demands bold, decisive action, guided by a smart and rehearsed plan.
Bet on Community: One Model Will Not Rule Them All: The future is multi-model and will be driven by innovation from open-source communities. Businesses should build on open platforms that can accommodate a variety of open and proprietary models. Hugging Face is cited as a central hub for this community, with over a million models available.
Prioritize Trust and Responsibility: Governance, fairness, and explainability must be foundational, not afterthoughts. Trust is described as the “ultimate license to operate.”
Start with “Singles,” Not “Home Runs”: For organizations new to generative AI, the safest and most effective starting point is an internal automation use case that aims to “spend money to save money.” This approach allows the team to gain skills and confidence in a low-risk environment.
View AI as a Value Generator, Not a Cost Center: A cultural shift is required to see technology investment not as a cost to be managed, but as a fundamental driver of business transformation and value creation.

Contact Factoring Specialist Chris Lehnes

Study Guide for AI Value Creators

This study guide is designed to review and reinforce the core concepts presented in the initial chapters of AI Value Creators. It includes a short-answer quiz to test comprehension, suggested essay questions for deeper analysis, and a glossary of essential terms.

Short-Answer Quiz

Instructions: Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences, drawing exclusively from the provided source material.

What do the authors mean by a “Netscape moment” in the context of generative AI?
How does the text define and differentiate agentic AI from task-oriented AI?
Why do the authors assert that AI is not magic, and what do they claim is its fundamental operation?
Explain the difference between a “+AI” and an “AI+” business mentality.
According to the text, what are the two primary dimensions for classifying a generative AI project’s budget?
Describe the concept of “shifting left” and how generative AI enables it.
What are the three legs of the “AI stool” that are identified as crucial for generative AI?
How does self-supervised learning differ from supervised learning, and why is this distinction significant for foundation models?
Summarize the key differences between being an “AI User” and an “AI Value Creator.”
What is the central economic paradox presented in Chapter 3, and what is its implication for businesses?

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Answer Key

A “Netscape moment” refers to a point in time when a technology becomes tangible, personal, and democratized for everyone, leading to significant innovation and societal change. The authors equate the current state of generative AI to the 1994 debut of the Netscape browser, which made the internet accessible to the many and reshaped the world.
Agentic AI is goal-oriented, where an AI program’s flow logic is defined and controlled by the LLM itself to achieve a desired outcome without explicit guidance at each step. This contrasts with most current AI use, which is task-oriented and requires a user to prompt the AI for each specific action, like summarizing a document.
The authors claim AI is not magic because its operations are based on math and science, not sorcery. Fundamentally, AI connects data points by guessing a number (a vector) using clues from previous numbers (vector sequences), effectively making it a “large number guessing model.”
A “+AI” mentality involves adding AI to existing business processes as an afterthought, which is how most organizations currently operate. An “AI+” mentality means adopting an “AI first” strategy, where AI is foundational to how people are trained and how technology is put into production, with the goal of reimagining workflows.
The first dimension is classifying the spend as either “spend money to save money” (renovation) or “spend money to make money” (innovation). The second dimension is categorizing how the AI helps the business, which falls into one of three categories: automation, optimization, or prediction.
“Shifting left” is the concept of capturing defects or problems earlier in a cycle to make them less costly. The authors expand this definition to include using AI to reduce expenses, bugs, injuries, and illness, thereby compacting work, getting it done faster, and increasing productivity.
The three legs of the AI stool are identified as model architecture, compute power, and data. The text emphasizes that you cannot discuss generative AI without considering all three components, especially data, which is called “maybe the most important ingredient.”
Supervised learning is a traditional AI method that is expensive and time-consuming because it requires humans to manually label large datasets. Self-supervised learning, which powers foundation models, is a frictionless approach where an AI trains on vast amounts of unlabeled data by masking parts of the text and learning to fill in the blanks.
An AI User consumes AI by using it embedded in software or by making an API call to someone else’s model, which provides a baseline of productivity but little differentiation. An AI Value Creator uses a platform approach to build their own tailored AI solutions, fine-tuning foundation models with their proprietary data to create unique, sustainable competitive advantages.
The central paradox is that “Responsibility and disruption must coexist.” With global populations declining and debt becoming more expensive, productivity is the only path to economic growth, making AI adoption an imperative. Therefore, businesses and governments cannot afford to wait due to risks but must instead accept the disruption AI brings while simultaneously implementing it in a responsible and trustworthy manner.

