I sold my company six months ago. What's next?
A new newsletter/journal of John's post-Lemonly journey.
I’m writing this first letter from my dining room table—the same place that has been my office for 16 of the past 18 months. It’s the same table where I took sales calls with clients around the globe, had 1-on-1s with the Lemonly team, and made crafts with my two daughters while school was closed last spring. It’s also the same table where I sold my company...on Zoom.
We officially signed the paperwork to sell Lemonly six months ago today, and this year has been anything but normal…and I kinda like it. My brain is constantly moving, thinking, pondering. I can feel the growth happening, albeit slowly, through the discomfort, the possibility, and the unknown of what could be next.
That’s what this newsletter is about. Change.
I want to document the journey of the next six (maybe eight or nine) months of how I decide what’s next after Lemonly. In last week’s episode of the Leadmore Podcast, I outlined the three frameworks I’m using to help make this big decision. This newsletter will be a sort of live journal throughout that process. I’ve already gone through a wave of emotions throughout the first six months of 2021, and I know the remaining time will continue to be a rollercoaster of growth and learning.
I’m not the only one going through a big change.
The national publications have already brought this storyline to the forefront here, here, and here. Folks across the U.S. are embracing change, quitting their jobs, pursuing their passions and hobbies, or becoming entrepreneurs. Our decision to sell Lemonly wasn’t about COVID, but in conversations with folks this past year, I know many others are wondering what’s next for them, pondering what their future could look like.
So, come along on this weekly journey as I share the conversations, decision frameworks, trends, and ideas that are capturing my attention for the future. If this newsletter can help you embrace the change, I’m here to help.
We don’t know where we’ll end up, but let’s enjoy the journey.
P.S. Each week, I’ll also share the things that are bouncing around in my mind and influencing my thinking. These are conversations, articles, videos, tools and tweets that make me stop and think. And they might help you, too.
The Listen
I’m a big fan of the My First Million podcast by Shaan Puri and Sam Parr. In this episode, they sat down with Hubspot co-founder Dharmesh Shah to discuss how to think about time, money, and the big trends that entrepreneurs should pursue. Listen here or below.
The Read
Crypto is a mega-trend that I believe will change the world. It’s a tsunami, and thousands of businesses and trillions of dollars will be made in the wake of this wave. I enjoyed this read by Mario Gabriele from The Generalist about what to watch in crypto.
The Tool
Sick of sitting on Zoom calls all day long? I’m pumped for this tool that launched this week that helps you make walking meetings easy and efficient. It’s summer in South Dakota, and I’m going to take some of my 1-on-1 meetings with Spot while I walk around the neighborhood. Let me know if you need to chat, and we’ll do a 15-minute walking meeting.
The Tweet
Most people give up when their project or business hits the dip. This tweet from Jack Butcher about how many people give up on their podcast blew my mind. It also made me feel good about our work with the Leadmore Podcast. We dropped episode 58 this week.
That’s it for this first edition of The Change. Share it with your friends and we’ll see you next Friday.