Still riding the high from our fundraiser in Charlotte!

Our Work Meaningful Foundation board hosted the Afrocare CLT gala to fund a tech lab in Akyremade, Kumasi, Ghana. It was spectacular—live auction, dancing, drumming, and Ghanaian cuisine.

(My only request to Chef Awo from this season’s Chopped: “Make it so spicy I regret it in the morning.”)

How do you honor a teammate? At RaderCo, we do it with impact that multiplies. Last week, we celebrated Rijul Arora, our Digital Wellness and Microsoft Specialist, with a Kiva microloan to Bitamay, a 41-year-old entrepreneur in Bihar, India. She’ll grow her corn, rice, paddy, and jute trading business—creating ripple effects for her family and community. It’s our tradition: microloans in places our team lives, has roots, or is visiting.

Event highlight reel: the South Carolina SHRM conference. I delivered the after-lunch and closing keynotes, and also listened to a fireside chat with Johnny C. Taylor, the national SHRM CEO—funny and thought-provoking. I heard dozens of 30-day action plans from HR pros, sold out of books, and yes…this crowd brought the dance party! (My favorite kind of conference)

New tech in my world: I replaced my Apple Watch and bought another set of AirPods. #1 rec? Don’t let email hit your wrist. It’s inefficient and distracting. Mirror your iPhone Focus settings so your watch isn’t siphoning energy all day. Because you have already turned those off on your phone, too, right?

Thursday was RaderCo Design Day—Q3 reflection and Q4 plan with our Powered Path Playbooks. Last quarter, we made significant progress in rebranding our site and simplifying our proposals.

Our 2025 motto: SIMPLIFY to AMPLIFY.

Pro tip: Ask yourself these questions when revising: Do we still need this? (segment, color, description, etc...) If we started from scratch, would we still build it the same way? Don't get stuck in the idea that 'this is the way we've always done it.'

Not fully convinced? Listen to my 10-min deep dive—from way back in Episode 68: Letting Go of the Good to Make Room for the GREAT.​

When you get this, I’ll be on my second walkie-talkie of the morning (learn more in my Meaningful Connections podcast episode). Then off to Smith Mountain Lake to spend the weekend with a real Lord (!). (No, not my nickname for Kevin.)

On with the Weekender!

PERFORMANCE POWER TIP zombie hours Your energy slump isn’t broken time. It can be meaningful! Learn how to save your best brain for Magic Time and get a task menu for when your inner Zombie comes out. LISTEN (11-MIN) READ SUMMARY

RADER-SPOTLIGHT Brands on Brands I sat down with Brandon Birkmeyer to share how to reclaim your workday without burning out. We covered practical ways to nix distractions, set guardrails, and practice healthy productivity—where breaks, focus zones, and well-being fuel results. Listen in for simple shifts to move from “busy” to effective. LISTEN HERE (35-min)

RADER-SYSTEMS TEST-DRIVE taming the paradox of choice More options ≠ more freedom. But they can hijack your time with more second-guessing. Context: Since learning last spring that gluten no longer sends me sprinting to the bathroom, my menu options increased—and so did my “did I pick the wrong thing?” brain-loop. My Fix: I created a custom GPT tailored to my food preferences. I drop in a menu URL or PDF, and it returns three solid picks based on my parameters. Result: Fewer decisions. Better dinners. Zero regret bites.

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P.S. What should AI decide so you don’t have to? Reply with your top candidate.