Codie A. Sanchez

Investing millions in Main St businesses & teaching you how to own the rest | HoldCo, VC fund, Founder

On a mission to create financially free and free-thinking humans.I founded a advisory and investment company called Contrarian Thinking that helps owners buy and scale businesses.Our newsletter has over 1M+ weekly readers, here → contrarianthinking.biz/liOur community has taught 9,000+ members biz buying, biz growing, and doing deals. We value experience over degrees.Betting on yourself over building someone else's dream.Main Street over Wall Street.My mission is less suits, more boots. Meaning: we the people holding the power… and the purse strings.🔗Join 1M+ others who get our free newsletter: contrarianthinking.biz/li🔗YouTube: @CodieSanchezCT🔗Instagram: @codiesanchez🔗Twitter: @Codie_Sanchez🔗Weekly business-buying newsletter Main Street Minute: contrarianthinking.biz/minute-li

Founder

We help free minds and build bank accounts.

Investing millions in Main St businesses & teaching you how to own the rest | HoldCo, VC, Founder | NYT best-selling author

My husband said five words to me that made my worldview flip on never missing a chance to see a loved one: “Measure in times, not years.”

We were debating whether to go home and see our family for Thanksgiving and my husband said...

If your parents are 65, it’s not 20 or 30 years you might have with them, it’s maybe 20 or 30 visits you get with them.

One in four Americans don’t live in the same hometown as their family. How would you change your decisions if you’d only get to see your loved ones for 20 or 30 more days?

You’d change everything to be with them, wouldn’t you? Same if it was six months. And yet when those days are separated by years we let them slide through our fingers.

Next time don’t count the years, remember the days… and treasure them.

3 harsh truths I've been thinking about a lot lately...

1. Most successful people I've met aren't that smart. They move fast, they take risk, they work a lot. That's it.

2. The world is run by C students & failed employees. You can't underestimate yourself.

3. Managing what you choose to sell, do and focus on is more important than how hard you work or how smart you are.

Example:

You can, for the next 40 years:

- Climb up the corporate ladder
- Grind for a mission you don't believe in
- Spend 50hrs/wk+ away from your family

All for a 401k and a white picket fence at the end to show for it.

OR

You can learn how to buy a business and:

- Own a cashflowing biz in your community
- Touch your work with your own two hands
- Disconnect your money from your time
- Spend more time on the things that matter
- Become one of the few... an Owner.

Ownership is not for everyone.

But it could be for you.

I don’t blame you if you're nervous to take the first step on your own.

If that’s you, I’m hosting an event that's just what you need to start acting on business-buying…

Get details & sign-up here → https://lnkd.in/g3V6NrTZ

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Arfan Iftikhar

A hard truth I've learned in business.

It's always who not how.

1. There's only so much time in the day.
2. There's always going to be someone smarter and better than you.

These aren't problems. They're levers.

Every time you struggle with an issue, don't try to figure out how to solve it. Instead, ask yourself what type of person could solve it for you.

You don’t have a HOW problem, you have a WHO problem.

Solve that and you solve everything.

↓ ↓ ↓

This is a strategy I think of as “stealing someone’s 10,000 hours.”

And I’m letting you take my 10,000 hours for free at my Main Street Millionaire Live Event…

I’ve bought & sold 20+ small businesses. I’ve failed a couple, scaled several, and I’m sharing a condensed version of how to buy a biz over 3 days. 

It’ll be beginner-friendly and perfect if you're still in your 9-5.

Save your spot here today → https://lnkd.in/g7mjjqYQ

My coworker got the promotion over me.

Numerically worse at the work. Great at politics.

I brought in deals. Fixed messes. Hit all goals

He was 10x better than me at managing up.

He got the title. I got “keep doing what you’re doing.”

It took 10+ years for me to click that most companies reward politics, not performance.

So I left. Started buying boring businesses and building my own thing.

Now I make many times what my old bosses did. No corporate games.

The best operators don’t usually climb the ladder. They are the ladder everyone else climbs.

Corporate optimizes for compliance. Owners optimize for competence.

If you’re elite at the work but trash at politics, don't give up, I was just like you.

Take the risk in 2026.

↓↓↓

If you want to learn how to buy a business in 2026 and become an owner, I’m doing this 3-day virtual workshop for you: https://lnkd.in/dYP5dr-T

21 tips to be the first gen wealth builder in your family:

1. The Law of Two Hours: 2 hours of dedicated work is worth more than most people’s 8 hours.

2. How to never fail with a business: Start as a side project. Keep your job. Use your salary to fund. Quit when you have enough cashflow.

