Closing dance floors, invisible AI teams, and the last Action Club I'll ever run.

The past two weeks were filled with so much fun and goodness. I went to Austin to spend four days at my favorite conference of the year, the National Speaker Association Influence Conference.

Two keynotes that stood out were:

• My friend Ross Bernstein documenting one year of cancer treatments while maintaining his business
• Don Yeager, former associate editor of Sports Illustrated, on what makes high performers, with great stories about Michael Jordan and John Wooden

There was a lot of music, because it's Austin, and I closed out the dance floor on the final night like I do every year.

One of my favorite breakout sessions was on building proposals with Claude, my AI platform of choice, given by Susan Frew. I've already started working with my human AI strategy partner to turn that into a skill I can actually use. Here's the thing about AI: it isn't always a time saver. Sometimes it takes me longer because I can do more research and have access to more information, but what comes out the other side is better. The mistake I see people make is assuming AI makes everything faster. Remember, it's junk in, junk out. If you don't know how to use it, you get bad output and end up running in circles instead of saving time. That's exactly why I made an investment this year in an AI strategy partner (the real ones, made of humans) on retainer, to help me build out my actual AI team (the invisible ones) so I'm being smart about this instead of wasting time on it.

In Austin, I also recorded a mini version of my new keynote, The Right Things First, which pairs with my new pocket guide to relentless prioritization. That launches officially on September 8th.

Speaking of things that are almost here: the Action Club starts in a little over two weeks. I only meant to run this once. The feedback was good enough that I brought it back for a second round, and this is genuinely the last time I'm running it. Eight sessions over eight weeks. Bring a team of three to five for $299 a person, or join on your own for $379. Grab a seat here.​

I flew to Atlanta to Delta Air Lines' world headquarters and worked with their team for the second time in a month, this time with their remote field team leaders. I loved every minute of it, as always.

Delta's culture and care matter to me. It makes me proud, as a Delta flyer, to be part of anything that helps them grow.

One small thing that stuck with me: they'd ordered pens in five different skin-tone colors.

In a world where people have started to forget that diversity and equity make ideas stronger and more creative instead of homogenized, that kind of thoughtfulness made me even prouder to be there. I asked for two pens instead of one, so I could give one to a friend who'd appreciate it as much as I did.

Crazy coincidence: This is me with Trevor Blondeel, who interviewed me for the podcast episode shared below that launched the same week.

When you get this, I'll be in Las Vegas with my husband, meeting my mom and brother to take my mom to see her favorite band, the Backstreet Boys, at The Sphere, with The Wizard of Oz the next day. Pro tip: I used ChatGPT to help pick our seats at The Sphere. The best seat for one person isn't the best seat for another. If you have neck issues, fear of heights, or vertigo, doing some extra research to make sure you aren't like a few of my friends who ended up miserable is worth the time.

I love being able to give my mom these kinds of adventures. One of my favorite books is Die With Zero, and I believe in its whole philosophy: spend on experiences earlier in life instead of waiting for your slow-go retirement years. That's why we spent three weeks in New Zealand last year, and why we're deliberate about the trips we take and how we spend on them.

On with the Weekender!

How to Stay Connected and Productive Working Remotely I've worked remotely since 2002, including six years with a manager I didn't meet in person until year five.

You can have a relationship and be respectful without video fatigue and chat reactivity. One Thing You Can Do Now: Charge your phone outside the bedroom tonight. Don't take your manager to bed with you (ewww). One guardrail, no willpower required. WATCH 11 min READ THE SUMMARY 4 min

Inner Propaganda: Leading Hearts and Minds Through Turbulent Times.

Inner Propaganda is one of the few podcasts I actually subscribe to, so I was thrilled when the host, my friend Owen, sent me an early copy of the book. It's already in the running for my top three of the year. You'll learn why you and the people around you react the way you do, how what you read, watch, and listen to is quietly shaping your brain, and how to lead and manage a team through discourse. GET IT HERE

Why Your Plant Manager Can't Solve Complex Problems: Time Management for Manufacturing Leaders

What if the only machine in your plant with no maintenance plan is you? Trevor and I talk about bringing health-powered productivity to the shop floor: the red headphones rule that protects deep focus without an office door, why burnout comes from a lack of recharge rather than workload, the burn-it-down audit nobody runs on the supervisor's role, and the rule of three that separates relentless prioritization from endless optimization in manufacturing team leadership. LISTEN HERE: 33 min

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P.S. The Right Things First: A Pocket Guide to Relentless Prioritization is coming. If you want to be one of the first to buy it for your team or company, hit reply and let me know.