The 4 Words That Killed Collaboration

It's Friday, so reflecting on 5 reality checks I got this week:

1. How 4 words can kill collaboration
I thought I was being reassuring. Instead, I shut down a team member who was asking valid questions.

2. Why charging for your "years of experience" is BS.
That viral quote about deserving payment for your decade of learning? It's self-serving that's actually hurting your business.

3. My friends roasted me (and I needed it)
Nothing like champagne and brutal honesty to reveal your biggest blind spots. Sometimes the people who love you most will tell you what you need to hear.

4. I spent $500 to fly nowhere 4 hours in the air, same departure and arrival city. For 50 loyalty points (I carbon offset the flights!).
Do I really care about status THAT much?

5. The commitment test that changed my perspective
Jimmy Fallon said he was going to make it on SNL by 25, no matter what - even if he had to break into the building. Do I have that kind of conviction about any of my goals?

This was a week of getting called out, messing up, and finding unexpected clarity.

My full diary entries (including the exact 4 words that backfired and why that viral pricing quote is doing more harm than good) is in my weekly Work Fame article.

What reality check have you had recently?