3. It's not about time. It's about the F word. Focus. You don’t need 24 hours a day to build a business.

4. Think about your salary like a Silicon Valley investor. Treat every single dollar you give to your side business like an investor would.

5. Hope is not a strategy. “Pray like it’s up to God, but work like it’s up to me.”

6. You don't need more time, you need a deadline.

7. Decrease the time between having an idea and getting it done. Money loves speed. Poverty loves waiting.

8. Small & consistent beats big & sporadic. Long hours at a desk is counterproductive.

9. If you want to make more money, be more useful to people who have more money.

10. It is very hard to change the world when you are broke. So don't apologize for chasing money.

11. Nobody cares about your life...They think about you for one second and then think about themselves again. So you might as well do what you want.

12. You must be just dumb enough to believe in yourself, just smart enough to execute.

13. If you say you will do a thing, then actually do the thing. 90% do not do this.

14. No one is coming to save you. You want a better life, go build it.

15. You must learn to be disliked or you’ll find yourself stuck in a prison of other people's desires.

16. Tasting freedom can make you unemployable. Get that initial momentum, and watch your life start to change.

17. You are paid exactly as much as the problems you solve are worth. Bigger problems = bigger $$$

18. Parkinson’s Law: Work expands to fill the available time. Just because you quit your job doesn't mean you'll magically have all of these hours.

19. If you're not currently doing whatever that thing is inside of you, you're not going to do it after you quit your job.

20. Startups are for masochists. If you want that life, I commend you. If you want a slightly less rocky path to ownership, buy a business instead of starting one.

And lastly, there are 2 types of people:

Those who build wealth through ownership. and those who work to make others wealthy.

The dividing line isn’t talent or luck. It’s action.

↓↓↓↓

P.S. If you have yet to take action in 2026 but are interested in becoming an owner...

Come to my business buying masterclass tomorrow. 

It's free. 90 minutes long. And walks you through how to find the right business for you.

Find all the details here: https://lnkd.in/g3V6NrTZ

I sometimes pinch myself. I don't deserve this life.

Knew nothing about finance.
Public schools.
Parents who worked nonstop.
Party school for undergrad.

But my family taught me about hard work, God, responsibility, and never quitting.

It makes no sense, except for the grace of God. Grateful.

I’m 39.

27 lessons I wish I learned in my 20s: 

1. As soon as you hit your 30s, you’ll understand... Your 20s actually suck. If you feel like it sucks right now, guess what? It’s supposed to. It gets better.

2. Your first job is like the DMV. Awful. Everyone’s mad. Nothing works. But the key is.. You are not supposed to stay there.

3. It is very hard to change the world when you are broke. So don't apologize for chasing money.

4. Meet everyone. Say yes to everything. You narrow the field later.

5. Do it all. Because you’ll die eventually and life will make you slow down. But up until then, eat the world.

6. You are not everyone’s cup of tea, that’s a good thing.

7. The most lucrative things you can do in your 20s: 1) learn how to invest, 2) apprentice in PE, real estate, or venture.

8. If they’re not interesting when you’re sober, don’t drink until they become it.

9. Never buy to impress. Being wealthy > looking wealthy… even when that first big-kid check hits your bank account.

10. The most important question you can ask yourself often: Does this bring joy?

11. Do favors, don’t take them. There’s often a hidden price.

12. If I was in my 20s, I’d try to work for one type of company… One where they reward outcomes not hours. Winning > running really hard for a really long time.

13. Seed is only as good as its soil. Where you live during your 20s matters. Take some time away from your hometown.

14. If you feel cynical about the world… I don’t blame you. But always remember the number one superpower for your generation is HOPE.

15. If you’re prone to loneliness and isolation.. do NOT work a remote job. A small team with sleepless nights and shared goals is a powerful thing.

16. Touch grass. A walk outside will be better for your brain than anything you find on your phone.

17. Burnout doesn’t come from working too hard. Burnout comes from working too hard, on things that don’t light you up.

18. Learn how to save now, but understand that saving isn’t what makes you rich.

19. If you want to make more money, be more useful to people who have more money.

20. You must learn to be disliked or you will find yourself stuck in a prison of other people's beliefs.

21. Most successful people I've met aren't that smart. They move fast, they take risk, they work a lot. That's it.

22. If old you doesn’t make you cringe, you haven’t grown enough.

23. Do something hard every day. Then watch that “something” evolve as you become stronger and stronger.

24. If you haven’t done it, you just have an opinion.

25. Marrying well is the biggest life hack of all. Marrying poorly is a costly path to misery. Choose wisely.

26. Working smarter not harder is a beautiful lie. You will not know how to work smart until you've worked very hard for an irrationally long time.

