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the superpower is inside you, ready to unleash it?

Author

Dan Pope
July 28, 2023

the superpower is inside you, ready to unleash it?

After +1000 hours speaking to the biggest food and drink founders.

One superpower unites them all.

From Candy Kittens, Tyrells, Lucky Saint, Little Moons, GRENADE and Planet Organic.

All these founders know the superpower.

Good news?

You’ve got the superpower too.

Ready to unleash it?

This superpower gets them through the rough days where you feel like a feeble kite bobbing in rough winds.

You’re probably thinking…

“God Popey’s gone Full-House, Fat-Coke, Fruit Cake”

Like Middle Aged men with a fetishisation for Marvel Comics and Avengers and ODEON Deluxe Cinemas in Dorking. #King of Dorks.

Corrrrrr ODEON DELUX seats #properHORN

Owns a Samsung Galaxy.

Dresses as Terminator for his M&S Friday “Staying In” Date Night.

“Lancashire Hot Put and bloody-ruddy good puddy Sticky Toffee pud-pud Darling…

…As Ta La Vistaaa Baby… I’m going to the bedroom, Baby”.

Sorry I got a little side tracked. I’m oversharing my weekend plans.

Ready to unleash your superpower?

The Reframe.

Your ability to reframe is your ability to win. Better reframe = better success.

Reframe is the superpower.

“I am so busy” Reframe

Busy and shallow work is DUMB - a la David Hieatt.

You’re competition are doing busy-shallow work.

Emails.

Meetings.

Slacking on Slack, cut me some Slack brah?

WhatsAppening on WhatsApp.

“I am so slammed, I am back-to-back today (you’re not a DJ mate, trust me, did you know I DJ? )” This is fucking dumb.

Doing lots. Achieving little. Zzzzzzzz

The reframe?

DEEP and NARROW and IMPACTFUL work.

Stay in the IMPACT zone. Avoid the BUSY zone.

How to select the high impact work and avoid busy ?

Apply the 80/20 rule to your work

  1. What 20% of my time will drive 80% of the value or revenue?

  2. If I only do one task this week what is it?

  3. What 5 tasks can I cut out this week that don’t move the needle?

How to do deep work ?

Your phone is The Prison of Busy.

Block all social media and email - use this app, Freedom.

Put your phone in another room. Airplane mode: on.

Don’t look at it.

Set a timer (I go for 57 minutes)

Go deep and hard.

Followed by deep rest and crack like addiction

Things Going Pete Tong Reframe

The other day LITERALLY EVERYTHING went wrong.

My Mum didn’t get me the new FIFA 2023 and forgot the fucking garlic bread to go with the Spag Boll.

I jest.

On our journey things will go wrong. All the time.

Obstacles like a big red bowling balls are steaming towards us little ants all the time.

The reframe: Things can always be worse.

You could be living on the streets with no money. You could be Blind. You could be from Bognor Regis.

When things are going wrong. Remember: Someone’s always got it worse.

Reframes:

  1. How could this be worse?

  2. What is in your control vs. what’s not in your control?

  3. Write a list “in my control” vs. “out my control”. Focus on what’s in your control.

Also read this quote regularly.

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom” - Victor Frankl, Mans Search for Meaning.

Being Kind Reframe

The other day, I was at pub in St Johns Hill, Clapham.

Two blokes in flat caps and suits and Adidas trousers. Speaking posh (even though I am posh). I thought you edgy little turds.

We ended up sitting with them. Having a few beers. They were from the a similar area to us. They were lovely.

I was so so wrong.

We judge people so harshly.

Without even knowing them.

The lesson: Don’t judge so harsh and quickly. 

The reframe: judge less, explore more.

When you’re judging others harshly. You’re really just judging yourself harshly.

kindness wins

Beating yourself up reframe - The “should” reframe

I slather my brain with beating myself up butter… like cold butter over hot toast.

It’s a daily battle.

The word “should” is a toxic poison.

Should do more.

Should be a better Mum or Dad.

Should be a better leader.

Should lose weight. Should have a better rate of sale.

Should eat less Quavers (well c’mon now)

“Should” and “what if” are poison of the mind.

Get out of the weeds of “should” and “what if”

The reframe:

  • Imagine speaking to yourself like you’re speaking to your 3 year old self?

  • Or imagine speaking to yourself like your best friend?

The ability to see yourself from the third person is a superpower.

It allows you to fill yourself with kindness, that is truly a superpower.

The “get to” reframe

Procrastination is putrid pugnacious little river-rat roaming your boat.

We procrastinate. It’s human nature.

I have to go to the gym. I have to go to work. I have to do more. I have to do accounts.

“Get to” reframe:

I get to go to the gym.

I get to go to work, imagine not having a job and living on the streets.

Gratitude = get to.

Entitled = have to.

Focus on get to, always.

Dealing with nerves and fear reframe

This is fucking weird. I am fucking weird. It fucking works.

Your ability to deal with nerves and fear is SO, SO important as a food and drink founder.

Scared of pitching to a big buyer or a CEO or Influencer or investor or a Big Cheese?

The fear reframe:

  1. Fear = Growth

  2. Fear is tailwind not headwind.

  3. Fear is your friend.

Fear is The Way.

The nerves reframe:

Realise this rather revolting truth about every single human being you ever speak to.

In the last 12 months they’ve probably shaved their pubes (at least you’d hope)(…maybe not if they’re Glaswegian).

In the last 3 months they’ve probably cried and felt anxious and uncertain.

In the last 48 hours they’ve probably taken a shit (and if they’ve got IBS… fuck me, you’ll know about it).

This reframe is magic.

You realise humans are just humans. Warts and all.

Millionaires are just humans. Warts and all.

Buyers are just humans. Warts and all.

Everyone’s just trying to figure it out.

We’re all just a pudding of insecurities and worry and doubt all foiled in skin (and botox… if you’re from Essex).

Failure Reframe

Last week I recorded two live podcasts, one with the formidable Giles Brook and the Rob Wallis at Bread and Jam.

I was incredibly nervous.

What if I bottle it?

What if the introduction is shit?

What if I start sweating on stage?

What if I’m awkward?
What if things go wrong?

What if I mess everything up?

Writing down your fears is a superpower.

Read more on Fear Setting by Tim Ferris on Failure setting.

”It’s too hard” reframe

Fall in love with hard things.

Hard Things Reframe:

  1. If it were easy, everyone would do it.

  2. Nothing fulfilling and rewarding is easy.

  3. Hard is the unfair advantage.

  4. Running at the hard problems, no one else is running at, create a moat your competition.

Doing hard scary things is THE competitive advantage.

As Bill Shuflet, Athletic Brewery says “run at the hardest problems, so you create a moat your competition can’t cross.”

Thank you so so much for reading my rambling!!


If you got even a smidge of value from the Newsletter… I’d be so incredibly grateful if you could please forward on to a friend or foe?

And, I’d love to know what reframes you bake into your life? to help your reset your mind.

Have a lovely weekend,

Popey x