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We all have it.

Some of us have closets full of it.

Garages full of it.

And Amazon boxes arriving so frequently the delivery driver practically knows our family.

😂

But here’s something I’ve been thinking about.

What if we spent less money buying stuff and more money buying things that could actually build our future?

Think about it.

Instead of buying another iPhone, what if you invested in Apple?

Instead of another pair of Nikes, what if you became a shareholder?

Instead of another Amazon delivery, what if you owned a tiny piece of the company delivering all that stuff?

Now, I’m not suggesting you run out and buy those particular stocks. Investing involves risk, and not every investment works out.

But I LOVE the bigger idea.

Stop thinking only like a consumer. Start thinking like an OWNER.

And that doesn’t just mean stocks.

It could mean real estate.

A small business.

A franchise.

Or another asset that has the potential to grow in value or generate income.

Because here’s what I’ve learned after years of owning multiple businesses.

The goal isn’t necessarily to have more stuff. It’s to have more CHOICES.

Choices about how you spend your time.

Where you live.

When you work.

And what your next chapter looks like.

Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t enjoy the money you’ve worked hard to earn.

Buy the shoes. Take the vacation. Enjoy life!

But maybe, just maybe, before making your next big purchase, ask yourself:

Am I buying something I’ll enjoy today, or something that could give me more freedom tomorrow?

Both have their place.

But one question could change how you think about your future.

Curious, have you ever thought about owning an asset that could generate income outside your regular paycheck?

Hit reply. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

#YouGotThis

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker 😊 helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

P.S. Often the greatest business breakthrough will come from changing your physique.

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The reason most people don’t succeed is that they get ‘introduced’ to what they need to learn / do / implement versus get ‘TRAINED’ on what they need to learn / do / implement.

Or, their staff get introduced versus get TRAINED.

Translation: They get introduced to something new, hope it’ll work and move on to something new (shiny light syndrome).

Here’s a framework for getting TRAINED.

1. Education (what they need to learn / do / implement)

2. Practice

3. Accountability

4. Repetition

5. More accountability

You heard it here first.

#YouGotThis

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

P.S. Make People Envious Of Who You Are And What You Do… Not What You Have

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If you ever read “Warren Buffett’s Annual Letters” it’s simply a series of measurements.

It’s consistently about three things:

1) Trends (up or down… )

2) Relationships (cause and effect)

3) Comparables (what happened same time last week / month / quarter / year?)

Here’s what Warren Buffett had to say on success:

“The difference between successful people and very successful people is the very successful people say no to almost everything.”

Sounds easy….

Magic lies in knowing what small number of things to say yes to.

When to go for it on 4TH and 1.

You heard it here first.

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

P.S. Defense wins Championships.

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Staff who struggle to communicate think everything’s an argument.

Staff who struggle with accountability think everything’s an attack.

Carry On.

You heard it here first.

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

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P.S. Let your smile change the world but don’t let the world change your smile.

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Here it is today in a single sentence:

‘The way you talk about others is the way you talk to yourself.’

Translation: Be kind to others and you’ll be kind to yourself.

You heard it here first.

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

P.S. You are your competition.

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I’ve said this before in different ways… but today I’m making it succinct as heck for you.

Here’s how to get everything you want out of life:

1. Clearly define what you want.

2. Clearly define the price you need to pay to achieve it.

3. Decide if you want to pay the price.

You heard it here first.

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

P.S. The productivity app with most upside is, ‘Airplane Mode’

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If you are anything like me, you take something and loop it through your mind constantly.

Very seldom does the loop provide a positive experience / mindset for you.

If you find yourself in a loop, ask these three questions:

1. Is this true?

2. Is this useful?

3. In 3 years will it matter?

#StopTheLoop.

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

P.S. Have a midday nap and you’ll add years to your life.

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This can be a good news / bad news situation.

Your Subconscious Mind:

Is powered by your FEELINGS and not powered by your logic.

Keeps you breathing when you’re asleep.

Records everything you say, do and or experience.

Is always alert and always awake.

