This edition is brought to you by Athyna

Good morning to all new and old readers! Here is your Wednesday edition of Faster Than Normal, exploring one short story about a person, a company, a high-performance tool, a trend I’m watching closely, and curated media to help you build businesses, wealth, and the most important asset of all: yourself. 

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Today’s edition:

Cheers,
Alex

P.S. Send me feedback on how we can improve. I respond to every email.

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Stories of Excellence

Person: Amancio Ortega

Amancio Ortega, the Spanish billionaire behind Zara, built a fashion empire from humble beginnings. Born in 1936, Ortega left school at 14 to work as a shop hand. In 1975, he opened his first Zara store with his wife. His fast-fashion model revolutionized retail. Ortega's company, Inditex, now owns multiple brands and over 7,000 stores worldwide. Despite his wealth, Ortega remains private. "In the street, I only want to be recognized by my family, my friends and people I work with," he once said. His success stems from a keen understanding of consumer desires and rapid production cycles. At 87, Ortega still visits the Inditex headquarters regularly, demonstrating his ongoing passion for the business he built.

Key Lessons from Amancio Ortega:

• On vision: "The customer must continue to be our main focus, and we must continue to view things from their perspective."

• On innovation: "You must be able to adapt to change. It's the key to success."

• On simplicity: "Stick to a simple, casual style. It's timeless and works for everyone."

Read More.

Company: Mars

Mars, founded in 1911 by Frank C. Mars in Tacoma, Washington, began as a small candy-making business in his kitchen. Frank's son, Forrest Mars Sr., joined the company in 1929, bringing innovative ideas from his experience in Europe. In 1932, Forrest Sr. moved to the UK and started manufacturing Mars bars. The company expanded rapidly, introducing iconic products like M&M's (1941) and developing the Uncle Ben's rice brand (1943). By the 1960s, Mars had become a global confectionery powerhouse, diversifying into pet food with the acquisition of Kal Kan Foods in 1968. The Mars family maintained private ownership, allowing for long-term strategic decisions and a unique corporate culture.

Key Lessons from Mars

• On private ownership: Keep it in the family. Mars' private ownership structure allowed for long-term thinking and unconventional strategies. You don't need to go public to become a global powerhouse. The Mars family's tight control enabled quick decision-making and maintained a unique corporate culture.

• On innovation: Embrace serendipity. The idea for M&M's came from Forrest Mars Sr. observing soldiers eating chocolate pellets coated in sugar during the Spanish Civil War. You never know where the next big idea will come from. Be observant and open to inspiration from unlikely sources.

• On global expansion: Adapt to local tastes. Mars tailors its products to different markets, like creating a green tea-flavored KitKat for Japan. You can't assume a one-size-fits-all approach will work globally. Be willing to modify your offerings to suit local preferences.

Read More.

Accelerants

High-performance tool

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Visualization

Visualization is a powerful technique used across various fields, from sports to business. It involves creating a mental image of a desired outcome. As Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps puts it, "I visualize what I want to achieve, and then I go after it." It's about seeing success in your mind before achieving it in reality.

Visualization works because it primes your brain for success. It can increase motivation, reduce anxiety, and improve performance. In business, it can help in goal-setting, problem-solving, and creative thinking.

Before your next big presentation or project, try visualizing a successful outcome. How does it affect your preparation and performance?

Insights

Tactical reads

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> When seeking a simple yet effective team communication tool
The magic of the personal check-in: red, yellow, green (Read it here)

> When realizing the importance of clear and consistent messaging
Communication is The Job (Read it here)

1 question

That’s all for today, folks. As always, please give me your feedback. Which section is your favourite? What do you want to see more or less of? Other suggestions? Please let me know.

Have a wonderful rest of week, all.

Recommendation Zone

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Hire remote employees with confidence

Two years ago, I hired an offshore assistant for the first time. Since then, I’ve recommended many people do the same. It’s been one of the highest leverage things I’ve done, helping with everything marketing and customer support (for The Intelligence Age) and personal matters and email management.

Athyna is a service that quickly (<5 days!) finds remote employees across 150+ countries for you or your team. They cover roles from sales and marketing to creative and product, and have worked with companies like Facebook, Zoom, Uber, Microsoft, Salesforce, and Amazon.

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If you’re in the market for talent, visit their website to explore options and cover all your hiring needs.

Why Faster Than Normal? Our mission is to be a friend to the ambitious, a mentor to the becoming, and a partner to the bold. We achieve this by sharing the stories, ideas, and frameworks of the world's most prolific people and companies—and how you can apply them to build businesses, wealth, and the most important asset of all: yourself.

Faster Than Normal is a ‘state' of being’ rather than an outcome. Outlier performance requires continuous, compounded improvement. We’re your partner on this journey.

Send us your feedback and help us continuously improve our content and achieve our mission. We want to hear from you and respond to everyone.

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