27. Take notes from old people… Waking up early, being married, reading books, going to bed at 10pm, and drinking less is actually amazing.

Ramota Oladejo

There’s no such thing as the right or wrong business.

There’s only the business that’s right or wrong for you.

One of the most common DMs I get is:

"Should I buy a laundromat, car wash, or storage units?"

But that's totally the wrong question to begin with...because everyone has different goals.

That’s why I created the Contrarian Deal Clarity Framework to help first time owners buy a biz.

You need to define 5 components:

1. Your Ideal Owner Experience

Saying “I want to leave my 9-5” is too wishy-washy.

To trade in your W2 form, your vision board needs to be specific on three things:

- Personal goals (do you want more family time or grind for yourself)
- Income goals (replace your $75k salary or build an empire)
- Business goals (be a hands-on operator or absentee owner)

2. Your Zone of Genius

Think of this as the intersection between:

- Passion (what you love)
- Skills & Experience (what you’re good at)
- Network (who you know)

Most people ignore this and buy businesses they eventually hate running.

Don’t be most people.

3. Business Size

It’s easy to fantasize about buying a Fortune 500 company.

But we’re not playing the billionaire game here.

As a first-time time buyer, look for micro acquisitions:

- <$1M cost
- $50K-$200K profits
- 1-3X multiples

Less competition, more opportunity, fewer headaches.

4. Profit

Remember...you’re not just buying a business for the sake of it.

Your acquisition MUST be an income stream that can cover:

1. Debt service
2. Operator salary (if relevant)
3. Growth/working capital
4. Your earnings

Use these two tests to evaluate if a deal is worth looking at:

The SOWS Test

Before I buy anything, I ask if the business is:

- Stale - Does the owner still use fax machines
- Old - Is it 5+ years old with repeat customers
- Weak - Does competition suck at marketing
- Simple - Can an 8-year-old could understand it

The more boxes it checks, the better.

The BRIT Test

Then I check to see if it’s BRIT:

- Buy - Must be a cashflow, not cash-suck businesses
- Resist - Recession-proof
- Increase - Can I raise prices (most owners undercharge by 30%)
- Tech - Can I add simple technology to improve it?

5. Industry

There are certain industries you should avoid for your first biz.

Think restaurants or hotels...

On the flip side, these are my favorite businesses for first-time buyers:

- Digital Businesses (build once, sell forever)
- Home Services (roof repair / lawn care)
- Professional Services (e.g CPAs)
- Real Estate Enhanced (laundromats/car washes)

Once you get clear on your Deal Box, you stop wasting time on deals that don’t fit your criteria and get closer to buying the biz that FEELs right.

↓↓↓

Want to go even deeper than this post did?...

Next week, I'm running a Masterclass breaking down exactly how to buy the perfect business for YOU. 

Check it out: https://lnkd.in/g3V6NrTZ

6 other traits of rich people no one tells you:

1. Rich people want you to sell them something.

2. Something 99% of rich people have in common: they own. Most often, they own businesses & real estate.

3. Most people complain about taxes, then pay them. Rich people study taxes then outsmart them.

4. In my experience, almost all successful people are competitive. More competitive you are, more likely you are to succeed.

5. Most rich people I know don't care about their title at all. Business owner > visionary, industry disrupter, startup CEO

6. You'll learn the most from asking rich people this question: "When did you almost lose it all? What did you learn?"

💥 For more like this, feel free to follow me → Codie A. Sanchez

Story from my dad today.

If you’re a business owner, it may hit you as deeply as it hit me...

He said, you know you’ve met another builder or doer when they’ve felt that flinch at the second Friday of the month.

My father has never bounced a check.

But he remembers this…

It was payday, his business was owed money, and they couldn’t bridge the gap between the two in time.

He could just picture the guys’ faces.

Those last two workers, who had done more than anyone else, stayed later than anyone else…

And they were about to be punished for that by not getting paid.

So he called up his banker, told him he needed a line of credit, and pulled out $100,000 give or take to make sure that every single one of their checks cleared.