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Essay Questions

Instructions: The following questions are designed for longer-form, analytical responses. Use the source material to construct a comprehensive argument for each prompt.

Analyze the evolution of the “AI Ladder” from its original pre-generative AI form to the “rebooted” version. What do the changes in the ladder’s rungs signify about the strategic shift from a data-centric approach to an “AI+” methodology?
The authors argue that “one model will not rule them all.” Construct an argument to support this claim, using evidence from the text regarding the open-source community (e.g., Hugging Face), the importance of proprietary data, and the platform approach of the AI Value Creator.
Explain the framework of the “AI and Data Acumen Curve.” How does this tool help a business visualize and plan its AI strategy, moving from renovation projects (like cost reduction) to innovation projects (like business transformation)?
Using the economic equations and macrodynamic trends presented in Chapter 3 (GDP Growth, population, debt, productivity), explain why the authors conclude that AI adoption is no longer a matter of choice for most businesses and countries.
Define the difference between an “AI User” and an “AI Value Creator” as described in the text. Discuss the long-term strategic risks an organization faces by remaining solely an AI User, considering factors like data control, value accrual, competitive differentiation, and dependency on external models.

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Glossary of Key Terms

Term	Definition
+AI	The world of adding AI to existing business processes, as opposed to an AI-first approach.
Acumen	As used in “Data Acumen,” it refers to “skills related to putting data to work to help your business become data driven.”
Adaptable (AI)	The ability of an AI to not only perform multiple tasks but also handle different use cases it wasn’t originally trained for.
Agentic AI / AI Agents	A program in which the flow logic is defined and controlled by the AI (an LLM) itself. Agents are goal-oriented, capable of planning and executing future actions without explicit guidance to achieve a desired outcome.
AI+	An “AI first” mentality where companies train their people and put technology into production with AI as the foundation, reimagining new workflows.
AI Ladder (Rebooted)	A reframed guiding strategy for the generative AI era that is built with AI in mind from the first rung, not as the destination. It guides organizations from data operations toward automating and replacing workflows with AI and agentic workflows.
AI Value Creator	An entity that uses an AI platform to build its own AI solutions by fine-tuning foundation models with proprietary data, thereby creating and accruing unique business value.
AI User	An entity that consumes AI when it is “baked into” off-the-shelf software or by prompting someone else’s model via an API call.
Foundation Model (FM)	Large-scale, deep neural networks trained on broad data that can be easily adapted to perform various downstream tasks for which they were not originally designed. LLMs are a type of FM.
Generalizable (AI)	The ability of an AI to perform well across a wide range of tasks and domains, often with little to no task-specific tuning.
High-dimensional space	A state where data has so many dimensions (features or attributes) that it is hard for humans to visualize.
Information Architecture (IA)	A platform that allows an organization to collect, organize, protect, govern, and store data, as well as build and govern generative AI models. The authors state, “You can’t have AI without an IA.”
Large Language Model (LLM)	A type of foundation model that powers many generative AI programs. It is described as a “large number guessing model” that uses math to connect data points and predict sequences.
Netscape Moment	A transformative moment when a technology is democratized and becomes tangible and personable for everyone, leading to widespread innovation and permanent changes in society.
Parameters	In the context of an LLM, parameters represent the overall knowledge of the model. A higher number of parameters generally means the model can perform more tasks.
Prompt	The input, typically in natural language, given to an LLM to elicit a response or “completion.”
Self-supervised learning	A type of frictionless learning where a model is trained on large amounts of unlabeled data by masking sections of the input and learning to predict the missing parts.
Shifting Left	A concept, originating from software development, of capturing defects or problems earlier in a cycle to make them less costly. The authors broaden it to mean using AI to reduce expenses, injuries, illness, and rote tasks.
Shifting Right	The ideation of new business models or a pivotal strategic move to transform an industry, often in response to technological change.
Supervised Learning	A traditional AI training method that requires humans to manually annotate large datasets, a process described as expensive, error-prone, and time-consuming.
Transfer Learning	The ability of an AI model to apply information and skills it has learned about in one situation to another, different situation.

