Minimalism Creates More
As I’ve been writing these articles, I’ve highlighted that business and investing is more than profits, it’s people, and so this article is more about me as a person, what I believe, and how I show up in business.
A friend once told me he couldn’t hear God because He spoke too softly. I countered: Maybe you just need to turn down the noise of everything else. Then I recommended he read Greg McKeown’s book, Essentialism. The book’s core message? 98% of everything is BS, forget about this, and focus on the 2% that actually matters. That friend now gives the book out as Christmas presents.
In the U.S., we’re programmed to want more—more money, more time, more followers, more stuff. Investing is the same thing, more revenues, more growth, more returns. I’m not chasing “more”, I’m shooting for more meaningful days. This might sound counterintuitive, but here’s the truth: when you cut out the noise, you create space for the things that actually matter.
This is also why I try to write in impactful bullet points, versus flowering prose.
1. Simplicity = Quality
The best companies, relationships, and investments aren’t built on more—they’re built on better. Strong business examples for me:
· In-N-Out Burger, Southwest Airlines – Simple offerings, built on service, value, and brand consistency. Legendary customer loyalty and subsequently profitability.
· Jack in the Box, American Airlines – Trying to be all things to all people. Chaotic, inconsistent, and unremarkable, even a bankruptcy along the way.
Simplicity is powerful. It gives you clarity, focus, and strength—whether you’re running a business or just running your day.
2. Real Relationships Matter
More followers, more connections, more emails—it may sound good, but it’s mostly noise. Personally, I’d take 3 good friends over 1 million social media followers any day of the week. FYI LinkedIn is the only social media I’m on.
· Business example: People do business with people—not faceless automation. In-person visits at our auto parts company result in 7-10% sales growth in the following two weeks. Even after we’ve implemented AI-driven quote automation, a handshake still outperforms an email blast. Even though the actual transactions are handled through emails and API’s.
· Social science: The human brain tops out at 150 meaningful connections (Dunbar’s number). Eye contact, physical touch, and genuine conversation release oxytocin, the connection hormone. Meanwhile, doomscrolling and chasing likes? That quick hit of dopamine is followed by spikes cortisol—aka, the stress hormone.
We’ve evolved for closeness and real connection, not being controlled by a Meta algorithm overlord.
3. Frugality ≠ Cheapness
There’s a difference between being smart with money and being cheap. There are a lot of people that call me cheap, how could you not, I drive a 13 year old Prius that got pushed on me by my wife so she could get a car that better handled multiple car seats.
However, those that know me, understand that I believe a car gets me from A to B whether it costs $20k or $200k. Since I commute less than 10 minutes a day, don’t listen to radio when I drive, and mostly respect speed limits, a car that was paid off 10 years ago serves me way better than a brand new Cyber Truck. All that extra cash goes into passions of mine, not the approval of others.
My point can be further demonstrated with a look at modern fashion:
· Fast Fashion (Shein, H&M, Zara): Cheap, trendy, and disposable. Wears out in a year, fills landfills, and keeps you in a constant cycle of “needing” new stuff. It’s definitely cheap, upfront and individually, but over time you get what you pay for = crap.
· Quality Brands (Patagonia, Vuori, Filson): Well-made, long-lasting, and backed by repair policies. You buy less, but you own better.
Over three years, fast fashion will cost you 4x as much as buying one high-quality, timeless item.
Personally, I own a small, versatile wardrobe, high quality, timeless, plenty of gray Vuori shirt in there. I shop once every 3-5 years, which translates to less time shopping = more time on things that actually matter.
On a side note, I always ask myself why do designers, like Michael Kors and Ralph Loren, appear to wear the same thing, but push a variety of fleeting styles with every season…
4. Time Is the Great Equalizer
No matter how much money you have, how many things you acquire, you still only get 24 hours a day. You can’t buy more time—you can only use it wisely. Minimizing pointless activities, meaningless aspirations, accumulating things, allows for more time on things that matter.
Things I consistently ask myself or question, silently, the people around me:
· Is scrolling social media, comparing to other people’s fake lives do good or harm?
· Does accumulating and then managing a never-ending stream of new stuff, bring lasting happiness?
· Am I building strong relationships, focusing on real needs, and spending time on things that actually matter, or just wasting away?
The most valuable asset we have isn’t money—it’s clarity. Find that clarity, ruthlessly eliminate the fluff and time expands.
Final Thought
Cutting out the BS in life and business brings clarity. Clarity leads to better decisions. Better decisions leads to success. Success can be defined in different ways other than money and possessions. Minimalism doesn’t mean having less—it means making room for more of the right things.