At the time, my dad had a business partner who was a different type of guy.

He was the sort to make excuses, pay himself first, and not particularly care if everyone else’s checks cleared as long as he got his.

That partner has since had many businesses fail - and many more employees go without a paycheck.

And my dad has never in all these years had a business fail, or lost anyone a dime.

He often attributes his business success to the fact that he would never let his hardest working guys go hungry...

People will always be your biggest struggle and your greatest gift in business. Treat ‘em right.

↓↓↓↓

P.S. I’m hosting a free masterclass next week covering 4 practical growth levers that help maintain healthy cash flow and predictable payroll.

Sign up here (for free): https://lnkd.in/gSfvX_AF

Nish Thakker

If you have had:

• a terrible boss
• workplace ptsd
• a bankruptcy
• a huge failure

GOOD.

Chips on shoulders > easy roads.

The more you do hard things, the more you'll get what you want.

Because doing hard things, makes hard things easier.

If you're doing it right, the failure that leveled you last year, won't even register this year.

↓ ↓ ↓

If you're ready to seek out your next hard thing, let's buy a business this year ;)

Here's a list of 130 boring biz's I'd start with → https://lnkd.in/eGpHZtx3

You aren’t here to be liked.

You’re here to be respected.

Don’t be easy. Be hard.

Be righteous in what you do and believe.

Don’t be less for other people.
Don’t let them bend you or break you.
Don’t be a doormat walked upon.

Be a f*cking pointed nail… they’ll remember you.

If you’re bringing this energy into 2026, feel free to repost this.

And if the way you want to do it is by trading in your 9-5 for financial freedom without starting from scratch? Come to my Main Street Millionaire Live next month. 

All you need is determination & desire…. and 72 hours of your time.

You’re invited, just reserve your spot here → https://lnkd.in/gf6hPHdF

This is the hiring framework most small business owners never figure out:

Unicorns vs Donkeys

Unicorns = A players, high performers, self starters... aka, the person you WANT to hire for every role at your company.

Donkeys = B and C players, lacking initiative, unmotivated, task-oriented.

The truth every business owner knows but hates to face:

Donkeys are common.

Unicorns are rare.

Unfortunately, MOST people are donkeys. And as a smaller-level business, it's very hard to build the profit needed to attract unicorns.

So you're left with 2 options. You can either:

1. Build a business that can actively search for unicorns.

2. Build processes so good that donkeys can win the race.

Many problems in your business are a WHO problem. But you'd be surprised that solving the HOW often enables the people you have now to succeed.

Processes are your secret weapon.

Decrease the time between having an idea and getting it done.

Money loves speed. Poverty loves waiting.

How I like to start my week.

The 1 in 60 Rule:

↓ ↓ ↓

Feel free to follow me Codie A. Sanchez if you found this useful.

This Routine Will Change Your Life

How to never fail with a business:

- Start as a side project
- Keep your job
- Use your salary to fund
- Don't use debt
- Quit & go all in ONLY when enough cashflow

15 years of biz & life lessons in <500 words:

↓ ↓ ↓

1. Marrying well is the biggest life hack of all.

2. Be the type of person who reaches out to others... when you don't need something.

3. The greatest muscle you can build is urgency.

4. Most successful people move with this mindset: Entitled to nothing, willing to earn everything.

5. Pray like it's up to God. Work like it's up to you.

6. You don't need more time, you need a deadline.

7. The success you are looking for is waiting for you in the work you are currently avoiding.

8. Biographies of billionaires teach you more than self-help books.

9. Your lack of focus will kill you before your competitors ever get a chance.

10. Winning isn't an accident, it's earned.

11. Underrated superpower: Just dumb enough to believe in yourself, just smart enough to execute.

12. Complexity makes you seem smart. Simplicity makes you money.

13. Surround yourself with owners, the conversation is just different.

14. The more you learn about money, the more you realize most of us play with Legos while the really rich play chess.

15. Beginners do too much. Pros do only what's needed.

16. Underperformers want ease. Midperformers want credit. Winners want pressure.

17. Your most expensive mistake will be a "who," not a "what."

18. If you've survived this far, the odds are actually are in your favor.

19. The formula is: keep going after it gets hard.

If you liked this post and you're NOT signed up for my newsletter... you're seriously missing out. Get it here → https://lnkd.in/ggN9g-BX

The greatest muscle you can build is urgency.

