I love James Carville. He is one of the best political campaign managers of all time, and he is still bringing the heat in his eighties. He is famous for the quote: “It’s the economy, stupid!” Carville says that if a politician is trying to win an election, then the focus should be on fixing the economy or maintaining the good economy you’ve managed.

I had an epiphany while reading Jim Collins book, Great by Choice.

It’s the people, stupid!

If I want to do well in life, then my focus needs to be on building and maintaining relationships with great people.

Luck

In Great by Choice, good and bad luck events were defined as those that were beyond the company’s control. In this context, luck is not related to superstition.

 Collins spends an entire chapter discussing luck among what he calls 10X companies, which were wildly successful, and comparison companies that did not fare as well. Most would assume the 10X companies had a lot of good luck, and the comparison companies had a lot of bad luck. That did not turn out to be true. Both 10X and comparison companies had runs of good and bad luck. What made the difference between 10X companies and the comparison companies was how they handled their good and bad luck.

As Collins said in the book, “Luck does not cause 10X success. People do.

The critical question is not “Are you lucky?” but do you get a high return on luck?

The “Who” Luck

What hit me most while reading this book was the truth of “who” luck.

Collins says that “Who” luck is the luck of finding the right mentor, partner, teammate, leader, or friend.

According to Collins, this is one of the most important types of luck:

“The best way to find a strong current of good luck is to swim with great people, and to build deep and enduring relationships with people for whom you’d risk your life and who’d risk their lives for you.” -Jim Collins, Great by Choice.

 

It’s the people, stupid!

This is the second time this year I have encountered this truth. In Angela Duckworth’s book Grit, the sociologist Dan Chambliss said, “The real way to become a great swimmer is to join a great team.”

 It’s the people, stupid!

For the last few years, I have bemoaned the lack of peers, mentors, and vibrant connections in my life. I have felt so isolated, disconnected, and frustrated because I have been in the wrong environments. It has become crystal clear to me that one reason I have struggled so much over the past few years is that my environments have been misaligned, and, as a result, life has felt stagnant, dull, constricted, and miserable.

This year, I have spent the first few months reconnecting with people I love, enjoy, and respect. While many of my circumstances have not changed, my life feels different because these people are back in it.

 

It’s the people, stupid.

This chapter of life is coming to a close.

I believe this chapter of my life is coming to a close, and I am glad because it was awful. COVID happened, our training studio closed, I became disconnected from myself, and I lost my mother.

It was a heavy time, but there were some gifts. I am coming out of this challenging time stronger and more resilient. I also developed my life motto, “I will not settle for the short stick.” Because of this chapter of my life, I learned how costly and dangerous misaligned environments and relationships can be. I learned that your entire life can pass you by because you insist on staying in the wrong environment with the wrong people.

Reconnecting

“I have had more excitement in the first quarter of the year than I have had in the last six years put together!” I have exclaimed to multiple people.

It’s the people, stupid!

In the first quarter of 2026, I reconnected with several people who mean t a lot to me.  These reunions lasted for hours, and I would wonder: “Why on earth have I lost touch with these people? They make my heart and life sing!”

It is easy to blame everything on COVID, and it did play a role, but I also think that as I grew more frustrated with my life, I became more insulated. During COVID, I spent a lot of time with the church community I was part of, and even afterward, the pandemic ended, that was my sole outlet.

When I was growing up, church was our primary form of community. After being involved in a church for four years, I remember why I stopped viewing church as a great place for community: it’s stifling, dull, performative, inauthentic, and limiting. I always end up leaving because I just can’t bear the self-betrayal I have to perform.

Even while I was deeply entrenched in that religious community, I would say, “I miss my friends.” I knew I was settling for this community because I was self-employed, had no peers, and was not in an environment where I could make friends. I also got so involved with the church because I thought my life would make sense. The church has such a narrow view of life, and there’s something comforting about simplistic and black-and-white thinking. The problem is that life is not simplistic or black-and-white. Life is complicated, messy, and filled with colorful, diverse people.

One of the biggest gifts in my life now is remembering how diverse and expansive my network of connections is. As I reconnect with people, I am remembering how much I enjoy being with people from all different walks of life and backgrounds. Life is far more colorful and engaging!!

Inspiration

Another big gift from my reconnections is inspiration. In the first part of 2026, I have left so many conversations with my friends and connections feeling inspired as they have shared their goals, dreams, and future projects. They have also shared events they have hosted that gave me ideas for events I would like to host someday, and it has gotten my wheels turning for what is possible. I have not had this type of stimulation in years.

For the last few years, I have toiled in a land of mediocrity and stagnation. I have been so uninspired and bored to death. It has been hard to be in environments where people do the same things day in and day out with no desire for growth. Being around people with rigid, fixed mindsets and a lack of creativity and imagination has been hard for me to endure.

But I endured and came out on the other side!

As Kelly Clarkson (and Frederick Nietzsche) say, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

 A New Chapter

In the book Good to Great, Jim Collins says that after “Bad Luck” events, good luck eventually returns if you keep going and don’t quit.

As I embark upon a new chapter, my first order of business is alignment. My lifestyle was completely misaligned with my values and what I wanted in life.

I was in a deeply misaligned work environment. “Luckily”. I had stayed in touch with our former fitness studio owner, and in February of this year, the studio’s second iteration, which had closed during COVID, reopened!

The new fitness studio is fun, friendly, and upbeat, with great equipment. The owner is also extremely personable and committed to ensuring clients have a great experience. I have also loved seeing all the familiar faces from the old studio.

It’s the people, stupid!

 Joining a great team.

My main focus right now is to join a great team.

I am so serious about joining a great team that I interviewed people I know who have led successful teams, are effective leaders, and were part of successful teams during a golden age at their companies. I loved the insights, and it ultimately comes down to

It’s the people, stupid!

You cannot have a successful team without successful people. Teams united around a shared sense of purpose and values are a catalyst for success.

People have asked what type of team I would like to join. I am open to however the team shows up. It could be a creative team, a volunteer team around a cause I am passionate about, a professional team, or even a personal team. I am open to all possibilities.

I know that joining a great team aligns with the next chapter of my life, which has already begun. As I mentioned, my work environment has changed, and I love the creative atmosphere. I have become so excited watching my colleagues perform exercises with their clients that I have not seen in years! I am not just looking to join a team for glory. I want to join a team to contribute, learn, grow, push myself, and unite around a shared purpose.

I will join a great team and build deep, enduring relationships with people. This insane run is about to be full of world-class teammates and people I respect, admire, and love.

All of the great things that happen in life happen because of people working together, and that’s the centerpiece of the next volume of my life

 

It’s the people, stupid!!