Ryan Aylward

Friday🔥03: The Should Loop, Leo, MAPS Q4 Update

Ryan Aylward -

Welcome to the Friday Fire, a NEW weekly newsletter of ideas, learnings and inspirations from the past week.

Start your weekend off right with a little FRIDAY 🔥

The "Should Loop"

  • I don’t know what to call it, so for now, I’m calling it the “Should Loop”…

  • I'm sure you know the feeling. Every once and awhile you look around and feel exhausted by all the things you Should be doing, but aren’t. That extra project at work, leg day in the gym, choosing the burrito bowl at Chipotle instead of the burrito (less carbs)… OK, maybe these are just me 😊

  • Whatever your list looks like, if you’re living an intentional life, you’re bound to experience overwhelm by the things you “should be doing”.

  • I was stuck in a “Should Loop” this week. Below are just a few of the shoulds which were stacking up around me:

    • I should have visited the grocery store after work on Monday to have groceries for the week. I didn’t.
    • I should have gotten up extra early Tuesday to get ahead on a big stack of work. I didn’t.
    • I should have worked out at least three days this week. I didn’t.
    • I should have created the space necessary to write this newsletter and get it out on time. I didn’t. (which is why you’re seeing it later in the day 😊)

  • Should originates from the expectations we consciously or unconsciously adopt. Who puts these expectations in place? They come from all over: social media influencers, our bosses, the culture, our friends, significant others. We are constantly being layered with expectations, and these expectations create a foundation of the things we 'should' be doing in our life.

  • I’m all about setting and maintaining high expectations, but thoughtlessly adopted expectations come with a cost. For me, the cost of unmet expectations can range from low physical energy to withdrawal and even self-contempt.

  • Think about it, how do you feel when you're not doing the things you "should" be doing? Ignoring that unpaid parking ticket, not unpacking that box from your move 6 months ago, dealying an email response to a frustrating work colleague. Should, Should, Should... Its exhausting!

  • Let's break down the 'Should Loop' a bit further with a diagram (I love a good diagram):

    • Remember above when I said I “should” have risen early Tuesday to get a jump on my work week? There is an expectation of mine which was underpinning that:

    • This expectation was born during my time in investment banking. I know its not 'healthy', but its still there. Once my mind begins to ruminate on what I "should" have done, my self-talk pivots and the costs begin to mount: “I'm a bad employee”, “I should've gotten up like I planned", “I need to hurry up and get all this done”. It looked like this:

  • I think there is a better way to operate in a world awash with expectations.

  • Deliberate Choice. It imbues a sense of control in a world which feels increasingly out of control. When we approach daily expectations with deliberate choice, it prevents a spiraling into the 'Should Loop'.

  • In the example above, I had the opportunity to deliberately choose more sleep vs. immediate productivity. Whether my choice was “right” or “wrong” is missing the point… the point is to consciously acknowledge our often messy circumstances and then CHOOSE, vs allowing circumtance to reign over us.

  • For me, this simple acting of Choosing disrupts the feeling of being a bystander in my story. Choosing defrays the feelings of guilt or shame or remorse that accompany missed expectations. Jettisoning these restraints promises higher energy, greater self-esteem, and confidence.

    • Were you planning to visit the gym, but had a tough day at work? Deliberately Choose a relaxing evening with your favorite TV show.
    • Need to make a long overdue call to a loved one, but were blind-sided by work? Deliberately Choose to either: (i) catch-up on work and re-schedule the call, or (ii) prioritize the call and communicate with your boss that the deliverable needs to shift back a few hours.

  • Whatever you choose, do it deliberately! 'Heming and hawing' is optional!

  • New projects spring up, Meetings are scheduled unexpectedly, calls run long, family members get sick, a friend needs help… our lives are in a constant state of change. Expectations alone lack the nuance to update as our circumstances change.

  • Its high time we use a tool to deal with the rapidly changing landscape. Leverage Deliberate Choice to clear the emotional debris that accompanies expectations and honor the reality of the human experience.

  • Avoid the "Should Loop". Deliberate Choice is a powerful ally on a journey where ‘expectations’ will inevitably go unmet.

A Powerful Quote

"Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy"
- Leo Buscaglia

Gratitude

Gratitude helps cultivate a sense of joy and appreciation along the way, and need not be reserved for the big or elaborate happenings in life.

  • This week I'm grateful for the opportunity to spend time with family, meet my new niece and explore a new city on the east coast (Atlanta).

What are you grateful for this week?

Update on Stock Picks:

Weekly performance update below for active stock picks - if only all my future updates could look like this one ;)

MAPS Q4 Update - Weedmaps reported Q4 earnings on Wednesday this week which caused the stock to pop +16% upon announcement

While I'm still digesting the earnings report, my quick impressions are as follows:

  • This business has demonstrated revenue and margin resilience in an environment where inflation is challenging businesses across the board.
  • I'm encouraged to see revenue per client continue to trend higher demonstrating the platform's utility to clients (especially since MAPS client count was +20% and new clients typically enter at lower monthly spend levels than mature cohorts).
  • Monthly active user counts outpacing client growth suggests a very healthy consumer adoption of Weedmaps in newly legalizing states... this is critical for a dual-sided marketplace to maintain consumer mindshare and attract more advertisers.
  • Normally, I would worry about the impact of headline revenue decelration on trading levels, (48% growth in '21 and expected 35% growth in '22). But for now, the stock is trading at such cheap levels, I can't see much room below current pricing given the quality of the underlying business and compelling industry outlook.

A few highlights from the Q4 Release:

  • Monthly Active Users + 49% (vs prior year)
  • Avg Monthly Rev / Client + 9% (vs prior year)
  • Avg Monthly Client Count + 27% (vs prior year)
  • Revenue in Q4 +39% (vs prior year)

Did You Enjoy This?

Consider joining the hundreds of other people getting the Friday 🔥 newsletter. Its a weekly collection of notices and inspirations from the past week. Topics range from financial markets, human performance, side hustles, leadership or whatever else catches my attention.

Subscribe if you'd like to learn alongside this growing community! If you are already a subscriber, do me a solid and hit Fwd to someone who may enjoy it!

Subscribe

Have a Great Weekend, Ryan ✌️

P.S. - As a bold request of anyone reading... my vision this year is to reach an audience of 5,000 people. If you know anyone who may like this article or if you have advice on strategies to reaching this goal, I'd love your input!