Shrink your timelines...

When you say next quarter, push for next 60 days.

When you say next month, push for 2 weeks.

When you say next week, push for 24 hours.

Not everything will get done on the new timeline, but you'll build a habit that will make you more successful than other people.

Decrease the time between having an idea and getting it done. Everything changes.

↓ ↓ ↓

If you want to push forward serious financial goals in 2026, you should look into this…

It’s live event on what I think is the single greatest skill you could learn this year to change your financial future forever.

It’s called a 3 day live event called Main Street Millionaire where we’re going deep on exactly how to find, buy, run, and scale a profitable small business.

If this sounds remotely interesting, save your spot here → https://lnkd.in/gf6hPHdF

The #1 killer of businesses is bad cashflow.

15 other harsh business truths for you:

1. The greatest muscle you can build is urgency. Bureaucracy is business poison.

2. Decrease the time between having an idea and getting it done. Everything changes.

3. Never sacrifice reputation in the name of business. You can always start another company. You can never create a new reputation.

4. Long-term games and long-term people compound. Resist shiny objects.

5. Hire smart people, pay them well, set them up for success... Then leave them the hell alone.

6. “There’s nothing worse than being sick, fat, tired and trying to run your business.” - Dana White

7. The highest ROI investment founders & owners can make is in themselves. Health shapes mindset. Mindset shapes action.

8. You're better off learning negotiation than financial modeling. Business is less spreadsheets than words.

9. The best business of all time has only you, a computer, and the send button.

10. Every additional employee increases complexity. Hiring is a last resort.

11. The best advice comes from those just a couple steps ahead of you. These people still vividly remember the problems you're facing today.

12. Sell painkillers, not vitamins. There's more money in needs than wants.

13. No discounts. Compete on value, not price. Any biz with $$$ can enter your market and bleed you out. Differentiate beyond commodity.

14. A happy customer is the most powerful marketing. Prioritize reviews. Humans are social animals.

15. If no one thinks you’re crazy, you’re too late. If everyone thinks your idea is good? Even worse. Outsized returns lie in non-conformism.

↓↓↓↓

P.S. I'm running a free masterclass for business owners (next week).

What we'll cover? 4 growth levers to increase cash flow in your biz. 

Grab your spot here (for free): https://lnkd.in/gSfvX_AF

Steven Yeh, EIT

HR & Change Consultant | I help Executives succeed at organisational change, saving MILLIONs in lost time, money, and talent | Delivered £68M in savings in 2024 | 30+ years of global experience | Ex-Big 4

For consulting and commercial enquiries, contact: hayden@arellahr.com

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Hi, I’m Hayden – I help HR leaders and businesses make HR work smarter through HR operating models, organisation design, change management, and training.

With 30+ years of global experience, I’ve worked with some of the world’s leading organisations, from Big 4 consulting to professional services, retail, and tech, helping them simplify complexity, scale effectively, and build high-performing teams.

Thought Leadership
I’m passionate about HR transformation and regularly contribute to industry panels, leadership forums, and global conferences. My work on change management, and HR effectiveness has been featured at events.

If you’re tackling big HR challenges and need practical, no-nonsense support, let’s connect.

Hayden Swerling

She stood at the edge.
82 years old.
500 feet above the ground.

The instructor asked if she was ready.

"I've been ready for 60 years," she said.

Then she jumped.

At 82, she finally did what she'd wanted to do since she was 22. The thing everyone told her was "for young people."

The thing she told herself she'd do "someday."

Here's what hit me:

She didn't wait for permission.
She didn't wait for the "right time."
She didn't wait for her age to make sense.

She just went.

We build entire careers around "someday."

"I'm too old to start over."
"I'm too senior to change industries."
"I'm too established to take that risk."

Meanwhile, our real goals sit untouched.
Getting smaller each year we ignore them.

That thing you keep postponing?

The business idea that excites you but feels "unrealistic"?
The creative project you abandoned when work got busy?
The career move you researched but never pursued?

It's still there.
Still valid.
Still yours to claim.

Age didn't stop her from jumping off a bridge.

What's stopping you from chasing what matters?

The dreams that felt impossible at 30 might feel essential at 50.
The risks that seemed too big at 40 might feel like regrets at 60.

She proved something at 82 that most of us forget:

Your timeline is yours to write.

What would you do if you stopped waiting for the "right" time?

Follow Hayden Swerling for insights on breaking the rules that limit us.

