Not Another Pep Talk

One of my favorite parts of what I do is walking alongside other C-level leaders.

Whether I’m part of a CEO’s leadership team, mentoring a founder, or stepping in to help shape marketing strategy, I get to witness the full spectrum of leadership energy.

Lately, though, something’s been showing up more and more: exhaustion.

I’m talking about seasoned, capable, incredibly intelligent leaders who are just… beat down. Not because they aren’t good at what they do. Not because the business is falling apart. But because the emotional weight of leading is starting to drain their energy.

And let’s be honest—it’s hard to lead well when your tank is running on empty.

Not long ago, I was processing this with a mentor of mine, sharing a few stories from clients and the common pain points I’d been noticing. Somewhere in the middle of our conversation, she said something that stopped me in my tracks:“People need to be reminded to remember.”

I paused. I didn’t fully get it at first.

Reminded to remember? Remember what?

She explained: most CEOs have read all the books. They’ve been through the hype cycles. They’ve absorbed the lessons, strategies, motivation speeches, and leadership clichés. They know how to weather the peaks and valleys.

But the thing those books can’t do?

They can’t help you remember why you started.

And that hit me hard.

Because she’s right. The leaders I’m sitting with don’t need another high-energy business book or motivational YouTube clip. What they need is a moment of stillness to reconnect with the core reason they started this journey in the first place.

For some, it’s about creating generational wealth.

For others, it’s about solving a meaningful problem.

It could be legacy, independence, impact, competition, faith, or even fear.

Whatever it is—it matters. And it’s easy to forget.

So I’ve started taking that advice seriously. Instead of pushing another book or strategy, I’m starting to ask different questions:

• Why did you start this?
• What were you hoping to build?
• What got you excited about the work in the first place?
• What did success look like before you got so deep in the weeds?

And more often than not, that conversation—not a new framework or productivity hack—is what unlocks a spark of energy again.

You don’t need to be hyped. You just need to remember.

So this month, I want to ask you:

Why are you in the business that you’re in?

What did you hope to create when you stepped into this role?

And—honestly—what kind of energy are you operating from right now?

Are you running full speed ahead? Are you burned out? Are you coasting? Or are you, like so many others, just trying to keep going?

Wherever you are, I hope you take a few minutes this week to pause and remember.

Not because I’m asking you to, but because you owe it to yourself to remember what this is all for.

And if this letter resonated with you—or if you’re in a season where your energy feels low and you’re looking for some direction—I’d love to hear from you. Truly. Hit reply and tell me your story. I’m listening.

Until next time,