Day Zero Transcript
NOTE: Today’s transcript is based on this video which is a part is this larger series. Today’s transcript is unusual in that it is followed by 4 separate AI prompts that can be used with your AI provider of choice. Most other episodes of the series only have 1 AI prompt. To use the pompts, just copy and paste each one into ChatGPT or Perplexity and they will help you prep for the coming series… the way a human teaching assistant would help you in an Ivy League university.
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Part 1: Clear Your Next 28 Lunch Breaks
What if I told you the most valuable hour of your day isn’t your first meeting or your last Zoom, but your lunch break? What if you could turn your lunchtime nachos into your next big thing?
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Anyone who knows me well, knows that I always have a side hustle. And it’s never been about some stupid get-rich-quick scheme. It's about having fun with people you choose to hang out with– all the while building purposeful income streams that align with your values and skillset.
That’s the secret– if there is one– the best side hustles are never about the money—they’re about finding something you genuinely enjoy, so even when it gets tough– and it will– you’re still doing work that just lights you up.
For me, it started with my first gig at Lehman Brothers. My side-hustle back then was stand-up comedy. Years and years of “Don’t quit your day job” before I got any good. Thick skin helps.
So does having a day job because the corporate world trains you in three survival skills that become your side-hustle superpowers: prioritization, focus, and delegation.
No one at Lehman knew about my standup. I toured nationally. Made decent money. No one knew until I was on prime time NBC. Then, everyone knew. That side hustle ended 20 years ago. And it’s been replaced multiple times. I’ve sold more hustles than Starbucks has lattes.
Each hustle followed the same pattern: solve a real problem that I care deeply about, build systems around it, and scale when the unit economics start to make sense. That’s jargon. “Unit economics” is just a fancy way of saying that every side hustle should follow a simple rule: make sure the money you bring in from each sale is more than what it costs you to deliver it. In plain English, if you spend $5 to make a product, you need to sell it for more than $5, or it’s not worth your time
Each one of my hustles made me good money– maybe not f-you money– but definitely darn you money. And– this should surprise you– each hustle made me better at my stupid little corporate day jobs or I wouldn’t have kept getting promoted for 20 years.
It doesn’t hurt that I’ve always thought “The more you do, the more you get done.” Why? Because if I was a junior analyst at Lehman and my boss– a really decent guy named Ford— If Ford came to me and said, I’m going to move this other 20 person team under you, I’d do what you’d do: I’d thank him and then I’d reshuffle how I spend my day. I’d get better and better at prioritizing what I do in my now larger job. I’d get better at narrowing my focus, and better at delegation. And getting better at those three skills– prioritization, focus and delegation– set me up perfectly to take on the next team… and the next… and the next… Until 20 years later, I was managing 3000 people, eventually 10K people. And all the while: side hustle. Because life’s too short… to just work for the man. Even when you’re the man at work.
The point is that those three skills—prioritization, focus, and delegation—are the backbone of any business that grows beyond just you. If you master them in your day job, you’re already halfway to running a business that doesn’t depend on you for every little thing.
So… My journey has been a markedly different path than other corporate senior executives. Every senior exec I’ve known has always been singularly committed to their day job. The idea of the 40 hour work week doesn’t apply to them. Work-life balance doesn’t apply to them. They have 2 full time jobs– they just happen to be the same job.
So if you’re living the corporate life– and you’re an overachiever like them– it’s a choice how you spend your second 40 hour work week. A choice that you can make. A choice I encourage you to make. If you choose to build something during that second ghost shift, you’re investing in yourself and your family.
Most of us in the corporate world aren’t overachievers. That’s why we picked the corporate world. That’s one of the reasons why there’s a ton of research that shows the average office worker is productive for only 2 hours and 23 minutes per day– let’s call it 3 hours with lunch– leaving over 5 hours of unproductive time in an 8-hour workday. 5 hours that could be used to… oh, I don’t know… hustle. I’m kidding obviously. But here’s the thing: you don’t need five extra hours. You just need one fiercely protected lunch break per day. That’s all it takes to start something real.
