Up!

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It’s two years since my garage was organized. That changes today.

Most business owners I know struggle to find the perfect one-liner that encapsulates their value proposition. This isn’t their elevator pitch, but the simple explanation they can share in a social setting when they’re asked, “What do you do for work?” Sure, some professions are simpler than others. We’ve all hired electricians, seen builders work, and know a doctor. But even within those professions, there is a wide range of practice.

It’s been more than a decade since I left my nonprofit job, and just last week I found myself stumbling over the same question at a block party. I write and communicate for my clients every day, yet I had trouble putting into words exactly what I do. It was time to figure it out.

I graduated with a degree in Philosophy. It’s not a market-based credential, like law or education, but a wide-open field. Are many companies hiring for philosophers? Is there an extreme shortage in the Department of Intellectual Inquiry at Fortune 500 companies? No. Philosophy’s true strength is its framework. The process of thinking through even complex topics, reducing them to their most basic structure, and examining their essential nature is incredibly valuable in every industry and organization.

Philosophy is my firm’s differentiator, but how does it tie together sales tax audits, contract review, website design, systems development, file management, or any of the dozens of assorted tasks I’ve performed for clients? In every instance, I’ve used philosophy to deliver clarity in complexity.

Business owners, leaders, and entrepreneurs have more responsibilities than they have time. Every minute spent on back-office tasks is time that could be better invested in growth and serving existing clients. I take on the complexity, untangle it, and bring my clients the clarity they need to make informed and confident decisions.

Figuring out how to describe what I do was complex, but by following my own process, I finally arrived at an answer. I run a management consulting firm that handles back-office complexity so leaders can focus on growth.

Getting out of bed and walking early is the morning is never easy, but the ability to carry that win with me throughout the day is incredibly motivating.

There is something deeply soothing about looking up at the sky.

Democrats Stare Down the Political Risks of a Government Shutdown - WSJ

Democrats reveled in their willingness to rally together on what many believe to be a winning issue: lowering healthcare costs.

Reviving subsidies for health insurance premiums isn’t lowering healthcare costs. The price is the same, regardless of how the payment is divvied up.

Terrible: Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Will Now Deny Your Claim If They Can Determine That You’re Well-Liked Enough To Get By With A GoFundMe - Clickhole 

“Determining factors for whether someone qualifies to be denied coverage because a well-promoted GoFundMe would probably cover all associated costs of the illness or injury include, 1. A solid follower/friend count; 2. Involvement in some public activity, such as playing in a band or being an influencer; 3. A decent enough personality that it is likely people who know you will gladly help cover your treatment; and 4. An illness or injury tragic enough to garner significant sympathy from the public.” 

Israel-Qatar Derangement Syndrome - WSJ Opinion

But Doha didn’t complain nearly as much in June when Iran fired ballistic missiles at U.S. troops stationed in Qatar. Why now is the West and even the Trump team pretending it was a crime to strike Hamas’s head office?

Relic of the True Cross.

The Utah Governor Urging America to ‘Disagree Better’ - WSJ

“Social media is a cancer in our society right now, and I would encourage people to log off, turn off, touch grass, go hug a family member, go out and do good in the community,” he said at the news conference Friday.

The cross was designed to be a tool of intimidation, oppression, torture, and humiliation. A method of execution so crude, cruel, and twisted that it could be used to simultaneously punish and advance the political goals of the State.

The paradox of Christianity is that Christ took that tool and transformed it into the sign of true hope, true love, and true freedom.

Late summer nights.

Why Apple’s Lackluster New iPhones Will Still Pay Off - WSJ

All of the updates were widely expected, and the lack of surprises led Apple’s stock to slip 1.5% on Tuesday following the event.

The only people who care about one day price movements are day traders and financial writers.

First signs of fall. 🍁

‘I Hope Someone Names A Frozen Pizza After Me’ Thinks Red Baron While Being Shot Down In WWI Dogfight - Babylon Bee

At the time, Australian forces dismissed his thoughts as incoherent death throes because they had no idea what pizza was, but we now know that he was an intelligent man who loved pizza and wanted to make it more accessible and simple to enjoy at home.

Charlie Kirk’s Assassination Feels Like a Hinge Point - WSJ Opinion

An assassination is the intentional and deliberate killing of a person for political reasons. It has a purpose: to alter events, to remove a leader, to intimidate and punish enemies.

What we all have to do now is not let that purpose succeed.

I asked Father Gerald Murray what advice might be hopeful. Charlie Kirk, he said, wanted to share “the eternal truths that make life meaningful and joyous. He did so by reasoned argument and dialogue. His example should inspire us to pick up the baton that fell from his hand.”

Cities Put Daniel Penny Scarecrows On Subways To Deter Crime - Babylon Bee

“The jig is up, boys! Let’s get out of here!” shouted a would-be criminal after seeing a Daniel Penny scarecrow on the train.

The greatest risk in life is to waste it outside of God’s plan.

-Pope Leo XIV

Canonization of Carlo Acutis and Pier Gorgio Frassati

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Spirit Airlines Is Struggling, and Rivals Smell Blood - WSJ

Struggling to find its footing after a federal judge last year struck down a $3.8 billion acquisition by JetBlue Airways, Spirit filed for its first bankruptcy in November.

The ruling looks worse by the day. All it did was empower the legacy carriers to get stronger against a zombie Spirit and weak JetBlue.