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This edition is brought to you by Attio

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.

Stories of Excellence

Person: Diane Hendricks

Diane Hendricks is a self-made billionaire and co-founder of ABC Supply, one of America's largest wholesale distributors of roofing, siding, and windows. Born in Wisconsin in 1947, Hendricks grew up on a dairy farm and became a mother at 17. Undeterred, she pursued her entrepreneurial dreams. In 1982, she and her late husband Ken founded ABC Supply with just $900. Today, the company boasts annual sales of $15 billion. Hendricks' journey from teenage mom to America's richest self-made woman is a testament to her grit and business acumen. She remains actively involved in ABC Supply as chairwoman and continues to invest in real estate and other ventures. Her story exemplifies the power of perseverance and vision in achieving extraordinary success.

Key Lessons from Diane Hendricks:

• On perseverance: "I've had to overcome a lot of challenges in my life. But I've always believed that if you work hard and stay focused, you can achieve anything."

• On values: "I don't have heroes, exactly, but I do have people I hold in high respect. Ronald Reagan, for example, stood for ideals that I value: integrity, patriotism and a fundamental belief in goodness and capabilities of mankind."

Read More.

Company: Banana Republic

Banana Republic was founded in 1978 by Mel and Patricia Ziegler, a writer and artist couple with no retail experience. They started by selling surplus military clothing reimagined as safari wear from a small store in Mill Valley, California. The Zieglers grew the business organically, relying on creative marketing and unique store designs to attract customers. In 1983, Gap Inc. acquired Banana Republic for $900,000, allowing the brand to expand rapidly. The Zieglers remained involved until 1988. Today, Banana Republic is a global brand with over 600 stores and $2.5 billion in annual revenue, known for its modern, versatile workwear and casual luxury apparel.

Key Lessons from Banana Republic

• On unconventional beginnings: You don't need industry experience to start a successful business. The Zieglers knew nothing about retail or fashion. They just jumped in. "Learning by doing is our way," Mel Ziegler said.

• On creative marketing: Make your catalogs more than just product listings. Banana Republic turned theirs into literary adventure journals, even sending clothes to cultural icons for reviews.

Read More.

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Accelerants

High-performance tool

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Eisenhower decision matrix

Eisenhower Decision Matrix Best for day-to-day decisions. Prioritize tasks by urgency and importance and decide which tasks should be delegated or not done at all. ”What is important is seldom urgent, and what is urgent is seldom important.” —Dwight Eisenhower

Insights

Tactical reads

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> When creating a mindful morning routine
A Simple Buddhist Guide to having a Mindful Morning. (Read it here)

> When optimizing your work schedule
Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule (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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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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