Controls 93.5% of your life (made up statistic right there to keep you on your toes).

Speaks to you in your dreams.

Has no language.

Takes everything literally.

Is infinitely more powerful than your conscious mind.

Here it is in a single sentence for you:

“You talk to yourself more than anyone… what are you saying?”

You heard it here first.

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

P.S. What you say to yourself, about yourself, when you’re by yourself… matters.

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‘No is a decision and yes is a responsibility.’

Act accordingly.

You heard it here first.

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

P.S. DO… then BE… then HAVE.

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1. It’s not other people’s job to love you… that’s your job.

2. Successful people evaluate and judge themselves (harshly) while unsuccessful people spend time evaluating and judging others.

3. You don’t need to wait for an apology to forgive someone.

4. Some people you spend time with bring out the worst in you.

5. Failure always happens prior to success.

Bonus Painful Truth:

You will be remembered for what you REFUSE to give up on.

You heard it here first.

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

P.S. Don’t fight with someone at war with themselves.

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Sorry music fans, not the band.

You can take ten steps in ten directions.

OR

You can take ten steps in ONE direction.

Define what you want.

Said differently:

‘If you don’t know where you’re going… any road will get you there.’

Harry Styles would be so proud right now.

You heard it here first.

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

P.S. Great spirits encounter violent opposition from mediocre minds” Albert Einstein

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My husband saw a pedestrian get hit by a car on Eucalyptus street and here’s how it went:

Operator: What’s your emergency?

Dave: A guy got hit by a car… I need an ambulance.

Operator: What’s your location?

Dave:: I’m on Eucalyptus St.

Operator: Can you spell that for me?

long awkward pause

Operator: Sir, are you there?

Dave: I’m gonna drag him over to Pine St and call you right back.

In other news…Clarity + Momentum + Speed = Your Power.

You heard me.

Here it is today in a single sentence for you:

‘Insane speed requires immense clarity.’

You heard it here first.

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

P.S. A diamond is just a piece of charcoal that handled stress exceptionally well.

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Your business’ products and services should provide for demand.

Not create demand.

BIG DIFFERENCE.

BIG.

Need > Desire

Dog food > Dog Vitamins

Pain Killers > Vitamins

Cure > Prevention

You heard it here first.

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

P.S. Be so good they can’t ignore you.

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Law of Direction: Anyone can steer the plane but it takes a leader to chart the course.

Law of Energy: The leader knows momentum is a positive outcome’s best friend.

Law of Influence: The acid test of leadership is ‘influence’… nothing more or less.

Law of Attraction: Who you are and what you are… is who and what you attract.

Law of Heart: You must touch their heart before asking for their hand.

Law of Proximity: The leader’s potential is determined by their inner circle and those closest to them.

Law of the Win: A leader finds a way for the team to win.

Law of Priorities: A leader understands that activity does not equal progress.

Law of Leaders: To grow you build followers. To compound growth you build more leaders.

Law of Legacy: The Leader is ultimately measured by succession.

BONUS: When you’re a leader… you know that you’ll be remembered for what you REFUSE to give up on.

You heard it here first.

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

P.S. Stupid to think you’ll make a child act better by making them feel worse. #RespectChildren

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A student once asked a Zen master:

“How do I know I’m making progress?”

The master handed him a cup and started pouring tea.

He kept pouring until the tea spilled over the sides.

“Stop!” the student shouted. “The cup is full!”

The master smiled.

“Exactly.”

A lot of people approach business ownership the same way.

Their cup is already full.

Full of assumptions.

“Franchises are mostly fast food.”

“I need experience in the industry.”

“Starting from scratch gives me more control.”

“A resale is automatically less risky.”

“I’ll explore when the timing is perfect.”

The problem may not be that you need more information.

You may need to empty the cup enough to consider something you never expected.

Most of the people I help ultimately choose a business they had never heard of, in an industry they had never considered.

Not because they lowered their standards.

Because they stopped searching for the business they thought they wanted and started evaluating the business that actually fit their goals, strengths, resources and desired lifestyle.

