I dug the pond during COVID.
Not with a backhoe or a contractor—just a shovel, a stubborn streak, and too much time on my hands.
At the time, I thought I was just building a backyard feature. Something calming. Something nice to look at while sipping coffee.
But as it turns out… that pond taught me more about sales, leadership, and life than any boardroom ever has.

1. Still Water Reflects Best

When the pond is calm, you can see everything clearly.
When it’s agitated—muddy, moving—you only see distortion.
Same goes for people.
You don’t get to know someone when they’re in “performance mode.” You get to know them in the quiet moments. In the pauses. In how they show up when no one’s watching.
That’s where the trust lives. And that’s how I’ve always sold—by seeing people, not just profiles.

2. Every Ecosystem Needs Balance

If I overfeed the fish, the algae blooms.
If I forget the filter, everything goes murky.
Too much light, things burn. Too little, things die.
Business is the same.
You can’t chase one metric and neglect the others.
Revenue is great—but not if it costs your health, your marriage, or your team’s respect.
Balance isn’t passive. It’s maintenance. Constant. Intentional.
Just like a healthy pipeline or a good marriage.

3. The Work Beneath the Surface Matters Most

People see the waterfall, the lilies, the koi.
What they don’t see is the liner I had to reseal (twice), the roots I had to dig through, or the pump I had to replace because I cheaped out the first time.
That’s sales too. Everyone loves a closer. Few understand the prep—the follow-ups, the proposals, the rejections, the re-routing.
But that’s where the real work lives.
And if you get that right?
The rest becomes effortless.

I sit by that pond often. Sometimes with my wife. Sometimes with a drink. Sometimes with a problem I’m trying to solve.
It’s never given me a straight answer.
But it’s always shown me what matters.
And more often than not, it whispers this:
Slow down.
Stay real.
Let things settle… and trust what rises to the surface.

Takeaway

Business doesn’t need more noise.
It needs clarity. Stillness. And a few good people who know how to build things that last.
If you’re trying to find your footing—sales, brand, or just life—I’m here.
Not with a script. But with a seat by the pond.