The Evolution of a National Tribute: Veterans Day

Posted on November 10, 2025 by Chris Lehnes

Veterans Day

The holiday now known as Veterans Day, celebrated annually on November 11th, stands as a profound testament to the American commitment to its armed forces. It is a day dedicated to honoring all living and deceased military veterans who have served in the United States Armed Forces during wartime or peacetime. The history of this national holiday is not static; it is a narrative of evolution, reflecting the nation’s changing relationship with its military, transforming from a celebration of peace at the end of “the war to end all wars” into a universal commemoration of service.

The journey from Armistice Day to Veterans Day is a chronicle of remembrance, legislative action, and enduring patriotism, rooted in a single, historically significant moment: the cessation of hostilities that ended World War I.

I. Armistice Day: The Birth of a Commemoration – Veterans Day

The foundation of Veterans Day lies in the signing of the armistice that brought an end to the brutal fighting of World War I.

The Eleventh Hour, Eleventh Day, Eleventh Month (1918)

The pivotal date is November 11, 1918. The armistice, a temporary cessation of hostilities between the Allied nations and Germany, went into effect at the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.” While the Treaty of Versailles, the official peace treaty, was signed seven months later on June 28, 1919, November 11th was universally accepted as the symbolic end of the Great War.

In the United States and Allied countries, the news sparked spontaneous, joyous celebrations. However, the initial jubilation quickly gave way to a solemn realization of the immense sacrifice. The war had cost the lives of over 116,000 Americans, and millions more worldwide. The impulse to remember, to honor the dead, and to celebrate the hard-won peace became immediate and widespread.

President Wilson’s Proclamation (1919) – Veterans Day

The first official commemoration took place one year later. On November 11, 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the first Armistice Day. His words set the initial tone for the observance:

“To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations.”

Wilson’s vision for the day included parades, public meetings, and a brief two-minute suspension of all business activities starting at 11:00 a.m. The focus was dual: solemn pride in heroism and dedication to the cause of world peace.

The Tomb of the Unknowns (1921)

A crucial national tradition began in 1921, further cementing November 11th as a day of national reverence. On this date, an unknown American soldier from World War I was interred in the newly created Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery.

Similar ceremonies had already occurred in France (at the Arc de Triomphe) and the United Kingdom (at Westminster Abbey). The American ceremony, attended by President Warren G. Harding, became the focal point for the nation’s tribute to its war dead, forever linking the sacred site of the Tomb with the Armistice Day commemoration. Congress also declared November 11, 1921, a legal federal holiday for the purpose of honoring all those who participated in the war.

II. Formal Recognition and the Interwar Years (1926-1938)

The observance of Armistice Day continued to grow throughout the 1920s, a decade marked by an idealistic hope for an era of lasting global peace.

Congressional Resolution (1926) – Veterans Day

On June 4, 1926, the U.S. Congress formally recognized the end of World War I and passed a concurrent resolution. This resolution requested that the President of the United States issue annual proclamations calling for the observance of November 11th with appropriate ceremonies. It further stated that the anniversary should be “commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations.”

A Legal Federal Holiday (1938) – Veterans Day

Twelve years later, Armistice Day achieved its highest legislative status up to that point. A Congressional Act approved on May 13, 1938, officially made the 11th of November a legal Federal holiday. The act explicitly stated it was a day to be “dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as ‘Armistice Day’.”

At this point, the holiday was explicitly dedicated to honoring the veterans of World War I. The core tradition was established: a moment of silence at 11 a.m., parades, and public orations focused on the themes of peace and the sacrifice of “The Great War” generation.

III. Transformation: From Armistice Day to Veterans Day

The optimistic hope that WWI would be “the war to end all wars” was tragically dashed with the outbreak of World War II in 1939 and the subsequent Korean War (1950–1953). The United States soon had millions of new veterans from multiple conflicts, and the name “Armistice Day” no longer accurately reflected the nation’s veteran population.

The Call for a Broader Holiday (Post-WWII) – Veterans Day

The push to expand the holiday began with a World War II veteran, Raymond Weeks of Birmingham, Alabama. Weeks organized a “National Veterans Day” celebration in 1947, which included a parade and festivities intended to honor all veterans. Weeks continued to lead this celebration annually and is today widely recognized as the “Father of Veterans Day.”

