$20 Well Spent.

Earlier in my career, I would have described myself as a decent boss. I made sure my team had the tools they needed, I tried to create a good environment, and I could guide creative direction for our clients. At the same time, there were gaps I didn’t fully recognize yet. My leadership lacked consistency. Some days I was too involved in the details, and other days I stepped back too far. There wasn’t a clear rhythm to how I led, and I didn’t always communicate where we were as a business or where we were going. Because of that, my team didn’t always have the context they needed to feel aligned. We were moving forward, just not always together.

There wasn’t a single moment where everything broke or forced a change. It was more of a quiet realization that if something didn’t shift, we would eventually plateau or worse. Around that time, I had already been part of an executive book club for several years. Those conversations exposed me to how differently people could interpret the same material, and that alone broadened my perspective. In 2020, I added a simple habit that ended up changing far more than I expected. I started going on morning walks and listening to audiobooks. It began as a way to use the time more intentionally, and it quickly became something I relied on.

As the habit took hold, I found myself moving through a large number of books, mostly nonfiction, covering business, communication, leadership, and personal development. At one point, I was going through several books a week, listening at a faster speed and leaving myself voice notes whenever something stood out. Over the course of a year, I completed more than 300 books. That number sounds significant, though the reality behind it is much simpler. I wasn’t trying to absorb everything. I was listening for the ideas that had enough weight to stay with me after the walk was over. Those were the ones that mattered.

What followed was not a dramatic transformation, and there was no single breakthrough moment that changed everything overnight. It felt more like collecting small pieces over time. An idea about how to structure meetings more effectively, something reinforced through the work of Gino Wickman and his EOS framework. A better way to think about managing money, influenced by Mike Michalowicz. A reminder that thoughtful appreciation can strengthen relationships, which came through clearly in John Ruhlin. A shift in how to communicate and read the room, inspired by Vanessa Van Edwards. Each idea on its own was small and easy to overlook, though it was also simple enough to test and apply.

As I began to implement these ideas, things started to take shape in a more intentional way. We introduced structured weekly meetings that gave our team a consistent space to communicate and align. We began holding quarterly check-ins that allowed for accountability on both sides and created a clearer understanding of goals moving forward. We improved how we approached finances, how we showed appreciation to our clients, and how we communicated internally. Some changes were visible right away, while others worked quietly in the background, though all of them contributed to a stronger foundation.

At a certain point, I recognized that I needed more than input. I needed perspective. That realization came from reading The Introvert’s Edge, which led me to Matthew Pollard. Bringing him on as a mentor added a level of nuance that books alone could not provide. He challenged me to look at situations from multiple angles, helped me connect the ideas I had been gathering, and pushed me to put structure behind the changes I was making. That layer of guidance accelerated the progress we were already seeing.

Over time, the business began to feel different. Our systems became stronger, our communication improved, and our team operated with more alignment and purpose. The changes were gradual, though they were consistent, and that consistency made the difference. We moved from feeling like we were figuring things out as we went to operating with a clearer sense of direction and confidence in how we approached our work.

In February of 2026, we were recognized as Business of the Year by the Yuma County Chamber of Commerce. That recognition meant a great deal to me, not just as a milestone, but as a reflection of the work our team has done together and the growth we have experienced along the way.

When I look back at what contributed to that growth, it does not come down to a single decision or moment. It comes back to something much simpler. Most of the books that influenced me cost about twenty dollars. Twenty dollars for an idea that can shift how you think, twenty dollars for a perspective you didn’t have before, and twenty dollars for something that might stay with you long enough to change how you operate. On their own, those purchases do not feel significant. Over time, they begin to add up.

The process reminds me of picking up pennies. One at a time, without much thought in the moment, until eventually you realize you’ve accumulated something meaningful. That is what learning through reading has felt like for me. It has been a steady accumulation of small, valuable ideas that, when applied consistently, created real change.

If someone were to ask me where to start, I would keep the answer simple. Identify your top five problems, then find one or two books that speak directly to those challenges. Even that level of understanding can help you ask better questions and recognize the right guidance when it presents itself. Growth does not always come from a single breakthrough. In many cases, it comes from a series of small improvements that build on one another over time.

That is what I mean when I say $20 well spent.