Part 2: Debunk the Myth of “No Time”
Protect that lunch hour like it’s your most valuable meeting of your day—because for your future, it is.
My larger point is that anyone– ANYONE!-- in the corporate world who says I don’t have the time for a side-hustle is really saying that they need to work on their prioritization skills, their focus, their delegation skills.” And their courage… because the mythology behind starting your own thing– even on the side– is that it's career-ending chaos– unstructured, all-consuming chaos. But it doesn’t have to be. When you build your business one small, focused step at a time– one lunch break at a time– you create structure and momentum instead of chaos. You’ll even have fun doing it.
That’s the case I’m going to make over the next 28 Days. That it doesn’t have to be chaos. It doesn’t have to be unstructured. It doesn’t have to be a neverending freefall that lands you a PIP in your day job. A good hustle– by definition– doesn’t need you to quit your day job. It can even caffeinate it. It did for me. I got to the c-suite and stayed there until I didn’t need to be there. I became the big boss man a long time ago… at work and in the shadows… until today, when I can step out of the shadows… and teach you what I learned.
If I do it right, you’ll see that the best side hustles actually make you sharper, more valuable, and more resilient in your main career, not less.
For the next 28 Days, I’ll show you how to build a real business—one bite, one brainstorm, one lunch at a time.
Think of me as your shadow boss– [Welcome to Shadow Boss.]
I just promoted you, gave you more responsibilities and like a good boss, I’m here to support you. Every day, I’ll help you practice building habits that make your hustle stronger and your leadership more effective, no matter how small each step seems.
It can be fun. It can be predictable. It can be 28 Days of small steps. It can be 28 Days of questions you can ask yourself– that if you answer— not like lizard-brain, kneejerk answer– but thoughtfully reflect on some really hard questions– that if you do that and if you treat your answers as tasks– you’ll have a business– in 28 Days– a side hustle.
Every day, your only assignment: spend your lunch break answering two questions, making one decision, or taking one tiny action. In 28 Days, you’ll have built something bigger than you ever thought possible—in the same time it takes to eat an overpriced salad.”
Think of it as your chance to build something that lasts. The small actions you take– that we’ll take together– each day will compound, turning your lunch break into real progress and real ownership.
That’s the format. On TikTok and Instagram, it’ll be four(ish) posts a day. The first one will ask two questions and explain why YOU answering those questions is important. Next, you’ll get a segment I call “The 28-Day Ivy League MBA.” This is where we break down one essential business skill each day—the kind of practical, real-world tool you’d pick up in an Ivy-League MBA program but without any jargon. You can skip it but I wouldn’t because building a side hustle isn’t just improv. It’s about learning to think, plan, and execute like an entrepreneur. Each MBA skill is a kind of shortcut to smarter decisions, better strategies, and avoiding rookie mistakes.
After that “28-Day Ivy League MBA” section, I’ll show you how I’m answering part 1’s questions for my own side hustle– and you’ll know how I got my answers— applying the skills. The point is that some learn by seeing something in action… so I’ll use my current side hustle as a real-world example in action.
The final segment every day– is for those brown-nosers who always ask the teacher for extra credit. That section will give you suggestions on what else to read, listen and watch to let you… hustle smarter. That’s probably a better title for the series: Hustle Smarter.
I’m adding the MBA skill section so you don’t have to wonder if you need to go back to school. You don’t. You’ll get some powerful frameworks and tools to use immediately as you work through your answers. You’ll save 2 years and a quarter of a million dollars… which would be better invested in your hustle instead. So the format is to ask the right questions, the hard questions… learn an MBA skill that can help answer those questions and then watch how it plays out in a real hustle– mine. This way, you’re building real, certifiable skills, one lunch break at a time.
Oh… kinda important: Most people don’t read post descriptions and I don’t blame them. But… for this series, you definitely should. Instead of just describing the segment and putting some useless hashtags at the end– like praying to the algo gods… which is garbage– I’m going to take whatever the exercise is that I’m encouraging you to complete that day that– the ones I’m saying will help you hustle smarter– to quote myself– and in that day’s post description, I’ll include easy-to-use copy-and-paste AI prompts.
