Welcome to Billion Dollar Energy. I went from a farm town in Canada to a Silicon Valley insider and venture capitalist. I share secrets and insights to help you build wealth, legacy, and freedom.
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Hey there!
The Wednesday Play is now billion dollar energy. My newsletter has been rebuilt for a bold new direction I've been itching to pursue.
My life and career have been a series of big swings where I regularly asked myself, "Why not me?" Now, I'm bringing all the secrets and insights I gathered while working under Silicon Valley's biggest billionaires, building as an entrepreneur, and launching my own $23M VC fund directly to you through this platform.
My goal is to empower you to reach your personal and professional dreams while building a lasting legacy, no matter where you started. Every Wednesday morning, I'll be in your inbox with lessons, actionable frameworks, and insights to help you think and operate like a billionaire.
Thank you for joining me on this journey… now let's get to it!
WHY MOST PEOPLE DON’T GET FAR
Complacency is the Mind Killer
Last week, I wrote about how I would be climbing Cringe Mountain, breaking away from my comfort zone and sharing everything I’ve learned (and continue to learn) on my journey.
TBH, I’m both excited and nervous to be building in public, especially as a new mom.
People fear failure, sure, but perhaps more importantly, they fear ridicule.
What if I look stupid?
What will my friends and family say?
What’s my professional network going to think?
Most people fail because they go into a new endeavor with the wrong perspective. The goal isn’t to avoid the cringe, it’s to embrace it.
I’m sharing the five perspective shifts that I’ve used throughout my career. I have them printed out and stuck to my wall next to my desk as a reminder during every moment of doubt.
Steal my PDF version here and stick it somewhere that keeps you inspired.
HOW TO CLIMB CRINGE MOUNTAIN
Shift #1: Action beats perfection.
The biggest lie we tell ourselves is that we need to be ready before we start.
Research shows that maladaptive perfectionism (worrying about mistakes, self-criticism) actually increases procrastination. Just get off of zero.
That email you've been drafting for three days? Send it now.
That idea you've been "refining"? Do it badly first.
When you’re not sure, use the 80/20 rule.
Case in point: there’s literally an unknown TikToker on their way to the Super Bowl next week to perform a Dr. Pepper jingle that they jokingly uploaded a few days ago.
Their payday? Apparently, north of $2 million dollars.
Shift #2: The people judging don’t matter.
The loudest critics are almost always the ones who are playing it safe.
From studies, we overestimate how much others notice us by roughly 2x. What feels mortifying to you barely registers to them.
Most people are either quietly cheering you on or too busy with their own mountains to notice.
The ones who matter see your awkwardness and feel kinship, not judgment. Cringe fades in days, but regret compounds over years.
Pro tip: if all else fails, block them. Yes, you can totally block your coworkers, your family, and your friends, if you’re worried about commentary from the cheap seats.
Shift #3: Build your cringe tolerance.
Starting a new workout is brutal. Your muscles ache, and everything feels impossible. But come back for a few weeks, and suddenly what once destroyed you feels manageable.
The same is true for discomfort. Forming a new habit takes an average of 66 days.
Stack your uncomfortable tasks. Do multiple awkward things in one day.
By the third cold email, you're numb to it. The fear doesn't disappear, but your capacity to act despite it grows exponentially.
Shift #4: You don’t have to climb alone.
People who wrote down their goals and shared weekly updates with a friend had a 76% success rate, compared to just 43% for those who kept goals to themselves.
When you make your goals public, you create accountability and attract helpers you didn't know existed.
Shared vulnerability is how you find your fellow climbers.
The people who matter will show up for you.
Shift #5: Discomfort is the price of growth.
Imagine being 14 and asking a movie theatre to hire you when they've never hired a teenager. Julie Sweet did. She became the highest-paid female CEO in the world.
Comfort costs you opportunities, growth, and the person you could become.
People with a growth mindset demonstrate enhanced brain activity when learning from errors and actively seek challenges after failure.
Cringe equals data, while staying comfortable teaches you nothing.
Your willingness to be uncomfortable today is your competitive advantage tomorrow.
If you enjoyed this, forward it to a friend.
I can’t wait to see the new version of you as you climb Cringe Mountain.
Hit ‘reply’ and tell me what you’re working on. I’ll be cheering you on.
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