Sometimes your “next” doesn’t require learning more.

It requires letting go of what you were so sure you already knew.

What belief might you need to unlearn before you can see what’s possible?

#YouGotThis

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

P.S. You see what you want to see.

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You want to own a successful and profitable business and you’re telling me you’re worried about the competition?

Your inability to get FOCUSED will kill your business before the competition ever gets a chance.

Get Focused.

#YouGotThis

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

P.S. When you’re good at something, you’ll tell everyone. When you’re great at something they’ll tell you. Walter Payton

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On my flight home from Ireland, I had 9 hours to kill.

People around me were watching movies, playing games, scrolling, sleeping...

I did something different.

I positioned myself so my TV screen reflected only me. Put on headphones. Turned everything off.

And for about 4 hours, I sat there in silence staring at myself.

No distractions.

No phone.

No noise.

Just me.

And I’ll tell you something...

Looking at yourself honestly is hard.

Really asking:

Am I where I thought I’d be?

Am I becoming who I want to become?

Am I settling in places I know I shouldn’t?

You’ll see things you like.

You’ll see things you don’t.

You’ll smile.

You’ll cringe.

But most people never do it.

We stay busy.

We scroll.

We distract ourselves.

Distraction is where you lose yourself.

Silence is where you find yourself.

Most people spend more time planning vacations than they do understanding themselves.

Try something uncomfortable this week.

Sit somewhere completely alone for 30 minutes.

No TV. No music. No phone.

Just you.

See what shows up.

#YouGotThis

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

P.S. Laugh at yourself and you’ll never run out of things to laugh about.

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Japanese are renowned for their productivity…

Here are their best techniques:

1. Shoshin: Have a beginners / growth mindset. Your life isn’t about having all the answers or being perfect… it’s about being positive, learning and trying new things.

2. Ikigai: Find your purpose in life and give yourself meaning… align your strengths, with your passion, with the needs of the world.

3. Kaizen: Consistent small incremental improvements, daily.

4. Pomodora Technique: 25 minutes of uninterrupted work… then 5 minutes of rest. Will help you stay focused for short sprints and will change the game of productivity for you.

5. Hara Hachi Bu: Eat until your 80% full and you’ll have more energy throughout the day.

Approach the above with the attitude of getting a little better everyday (Kaizen) with a positive and beginners attitude (Shoshin).

You heard it here first.

Kinda.

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

P.S. Read what the FDA recommends for you to eat… do the exact opposite.

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Apple brought in 416 billion in revenues last year...

Here are the 5 key metrics Tim Cook and Steve Jobs are / were fanatical about:

1. MRR: Monthly recurring revenue

2. CAC: Customer Acquisition Cost

3. LTV: Lifetime value of a client

4. Renewal rates and Churn

5. Cashflow

Tracked WoW and MoM week over week, month over month

What KPI’s are you tracking WoW and MoM?

You heard it here first.

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

P.S. Forgiveness is for you.

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How many times did you see Little Caesars on Sunday night (Superbowl)?

I’m more interested in another question.

Can I get rich selling $7 pizzas . . . ?

Little Caesars is one of the lowest-cost ways to feed a family.

Their model is very simple: no order ahead, no delivery, no dine-in. All the food is hot and ready.

They use the same core ingredients in all their products: the same cheese, dough, sauce, pepperoni, etc.

You may be surprised by how much they make.

What’s even more surprising is how many locations some franchisees own.

There are 3,500 stores in the US owned by 740 owners.

Average 4.7 stores per owner.

There are dozens of owners that own 10, 15, 20, 30 40+ locations.

Most of these are just ordinary people like me and you, not big corporations.

That’s what I love about franchising.

Once you can figure out the model then you can duplicate it over and over again.

The hardest part has nothing to do with pizza.

It all comes down to your ability to build the teams and implement systems to scale it.

But none of it is rocket science.

You heard it here first.

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

P.S. Being rich is better than being poor… but your REAL REWARD is to be happy.

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