Curated Pt. 14

A weekly roundup of cool stuff I hope you'll like

Shawn Allard

Feb 27, 2024

14 weeks…

I’m proud of myself.

Can I say that?

Who cares, I’m saying it.

If you noticed, I’ve increased the frequency of this newsletter.

It used to be monthly, then bi-weekly, and now I’m posting weekly.

I like this cadence but let me know your preference below:

Thanks friend.

I have a quick thought about goal setting.

I’ve been thinking about them wrong.

Goals as we know them are long-term checkpoints we look to achieve throughout our lives.

We put all of our energy toward them in hopes that life will improve once we hit them.

We’re convinced we’ll be happier, healthier, less stressed, and whatever other metric we on social.

But from my experience, hitting my goals has not improved my life.

I would even say it has negatively impacted it.

I know, it’s odd.

But stay with me.

Immediately after completing the goal, I take my foot off the gas and get off track.

I’ve convinced myself that I “made it”.

So it was okay to let off and give myself a break.

Like competing in my first bodybuilding show.

I didn’t go to the gym for a few weeks and started eating everything in sight in the months following.

Like running my first marathon.

I stopped running for a week (not to recover) but because I got lazy.

Like buying my first business.

I told myself, “Shawn you did the thing, stop trying to do more”

How soft.

I also don’t find fulfillment in the goal itself.

I find fulfillment in the pursuit of that goal.

I find fulfillment in the man I become in the pursuit.

And I find happiness in showing up.

Consistently.

Example - my sister is applying to dental school.

And she’s been working her ass off for years.

So she is currently in pursuit of her goal to get into dental school.

She is putting countless hours into her education.

And once she gets in?

It’s onto the next.

But the woman she has become over the last 4 years is what she should be most proud of.

Yet, we spend our time pushing and pushing for that one moment.

The moment that lasts 5 minutes before you’re back to reality.

So, to me, it’s never about the destination.

It’s about the skills you acquire through the pursuit.

And the person you become.

End of story.

P.S. - if you like these posts, don’t forget to forward this to your homies, your g-parents, or your 4th cousin from Kansas.

Projects

Novel Ice Cream - I just talked with a great friend - Jacob Williamson (we’re hosting a private event this Friday).

He asked me a great question:

“What if you focused all of your attention on becoming the dominant regional player versus a national brand?”

He’s right.

I recognize that we haven’t even scratched the surface of what Novel can do.

Given our size and reputation in Arizona, it’s the most effective strategy.

Before I begin entertaining other opportunities, I need to put all my time and energy into becoming THE ice cream brand of Arizona.

It’s the reframe I needed.

Thanks Jacob.

P.S. - The lease for Novel #3 is being tweaked before we lock it in.

The buildout is going smoothly and should be done in less than 2 months.

We’re getting close to the final touches on the trailer design.

Check it out and let me know what you think:

Remix Coffee - The electrical is done and all the equipment we have is working well.

The espresso machine is the last piece of equipment we need and while it’s being serviced we need to add some plumbing to supply water to it.

I’m finalizing the logo (see below) and will have the sign built out in the next couple of weeks.

I threw up the hiring sign this week and we’ve got a few applicants which is great news.

If you happen to know anyone looking for a cool role working with coffee, soda, and grub…

Send them this link to apply

Once the espresso machine is in and the countertops are finished, we can start training the team!

I also need to be trained…

I don’t know nearly enough about coffee right now.

Shouldn’t I be an expert given the 3 Americanos I’m having on the daily?

If you didn’t catch a quick visual of the space last week, here it is:

2nd Acquisition - Just submitted an IOI (indication of interest) this week on an electrical company out of San Antonio, Texas.

I just received an email from the seller responding to the IOI so if things get real I’ll share more about the deal here.

First IOI I’ve submitted since closing on Novel last August!

Food Hall - No progress this week. I need to get moving on the business plan and layout of the property.

Community - Here are some pics from the last meetup at The Duce in Phoenix last week:

The first out-of-state private event is this Friday!

I’m pumped to be hosting 25 amazing entrepreneurs with Jacob.

We’re doing a 2-hour workout & recovery session followed by a dinner at Suérte.

Another life-changing weekend coming up.

The talent we have attending this event is wild.

Austin is breeding some serious talent.

I’ll post some takeaways next week.

Upcoming Events

Austin Business Owners Private Workout & Dinner
Date: March 1
Time: 5-10 PM
Applications are closed
Denver Small Business Social
Date: March 15
Time: 6-8 PM
RSVP here
Phoenix Small Business Social
Date: March 19th
Time: 6-9 PM
RSVP here

For real-time updates and to stay in touch:
Twitter/X: @shawnwallard
Linkedin: Shawn Allard
Instagram: @shawnallard

Book

My family is fricken awesome.

My Aunt (hopefully that’s right) randomly sent me this book from Montreal.

Crazy thoughtful.

Made my day.

But if you’ve ever come across Serhant, there’s a lot you can learn from the way they’ve built their brand.

I am starting it this weekend on my flight so I’ll let you know what I think next week.

And as always, I try to send one of the books I have to someone every week.

Just reply with your address and I’ll send one your way.

Podcast

Founders by David Senra is pure mastery of craft.

He’s been hosting this podcast for years and has been on fire.

I’m a big fan of history, especially when it’s business-related.

Check this episode out:

Video

Here’s some standup.

Try not to get offended.

Shane Gillis is hilarious.

Health

“I’m following the plan and avoiding In N Out at 11 pm.”

Written in stone by yours truly last week.

Well, I had 4 In N Out burgers on Sunday.

And I enjoyed every bite.

Jokes aside, my nutrition is dialed back in.

I promise…

I’m gonna test OMAD (one meal a day) on and off until the LA marathon (about 3 weeks) to see how my weight fluctuates.

It gives me flexibility with what I’m eating so I don’t start dreading the process again.

I dreaded my cut in 2023 but it was my first attempt at a real cut.

I dieted hard for 8 months and took it to the extreme leading up to the show.

I ate ground beef and sweet potato for at least 4 months of it.

That’s it.

3 times a day.

And doing this doesn’t necessarily help you develop the best relationship with food.

I’m not proud to say that over the last 8 months, I’ve gained the 50 lbs I lost.

Dieting like this works well for me until it doesn’t.

I’m all about commitment but I think it’s important to find what works best for YOU.

Not what anyone else thinks you should do.

Do you dude.

Community Supporters

Eric Hsu is the Founder of Clear Focus Law, a boutique buy-side M&A firm exclusively focused on helping self-funded searchers realize their acquisition dreams.

Connect with Eric here

Joshua Richman is the President of Symphony Risk which offers a suite of insurance services designed to support search funds, entrepreneurial investment acquisition, and SMB owners. These services include complimentary pre-acquisition insurance due diligence, transactional risk products, and comprehensive post-transaction and/or operating insurance solutions.

Please reach out to Joshua at jrichman@symphonyrisk.com.