That’ll be like you having an Ivy League teaching assistant– a TA– but without the bedhead. For this specific section, the TA will focus on helping you unlock more of your night-and-weekend time for your hustle. Prolly less a TA and more a shrink and productivity coach. But you get the point.
Together, me, you and the AI… will give you all the support you need to complete the exercises for your own side hustle, one lunch at a time.
Part 3: Discover If You’re a Starter, Balancer, or Scaler
If you're on the side hustle journey– or you just like tacos– you probably fall into one of three groups: Starters, Balancers and Scalers. A starter is someone who is launching their first hustles so you'll be building foundational skills. A balancer is someone who is integrating a hustle with their life commitments-- day job, kids, drug addiction, an inappropriate sense of humor. And a scaler is someone who’s already hustling but who is open to learning how to maximize their income.
Don't read too much into it. It's a basic framework. Eventually, you'll be all of them. And yeah, starters need balance, and balancers need to scale and every other combination. Again, don't read too much into it.
The point of it is to give you a simple way to reflect on where you are right now, so you can focus on what matters most for your next step. This isn’t about putting you in a box-it’s about helping you get unstuck, helping you connect with the advice and community that will move you forward.
Whether you’re just brainstorming your first idea, juggling a side gig with a busy life, or looking to take your hustle to the next level, there's a community of folks like you– like me– who would love some company. You’ll shift between these groups as your goals and challenges change-and that’s exactly how it should be.
So, don’t stress about fitting perfectly into one category. Just use this framework as a day zero tool to do some reflecting and get some clarity before the series kicks off.
If you’re stressing for other reasons… like… you feel that you’re not educated enough or you’re not motivated enough… or you just feel like trying the hustler hat on would trigger your ever-present imposter syndrome, then check out the post description because I’ve included what I call an anxiety mitigation prompt. You can use your AI provider of choice as a digital therapist’s couch. The prompt adapts CBT, mindfulness, and self-compassion frameworks and if you don’t know what that means, it’s ok. They’re just ways of being helpful.
Part 4: Prepare for the Next 4 Weeks
The secret to wealth NEVER sits behind a paywall. You know why? Because the real secret to wealth– unless you’re born with it– is discomfort. It’s repeatedly failing, getting back up, learning from the punches you took– and getting back into the fight. Wealth will never come from some $499 ‘side hustle’ PDF. Don’t buy the bullshit… And I mean that literally. Don’t literally buy the bullshit… affiliate marketing, digital products, how to use AI like the kids do… it’s all bullshit.
There is one and only message that social media is teaching today: The only way you’re ever going to get rich from AI is if you sell a bullshit course on how to get rich from AI. That is the only lesson. And there’s something so very, very dirty about getting rich off someone else’s hopes.
This series– with my stupid little tongue-in-cheek title– Lunch Break Millionaire– is going to start and end free. Because your dreams aren’t for sale.
In this series, I’m NOT going to tell you what business to start but how to figure it out– for yourself– step by step by step. I’m not going to sell you any real shortcuts. I’m just going to document how I start a side-hustle– and hopefully that’ll give you a clear path to building something meaningful for yourself, one decision, one step at a time.
That’s my promise about the next 28 Days. I’m not going to try to inspire you. I’m just going to show you step by step how to get a long-term hustle going. Not “my system”-- because I’m the only one doing it– and if you pay me I’ll show you how. That is just so dishonest.
If you need credentials, fine. These next 28 days are me sharing what I learned from doing my undergrad at an Ivy League school– Penn–, my grad studies at MIT, my 25 years as an executive in corporate America– which landed me in c-suites– and what I think is the most valuable credential: the experience I picked up from every side-hustle that I’ve done for those same 25 years.