Weekly insights on designing the life and career you actually want: https://lnkd.in/ef5mbPrX

You're back at your desk.

That familiar knot in your stomach.
The one that whispers you're not ready.
That this year's goals are too big.
That you might fail.

Good.

That fear means you're aiming high enough to matter.

Here's what nobody tells you about legends:
They feel it too.

Every single one.

The difference isn't courage.
It's what they do while scared.

They show up anyway.
They try anyway.
They speak up anyway.
They lead anyway.

You don't lose when you fail.
You lose when fear keeps you from trying.

This year, your legendary moment isn't waiting for the fear to pass.

It's doing it scared.
Trying it scared.
Leading it scared.

Because the only real failure is staying silent when you have something to say.
Staying still when you're meant to move.

2026 isn't about being fearless.
It's about being afraid and showing up anyway.

That's how ordinary people do legendary things.

So here's your question:
What are you going to try this year that scares you?

Follow Hayden Swerling for insights on leadership, teams, and the conversations that actually matter.

📩 Weekly insights: https://lnkd.in/eysBEU_k

Most HR transformations fail because they're designed by consultants who've never run HR. 🎯

I've spent 15 years leading HR operating model redesigns.

Across 30+ organisations.

The pattern is predictable.

Transformation initiatives look brilliant on paper.

They collapse within 18 months. 📉

Not because of poor strategy.

Because of preventable execution mistakes.

Here are the critical errors I see CHROs repeat:

**Mistake 1: Designing the operating model before defining the operating rhythm** ⚙️

• You can't structure your team until you know how work actually flows
• Map your decision rights first
• Structure follows decisions, not the other way around
• Most teams restructure, then realize they've just moved the bottlenecks

**Mistake 2: Underestimating change management by a factor of 10** 🔄

• HR transformations fail at the human level
• Not the technical level
• Your team needs to unlearn years of muscle memory
• Budget 30% of your transformation effort for change management
• Most teams budget 5%
• Then wonder why adoption stalls

**Mistake 3: Building an HR strategy disconnected from business strategy** 🎯

• If your transformation can't articulate its impact on revenue, cost, or risk, it won't survive budget cuts
• Every operating model decision should trace back to a business outcome
• "Better employee experience" isn't enough
• Better experience that drives what business result?

**Mistake 4: Copying someone else's operating model** 📋

• The three-pillar model works brilliantly for some organizations
• It fails spectacularly for others
• Your operating model must reflect your organization's complexity, maturity, and strategic priorities
• There is no universal best practice

**Mistake 5: Treating technology as the transformation** 💻

• A new HRIS doesn't transform HR
• It automates your current process
• Good or bad
• Fix the operating model first
• Then digitize
• The most expensive mistake is automating dysfunction

Here's what actually works: ✅

Start with your most painful process.

Redesign it completely.

Prove the value.

Then scale the approach.

Transformations that try to fix everything simultaneously fix nothing. 🚫

The organizations that get this right don't just redesign HR.

They fundamentally change how the business views HR's strategic contribution. 🚀

If you're planning an HR transformation or struggling with one that's stalled, I'd welcome a conversation. 💬

Sometimes an outside perspective on your operating model challenges makes all the difference.

Follow Hayden Swerling and get in contact if you need advice on your transformation.

Your mind can be your worst enemy.

Especially on a Sunday night.
And I've spent too many nights proving it.

Worrying about things you can't control is like refreshing your inbox at midnight.

Exhausting. Pointless. Gets you nowhere.

So I started asking myself one question:

"Can I actually do something about this right now?"

If yes → take action.
If no → let it go.

Sounds simple. It's not.

But it's the only way to stop your thoughts from running in circles all night.

This week, I'm focusing on what I can actually change.

My effort. My attitude. My next move.

Everything else? That's tomorrow's problem.

What's one thing you're letting go of this week?

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You thought 2022 would break you.

The setbacks. The doubts. The moments you questioned everything.

2023 didn't get easier.
It just taught you resilience you didn't know you had.

Then 2024 hit different.

Your entire perspective shifted.
What you chased before? Suddenly meaningless.
What you ignored before? Suddenly everything.

2025 brought clarity.

Not the kind you read about.
The kind that comes from surviving what almost destroyed you.

You finally know what matters.
Who matters.
Why you're really here.

And 2026?

This is where everything you survived becomes everything you needed.

