Well, that is it…
The bell is ringing.
The fat lady is singing.
… And it’s officially the swan song of 2023.
Which means only one thing…
Yesterday I went for my New Year haircut with Barney.
Now, my hairdresser Dave is a local legend.
He’s cut my hair since I was six.
Nothing goes on in this town without him knowing.
Anyway, as I took my seat in Dave’s chair he asked me this:
“So then Charlie, my lad, how has 2023 been then? What’s the plan for 2024?”
Always a pleasure to be called a lad at 41.
It was a big question.
One that I suspect if you’re like the other smart ambitious men on this list, you too have started to consider as the new year rolls in.
So today I’m going to bare all and give you my answer.
Fair warning, this is a long email.
Around 900 words.
Don’t say I’m not thorough.
So turn off the TV, shut the door and keep reading.
2023: The Bad
Personally, this year was shit.
Emma’s dad died.
You know how your father-in-law is supposed to hate your guts?
Mine didn’t.
He thought I was great.
A proper cheerleader for commerce, all be it with a very sarky Barnsley edge.
Now, ignoring the heavy personal impacts of his cancer and his death, this also took a very big toll on the business…
For a good 6 months, my wife was (rightly) out of the business.
She was on the ‘caring for someone with a terminal illness’ rollercoaster.
Which means you’re out to lunch on anything else.
And as a result, things fell apart.
Balls got dropped and stuff slipped through the cracks.
So I initiated survival mode.
A ruthless and relentless process of saying “NO.”
No to speaking at events or conferences.
No to podcasts, YouTube or Facefcuk.
No to guesting at other masterminds.
No to glad-handing at glamorous offices.
Anything that wasn’t considered a core competency, took a swift bullet to the back of the head.
Net result?
Game changed.
Which brings me nicely to…
2023: The Good
Business interests have hit record numbers – despite Emma’s dad.
Here’s why.
It was down to two things.
#1 Cutting Crap.
As you can see from above – I simplified fast and to the extreme.
I had to.
Funny thing is, mentally and financially this dramatically moved the dial like nothing else.
Probably because all dead weight and distractions got dropped.
At speed and with full force.
#2 Machine Madness.
Consider that the baking in of more automation, more AI, and more systems than ever before.
Out of necessity.
After all, I needed to remove reactivity while my attention was required elsewhere.
The impact?
Well, it surprised even a die-hard automator like me.
See, even after the battle with cancer at the beginning of the year…
By September, revenues across all interests were up two-fold.
Profit was too.
… Without me being fully present.
Now here’s the cherry on the cake.
From a One Man Empire standpoint, the simplification and systematisation have also meant that when it comes to members:
Their calibre has been higher.
Their results have been faster.
Their tenure inside my four walls has been longer.
In fact, more men crossed the million mark than ever before.
One even hit a 90M+ valuation.
The kind of scale and success even the most ambitious of self-made men dream of.
Yet here’s the thing.
For me, their maximisation of money is not the biggest win of the year.
Their freedom is…
The freedom to be more present, because of the time and capacity they now have.
Which brings me to…
My Favourite Moment of 2023.
The time when one man QUIT – in dramatic fashion.
It went like this:
He applied.
He made it through.
He met the other men.
He had his mind blown, sang my praises, yadda yadda yadda…
And then I got this sheepish call – 48 hours later:
“Charlie, my wife and my female employee say I can’t be part of something that’s for men only – I have to leave.”
Yes.
Really.
Now, there are lots of reasons not to do this – this however has to be the stupidest I ever heard.
Every time I think of him, and his lack of stones, it makes me smirk and smile.
So with 2023 wrapped up, let’s talk about the new year…
2024: The Plan
Pretty simple.
Consistency.
Consistency doing more of what’s worked.
Consistency making more millionaires.
Consistency creating more freedom.
Consistency dropping any dead weight that does not move the dial.
On top of that, I’m launching a NEW software platform.
For the last six months, behind the scenes, I’ve been developing a groundbreaking software solution for members.
It takes automation to the next level, and at double the speed.
I’m not going to go into the details now.
All will be revealed when it launches early doors next year.
All I will say is, there’s a high chance that this thing will be powered by my blood and my developer’s tears.
Anyway, that’s the business.
Let’s talk personal.
Last year, I racked up about two months on holiday.
On reflection, I feel that’s a good balance.
I tried to keep breaks 6-8 weeks apart so that I’m always firing on cylinders.
Needless to say the same will be happening in 2024.
So will my 3 p.m. finish.
That’s set in stone, especially as Barney is growing up fast.
In conclusion…
I don’t know about you, but if you’re like me and the other men on this list, then I suspect 2023 wasn’t black and white.
There was good and there was bad.
And that’s OK.
As long as in the end, lessons are learnt and the good comes out on top.
So with that all said and done, all it leaves me to say is this…
Happy New Year.
Goes without saying, it’s time to saddle the horses and go punch 2024 square in the face.
Until next time.
Make More. Provide More. Be More.
Charlie Hutton