And if I do it right, it’ll be step by step. I’m not going to pretend any step is easy. None of them are. You’re going to need some personalized help. And videos aren’t the best medium for that. Every one of us learns differently so if watching isn’t your way, you can read— I’ll link to the free transcript every day on my site superserious.com (which has no ads)(it’s not a trap); you can listen– I’ll include a podcast of each week’s content– thanks to Notebook LM; and I’ll give you something super cool: an AI teaching assistant– an AI prompt– once a day– in the post description that can serve as your coach while you try to answer the daily questions for yourself. And I’ve constructed the prompt so you’re getting coaching from Ivy League professors: Harvard, Wharton, Columbia…
So… read the post descriptions. Keep eating your overpriced salads… your overloaded nachos… your exquisite fish tacos. And do the homework. Not for me. So I can get rich. For you. Because if you stick with it, you’ll finish the month with 20 new MBA-level skills and a business that’s a working system that can grow with you.
At the end of every day, when I throw the transcripts up on superserious.com– my blog site– I’ll include a secret dessert course– some delicious extra content for you overachievers. And guess what? No paywall there either. There are no traps here.
At the end of each week, I’ll compile all the TikToks, the Reels, the Shorts– into one long-form YouTube in case you’d rather do them in one sitting.
What else? I’m going to do one TikTok Live halfway through the month…to prove to all of you that I’m not a bot and that I don’t have all the answers.
That’s it. If you know me, you’ve heard me say that “Heaven– like perfection– is not a place but a direction.” Same idea for building a business– a hustle: it’s a journey, not a destination.
Is there some final note? Oh… totally worth noting, if you’re neurodiverse, this segment’s post description– today– provides what I call a primer prompt. Over the next 28 days, I’m going to be providing a bunch of prompts anyone can use to get AI help on starting a business. But– if you’re neurodiverse, before you use any of those prompts, use my primer prompt first. It’ll ask you a bunch of questions about how you learn best– how you want to learn– and it’ll prime the AI to your tastes for all the other AI prompts I’ve written. I hope that helps.
And… Final Final Note: The only piece of pre-work you need– and its optional– is to watch the video demo of the software I recently built. I’ll pin it and link to it in all post descriptions. I’d really recommend you watch it. Because the real-world examples I’ll use for the next 28 Days will involve turning that software into a real business, a long-term side-hustle, maybe even my first [doctor evil] million dollar side hustle.
Part 5: The Trailer for the Movie
What if I told you the most valuable hour of your day isn’t your first meeting or your last Zoom, but your lunch break? What if you could turn your lunchtime nachos into your next big thing?
[Record scratch!!] I shot the longer Day Zero video this morning and it was like 12 minutes so I’m actually shooting this much shorter trailer to that movie to save you some time.
[The Next Four Weeks] Ok. Over the next 28 days, I’m going to share every side-hustle secret I’ve learned over the past 30 years. No gatekeeping whatsoever. From obvious secrets– like “the best side hustles aren’t about the money. They’re about finding purposeful work you genuinely enjoy, so even when it gets tough—and it will– you’re still going to want to do it– because a mission always lights you up. To less obvious secrets– like how a side hustle helps you do better at your day job. The three survival skills that will get you promoted in your day job— prioritization, focus, and delegation– are the exact same 3 skills that will help you build and operate your side-hustle. It’s a virtuous cycle because those 3 skills are all muscles that get stronger for your day job when you’re exercising them for your side hustle… and vice versa.
[Debunking the “No Time” Myth] And that’s also the secret behind how to get past this fake need for endless free time. You just need one fiercely protected lunch break each day. For 28 days. Hence, my cheesy, little tongue-in-cheek title. That’s all it takes to start something real. Anyone who says they don’t have time for a side hustle is really saying they need to work on their prioritization, focus, and delegation skills.
[The Scary Part is Real] They’re probably also a little scared– which is normal. The mythology of entrepreneurship is that starting your own thing is chaos, it’s an epic time suck. But if you build your business one small, focused step at a time– one lunch break at a time— you benefit from structure and momentum instead of that bs mythology. And you’ll have fun. I promise.