He and other veterans service organizations, such as the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), began lobbying Congress to broaden the focus of the federal holiday.

The Official Renaming (1954)

The efforts came to fruition in 1954. The 83rd Congress, recognizing the need to honor veterans from both World War II and the Korean War, amended the Act of 1938. They officially struck out the word “Armistice” and inserted “Veterans.”

President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a veteran and Supreme Commander of Allied Expeditionary Force in World War II, signed the legislation on June 1, 1954, making November 11th a day to honor American veterans of all wars. Later that year, on October 8, 1954, President Eisenhower issued the first Veterans Day Proclamation, encouraging citizens to join in the common purpose of appropriately and universally observing the anniversary.

IV. The Date Controversy and Restoration (1968-1978)

For over a decade, Veterans Day continued to be celebrated on its traditional, historically significant date of November 11th. However, a desire for administrative uniformity and economic stimulation led to a controversial change.

The Uniform Monday Holiday Act (1968)

In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act (Public Law 90-363). The intent of this legislation was to ensure three-day weekends for federal employees by moving four national holidays—Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day—to be celebrated on a Monday.

Veterans Day was moved to the fourth Monday in October, with the change set to take effect in 1971.

Public Backlash and Reversion (1971-1978)

The first Veterans Day celebrated under the new law, on October 25, 1971, was met with significant confusion and widespread disapproval. It quickly became clear that the historical and patriotic significance of November 11th—the exact “eleventh hour”—was too deeply ingrained in the national memory to be casually changed for convenience.

Many states refused to comply and continued to celebrate the holiday on November 11th. Veterans service organizations, the military community, and the general public overwhelmingly advocated for a return to the original date.

Recognizing the strength of this popular sentiment and the historical importance of the date, President Gerald R. Ford signed Public Law 94-97 on September 20, 1975, which returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of November 11th, beginning in 1978. Veterans Day has been observed on November 11th ever since, regardless of the day of the week it falls upon.

V. Contemporary Celebrations and Traditions

Today’s observance of Veterans Day carries forward the traditions of Armistice Day while encompassing the scope of a broader, modern tribute.

The National Ceremony at Arlington

The focal point for the official, national ceremony remains the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery. Every Veterans Day, at 11:00 a.m. EST, a combined color guard representing all military services executes “Present Arms” at the Tomb. A presidential wreath is laid, and the bugler plays Taps, symbolizing the nation’s profound respect and gratitude for its war dead and, by extension, all veterans. The rest of the ceremony takes place in the Memorial Amphitheater, where various military and government officials give addresses.

Parades and Community Events

Across the United States, celebrations include parades, community ceremonies, and memorial services. These local events are a direct link to the original Armistice Day tradition of public meetings and celebratory marches. Many feature marching bands, active duty service members, and, most importantly, veterans of every generation.

Honoring the Living

A crucial distinction between Veterans Day and Memorial Day is their focus. Memorial Day (the last Monday in May) is dedicated to honoring those who died in military service. Veterans Day is a day to honor all American veterans—living and deceased—for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.

This distinction shapes contemporary celebrations, which often include:

Gratitude Initiatives: Businesses, schools, and communities offer gestures of thanks, such as discounts, free meals, and card-writing campaigns to express direct gratitude to living veterans.
Educational Outreach: Schools and museums host events to educate the public, especially younger generations, about the history of the U.S. military and the sacrifices made by its service members.
The Two-Minute Silence: While not a universal law, the traditional two-minute silence at 11:00 a.m., commemorating the moment the guns fell silent in 1918, is still observed in many communities as a mark of respect and solemn remembrance.

Conclusion

The history of Veterans Day is a rich and moving narrative, one that begins with a moment of hopeful peace on a battlefield in France and evolves to encompass the service of millions across a century of conflicts. From a day dedicated to the Great War’s “Doughboys” to a universal celebration of all American veterans, the holiday on November 11th remains one of the most significant dates on the national calendar. It stands not only as a day of remembrance for the past but as an active acknowledgment of the commitment and sacrifice of all those who have worn the uniform of the United States Armed Forces.

Contact Factoring Specialist, Chris Lehnes

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