The pain had purpose.
The struggle had meaning.
The years that tested you were preparing you.

You're not the same person who started this journey.

You're stronger.
Wiser.
Ready.

This is your year to show it.

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What year changed you the most? 
Drop it below.

That barista who made your coffee this morning?

She just saved someone's life yesterday as a volunteer EMT.

The janitor you walked past without looking up?

He's putting three kids through college on his own.

The intern sitting quietly in your meeting?

She's building a nonprofit that's already helped 500 families.

We spend our whole lives judging people by their LinkedIn titles.

Meanwhile, we're missing the actual humans right in front of us.

I used to do this too.

Then I realized something.

Respect isn't earned by credentials.
It's given because someone exists.

That's it.

No resume required.
No title needed.
No permission slip necessary.

The CEO and the delivery driver both deserve your full attention.

You never know who's carrying weight you can't imagine.
Or building dreams nobody sees yet.

Start today.

Look people in the eye.
Learn their names.
Treat everyone like they matter.

Because they do.

Your character isn't measured by how you treat people who can help you.

It's measured by how you treat people who can't.

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Who's someone "ordinary" who taught you something extraordinary?

You have no idea what's happening behind the scenes.
That colleague who snapped at you in the meeting?

Their parent just got diagnosed with cancer.

The team member who's been "checked out" lately?
They're going through a divorce and fighting for custody.

The person who declined your lunch invite again?
They're barely holding it together and can't risk breaking down in public.

We see 10% of someone's reality.
The polished LinkedIn posts.
The professional demeanor.
The "I'm fine" in the hallway.

We miss the other 90%.

The sleepless nights.
The financial stress.
The relationship falling apart.
The health scare they haven't told anyone about.

Here's what I've learned the hard way:

Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.

That "difficult" person isn't difficult.
They're drowning.

That "lazy" team member isn't lazy.
They're exhausted from life outside these walls.

So before you judge.
Before you complain.
Before you write someone off.

Just be kind.

It costs you nothing.
But it might save someone's day.
Or their week.
Or more than you'll ever know.

Kindness isn't weakness.
It's wisdom.

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The CFO just rolled his eyes at your HR update.

Again.

You saw it.
Pretended you didn't.
Kept talking about engagement scores anyway.

Here's the truth.

You're not being dismissed because they don't value people.

You're being dismissed because you trained them to.

Every time you lead with activity metrics, you teach them HR isn't strategic.

Every time you celebrate "47 training sessions completed", you prove their suspicion.

Every time you talk about programs instead of problems solved, you become background noise.

The patterns keeping you out of the room:

"Our engagement scores improved."
→ They hear: nothing that impacts revenue

"Turnover is down 3%."
→ They hear: not enough to notice

"We launched a new performance framework."
→ They hear: more HR paperwork

We default to these because they're safe.

Easy to measure.
Hard to dispute.
Disconnected from what the business cares about.

The best HR leaders I know never talk about HR.

They talk about:
• How slow hiring is costing the sales team quota
• Why manager quality predicts customer retention
• The revenue impact of role confusion

They translate people problems into business language.

Not HR language.

If executives tune out when you speak, look at what you're leading with.

Are you giving them insights that move the business forward?

Or updates they've learned to ignore?

There's a difference.

And it's costing you the seat at the table.

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You walk into work smiling.

Everyone else looks like their dog just got adopted by their ex.

You're a golden retriever at a funeral. 
And you brought tennis balls.

A number of years ago I strolled into a leadership meeting with my coffee, completely oblivious.

Dead silence.
Zero eye contact.
My CEO looked like someone cancelled his Spotify Premium.

Me: "Morning everyone!"

Turns out we'd just lost our biggest client.

I'm standing there grinning like an idiot while everyone else is mentally updating their LinkedIn bios.

I've been Big Bird on the Death Star more times than I can count.

The weirdo who walks into a dumpster fire and asks if anyone wants s'mores.

Here's the thing about being that person:

Your job isn't always to match the room's energy.

Sometimes it's to absolutely wreck it.

Not with toxic positivity or "good vibes only" nonsense.

But with the audacity to believe panic isn't a business strategy.

When everyone's spiraling, they don't need another person joining the doom scroll.

They need someone who can still see the next move.

You're not naive.
You're the circuit breaker.

Energy spreads both ways.

And sometimes the most valuable thing you bring isn't your expertise.

It's your stubborn refusal to let everyone stay stuck in the darkness.

So if you're Big Bird today?