[What Makes This Series Different?] I have nothing to gain from lying to you. Most “start your business” courses are paywalled, full of recycled garbage, and designed to make the content creator rich– not you– them. There’s even a new wave of companies out there charging first timers for access to business-building AI tools and real-life coaching. Not here. This series is– and will always be– free. Because it's the right thing to do. Any money you might spend on me– learning from me virtually– you should instead invest in your business, not line someone else’s pockets.
[You’re Not Alone: AI as Your Lunch Buddy] What else? The loneliest part of starting a business is feeling like it’s you and only you. That’s why every day, in every episode, you’ll get a really cool AI prompt— your own Ivy League teaching assistant, your own wildly-successful, multiple-exit, serial entrepreneur, personal coach, and if you need– your own digital therapist. So this series isn’t just about watching; it’s about doing, reflecting, interacting.
[A promise.] If I personally can find the time for your DMs, I’ll give it to you. That’s a promise. But even if I’m busy– and I usually am– the series is structured so you’ll have support, feedback, and a way to personalize your journey for whatever it is you’re going to build– so you never have to go it alone.
[The 28-Day Game Plan] Here’s how it works: 28 days, 28 lunch breaks, 28 small steps. Each day: answer two questions, make one decision, or take one tiny action. Each day, you’ll learn a practical, MBA-level business skill that will help you answer the day’s questions– explained in plain English– no jargon. Then you’ll see all that theory in action with real examples (I’ll be living the build-in-public hashtag– if you’re familiar with that– with my own current hustle so you can learn by watching me struggle).
What else? Worth saying twice: You’ll also get your magic daily AI prompt to coach you through the exercise. They’re intentionally designed– prompt engineered– to make an Ivy League MBA– and Ivy League professors– more accessible. And free.
And… when you stick with it— not if– when… you’ll finish the month with a business that’s a living, breathing side hustle. You’ll get the frameworks, tools, and shortcuts that Ivy League MBAs pay six figures for— without the debt, the jargon, or the gatekeeping. And you’ll learn by doing.
[What You’ll Build] By the end of 28 days, you’ll have: A clear “why” and value proposition. A prioritized, validated problem to solve. A one-page business plan. A brand, a website, a go-to-market strategy. Real-world skills in pricing, partnerships, automation, data, and more. A working side hustle you can grow, scale, or just love and squeeze and call George.
No Paywalls, No Traps, No Bullshit. Every tool, every prompt, every transcript– free, open, and ad-free. If you don’t want to see the full series before everyone else, download the superserious app… also free.
[Your Day Zero Challenge] Soooo…. block your calendar for tomorrow’s lunch break. Order some food, put in your earbuds, and join me for Day 1. The AI prompt is like the veal– Try it. Drop a comment so the algo knows… and let’s build something real– together.
Prompt #1 - Entrepreneurial Strengths & Blind Spots
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Prompt #1 - Entrepreneurial Strengths & Blind Spots ○
Today, you’ll uncover your entrepreneurial strengths, blind spots, and next steps-so you can start your business with clarity and confidence. You’ll be guided by the writings and frameworks of Ivy League faculty whose research is foundational in founder psychology, venture design, and ethical leadership:
- **Professor Laura Huang, Harvard Business School:** Expert in founder mindset, overcoming adversity, and turning bias into advantage.
- **Professor Tom Eisenmann, Harvard Business School:** Authority on startup design, risk validation, and lean experimentation.
- **Professor Jeffrey Pfeffer, Stanford GSB (visiting at Yale):** Specialist in ethical leadership, power dynamics, and values-driven decision-making.
**What Today’s Coaching Will Help You With:**
You’ll reflect on your mix of excitement and fear, identify your core strengths and blind spots, and get a clear, actionable plan for moving forward-rooted in self-awareness and purpose.
