Warning: this is a long read.
1276 words to be exact.
Anyway, here we are, hours from the new year.
2024 has been one hell of a rollercoaster ride that’s for sure.
For many, it feels like an endless battering since the pandemic… Sky-high inflation, sluggish economy, deluded expectations, and now King Keir.
And as is tradition, here we are, my State of the Union.
A peek behind the curtain of what’s gone on here, personal and professional.
The ‘long read’ on everything One Man Empire.
So, let’s get started and deal with the crap first…
The Bad
Moving house.
Hear me out… the wonky old barn is great.
No neighbours, fields, yadda yadda yada.
But the process of renovating?
No. Thank. You.
I hated it.
Renovating eats time like a ravenous teen, even if you’re paying the professionals to supposedly handle it all.
At times, this ground me down.
It fcuked with my time.
It fcuked with my day.
It fcuked with my headspace.
Plus, it meant ‘time off’ was thin on the ground.
My holiday count was well below usual at about 6 weeks, and I got my tiny violin out to commiserate.
On a rubbish personal note, my Gran died this year.
She was in her 90s and had a bloody good life.
I still miss her and her stories though.
It’s true, they don’t make ‘em like they used to.
A big kick in the balls this year?
A government that cares little for business, especially those under the ten million mark.
Make no mistake, the Labour government is here to hurt us.
They will take your assets.
They will tax you to high heaven.
They will make things harder in 2025.
Ugly indeed.
Anyway, on to lighter subjects…
The Good.
So, let’s get down to brass tax…
My profit doubled this year.
I had that fun call with the Accountant where he starts with:
“Charlie, we need to talk…”
Luckily I run Profit First so was well aware of how massive my tax bill was.
And this doubling happened for two reasons.
Not because of cost-cutting… my costs increased this year as price rises sunk their teeth in, and I took on a second office.
And profit didn’t double because I worked more hours, thanks to the house reno I worked less than normal this year.
Profit doubled because my model is simple.
Being pretty damn good at what I do keeps good members around.
They win, I win.
Fair.
And simple.
And the second reason profit has shot up this year?
Doubling down on automation inside my empire with more systems, AI and automated workflows than I ever thought possible.
The value of this stuff became crystal clear in the autumn when I went to Portugal for a fancy meeting to share some automation stuff.
In that room, I was the smallest by a long way, turnover-wise.
Yet when it came to profit it was a whole other story, I was LeBron James, thanks to automation, systems and AI.
I truly believe the automation inside my empire does the work of 10 employees, maybe even more.
And for a tiny fraction of the cost.
Not only is it dirt cheap compared to forking out for salaries… I don’t have to spunk on annual leave, company cars and more biscuits for the office.
And I don’t have to worry about H.R., arguments between staff, or being left in the lurch.
The best thing though?
Despite double profits, because of automation, the workload has stayed the same,maybe even less.
Hard to tell the exact numbers with all the renovation shenanigans in between.
Double profit with zero extra work and zero extra staff?
Hell yes.
Other good personal stuff….
Emma and I didn’t divorce whilst renovating.
At times, this was frankly a miracle.
Proud of Barney, and how he has flown in secondary school.
All the new subjects have sparked his interest.
All the sports kit has destroyed our laundry.
Still loves rugby.
Still not in love with football…
Somehow, he got selected for the school team.
He went to the tournament and his conclusion?
“It was b-o-o-o-o-ring Dad, I asked if I could not be selected again.”
Harry Kane can rest easy.
One ‘unsure’ moment of the year?
I have been ‘courted’ as my Gran would have said, by a couple of Silicon Valley types thanks to an automation I have built.
(Vague I know, but their NDAs are tighter than a duck’s arse.)
Anyway, the online meetings have been wild.
Midnight for them, 8 am for me.
I can confirm the ‘tech bro’ stereotypes are true.
And I’ll be honest, you get your ego stroked and the pound signs flash before your eyes…
But is it what I want?
Not sure.
I suspect I value my freedom too highly.
Seriously though…
The Proudest Moment Of The Year? Members.
2024 has seen more men than ever break £1M+.
Seeing them making more than ever,… profiting more than ever… enjoying more freedom than ever…
And even in the face of tough times?
Awesome in the truest sense of the word.
Seeing them succeed is the best.
Men who have grown from nothing to the multi-millions.
Men who have been here since the beginning.
Men who joined us this year and are now flying.
Seeing men who have grafted their whole lives finally enjoy freedom…
Freedom to take time off, to travel, to finally buy that ridiculous motorbike they’ve been dreaming of since they were a kid?
Priceless.
In October, I launched a new version of my automation for the men here.
In short – it’s fcuking amazing.
If you’d have said 12 months ago that ‘ordinary businesses’ would be able to do what the men here are doing?
I would have politely told you to fcuk off.
This is a fast-moving game and I cannot wait to see what 2025 brings for every man here.
So, The Plan For 2025?
More of the same.
More profit. More millionaires. More freedom. Less employees.
My personal goal?
Get the ‘war chest’ built.
My war chest is the amount of cash I need to never work again.
My personal ‘magic number’ to live well and have the freedom to know that myself, my wife, and my kid are provided for until the grim reaper.
For some this War Chest would be a pittance, to others a fortune.
If you have 13 kids, three ex-wives and a fetish for Ferraris, chances are your ‘magic number’ will be higher than mine but you get the idea.
Goal is to get this built in the next 3 – 5 yrs.
On a personal note, more time off is on the cards.
The plan is to spend Barney’s l-o-n-n-g summer holiday on holiday.
At Emma’s request, there will be no boats.
At Barney’s request, there will be rollercoasters.
Finally, before I go, something NEW in 2025…
Something for you perhaps.
A few months ago, I started writing the S.A.S Protocols™ book.
Not sure what the title will be.
Will it be the whole shebang?
Nope. I can’t share all that magic via a book, or even a course.
But it will push you down the right path to simplifying, automating and scaling to £1M+ without employees.
It will be out by April.
Ok, that’s enough.
I will leave you with this….
2024 has been no cakewalk for many men in this game.
Running a business is hard.
Harder than most folks will ever understand.
The hours, the days, the blood sweat and tears.
The endless worry, the constant decisions, the pressure to make it work.
If you survived….
Pat yourself on the back.
You’ve done better than most.
You’re still alive and kicking.
So, here’s to you in 2025…
Having the best year ever.
Happy New Year.
Make More. Provide More. Be More.
Charlie Hutton