Own it.

The Empire has enough Darth Vaders.

What it needs is someone ridiculous enough to still believe we're going to win.

♻️ Repost if you've been the only optimist while everyone else planned their escape route.

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The water boy stood frozen.

Geelong just won the Grand Final.
And captain Joel Selwood was walking straight toward him.

What happened next changed his life.

Selwood didn't just acknowledge him. 
He pulled him into the celebration. 
Made him part of the moment. 
Gave him a memory that'll last forever.

This wasn't about football.

It was about seeing someone. 
Really seeing them.

That water boy was a massive Cats fan. 
He'd probably dreamed of this moment his entire life. 
And Selwood made it real.

Here's what most leaders miss:

You don't need a grand gesture to change someone's life. 
You just need to notice them. Include them. 
Make them feel like they matter.

Because they do.

The people watching you right now? 
They're waiting to see if you'll lift them up or walk past them.

Who can you bring into your celebration today?

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They want you to be the therapist.
And the enforcer.
The champion of culture.
And the cost-cutter.

You're supposed to care deeply about people.
Then lay them off with compassion.

This is the impossible job.

I've defended grieving employees in boardrooms full of spreadsheets.
I've watched brilliant people quit because we made them feel like numbers.

And I've had enough of the false choice.

You don't have to pick between people and profit.
Between heart and results.

You need all 5.

The 5 H's of Modern HR:

🧠 HEAD - Strategy and business insight
❤️ HEART - Empathy and inclusion  
🤝 HANDS - Execution that works
👂 HEAR - Real listening
⚖️ HOLD - Accountability and integrity

Most HR pros are doing pieces of this.
Just reactively.
Putting out fires. 🔥

When you use all 5 together?

You stop betraying one side to serve the other.

Your people aren't your biggest cost.
They're your most dangerous competitive advantage. ⚡

Which H are you neglecting?

—

Follow Hayden Swerling for HR that's both human and strategic.

You're choosing AI tools the same way you chose your HRIS.
Based on features, not fit.
Here's what actually matters:

The tool that works for comp modelling won't work for rewriting a redundancy letter.

The one that drafts your strategy deck won't handle your ER case review.

Most People Leaders I talk to are using ChatGPT for everything.

That's like using Excel for your entire People function.

Here's the stack that actually works:

ChatGPT when you need speed and structure.
Use it for org design options, manager toolkits, turning messy input into exec-ready narratives.

It's your thinking partner, not your writer.

Gemini when your world lives in Google Workspace.
Pull themes from engagement surveys, turn HR data into slides, analyse workforce planning at pace.

Best for synthesis, not strategy.

Claude when human consequences matter.
Policy reviews, sensitive comms, complex change impacts, ER cases.

It handles nuance. The others don't.

The mistake isn't picking the wrong tool.

It's using one tool for everything and wondering why your output feels generic.

Match the tool to the problem.
Not the problem to your favourite tool.

Want help building your AI stack for People work?

I've spent the last year testing these tools on real HR challenges.

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You're teaching managers how to have better conversations.
But you haven't given them anything worth talking about.

Every year, companies invest millions in manager training.
Coaching skills. Active listening. Feedback frameworks.

Then managers return to their desks and sit in 1:1s with nothing meaningful to discuss.

Because you gave them the skills but not the infrastructure:

• No clear career paths to coach people toward
• No meaningful goals beyond "do more with less"
• No succession plans that feel real
• No role clarity when everything changes every six months
• No authority to make decisions that matter

So the conversation becomes:
"How are you doing?"
"Fine."
"Anything I can help with?"
"Nope."

And both people leave feeling like they wasted 30 minutes.

Here's the truth.

Manager training isn't the problem.
Your organizational design is.

You can't coach people toward growth if there's nowhere to grow.
You can't have career conversations without career architecture.
You can't develop talent without knowing what talent you need.

Great coaching requires something to coach toward.

Direction. Clarity. Opportunity.

The best HR functions I've seen don't just train managers.

They build the systems that make good management possible:
Clear role frameworks.
Transparent progression paths.
Goals that connect to something bigger than quarterly targets.

If you want better managers, stop buying more training.

Start building better infrastructure.

What's one system your managers need that training can't fix?

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The Battle

Codie A. Sanchez

Hayden Swerling

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taplio

The Battle

Codie A. Sanchez

Hayden Swerling

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Codie A. Sanchez's LinkedIn Performance

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