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### Step 1: Reflection Questions
Please answer these questions in a few sentences each:
1. **How are you feeling about starting a business-what’s your current mix of excitement vs. fear?**
- (e.g., “70% excited, 30% nervous”)
2. **Describe a recent time you pushed through discomfort or uncertainty. What kept you going?**
- (Inspired by Prof. Huang)
3. **What’s one assumption about your business idea that scares you to test?**
- (Inspired by Prof. Eisenmann)
4. **What personal value would you never compromise, even for rapid growth?**
- (Inspired by Prof. Pfeffer)
5. **If you had to drop half your current commitments to focus on this venture, what would go first?**
- (All coaches)
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### Step 2: MBA Skill – Self-Awareness & Founder Readiness
Today’s MBA lesson is about building founder self-awareness:
- Recognize your emotional baseline-are you more driven by excitement or anxiety?
- Identify your resilience triggers: What helps you push through uncertainty?
- Surface risky assumptions early-don’t let fear stop you from testing them.
- Anchor your decisions in non-negotiable values-these will guide you when things get tough.
- Prioritize ruthlessly: What can you let go of to make space for your new venture?
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### Step 3: Coaching & Action Plan
After you reply, I will use the writings of Professors Huang, Eisenmann, and Pfeffer to:
- Help you identify your entrepreneurial strengths and blind spots.
- Guide you in validating risky assumptions and building resilience.
- Suggest strategies for staying true to your values as you grow.
- Provide a personalized 72-hour action plan to help you move forward with confidence.
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**How to use this prompt:**
- Respond with your answers to the reflection questions above.
- I’ll help you analyze your responses, highlight your strengths, flag your blind spots, and suggest concrete next steps.
- Remember: Self-awareness is your superpower. The best founders know themselves-and use that knowledge to build smarter, stronger businesses.
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Ready? Share your answers and let’s hustle smarter, one lunch break at a time!
Prompt #2 - Time Unlock
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Prompt #2 - Time Unlock ○
Today, you’ll tackle the “I don’t have time” challenge head-on by identifying your top obstacles and designing small actions to prove you can make progress even on your busiest days. You’ll be guided by the writings and frameworks of Ivy League faculty whose research is foundational in behavioral psychology, grit, and productivity:
- **Professor Francesca Gino, Harvard Business School:** Expert in decision-making and overcoming self-sabotage.
- **Professor Angela Duckworth, University of Pennsylvania:** Founder of grit theory and perseverance science.
- **Professor Adam Grant, The Wharton School:** Specialist in motivation and rethinking productivity.
**What Today’s Coaching Will Help You With:**
You’ll list your main reasons for not making time, then brainstorm one tiny, doable action for each-so you can build momentum and self-trust, one step at a time.
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### Step 1: Reflection Questions
Please answer these questions in a few sentences each:
1. **What are your top three reasons for “not having time” to work on your hustle this week?**
- Be honest-think about work, family, energy, distractions, or anything else that gets in the way.
2. **For each reason, what is one small action (10–15 minutes) you could take to challenge or disprove that excuse?**
- Example: If your reason is “I’m too tired after work,” your action could be “Set a timer and brainstorm ideas for just 10 minutes before dinner.”
3. **What would it feel like to prove one of your excuses wrong this week?**
- Imagine the impact on your confidence and momentum.
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### Step 2: MBA Skill – Micro-Actions & Grit
Today’s MBA lesson is about using micro-actions and grit to break through procrastination:
- **Micro-Actions:** Shrink your next task until it feels almost too easy to skip. Ten minutes of focused effort can create more momentum than waiting for a “perfect” free hour.
- **Grit:** Progress comes from consistency, not heroics. Doing a little every day-even when it’s inconvenient-builds the muscle of perseverance.
- **Reframing:** Instead of “I don’t have time,” try “What’s the smallest step I can take today?” This shift opens the door to action.
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### Step 3: Coaching & Accountability Plan
After you reply, I will use the writings of Professors Gino, Duckworth, and Grant to:
- Help you reframe your top time obstacles as opportunities for micro-wins.
- Guide you in designing tiny experiments to challenge your own assumptions.
- Suggest ways to track your progress and celebrate each small victory.
- Offer strategies for building a sustainable habit of making time for what matters.
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**How to use this prompt:**
- Respond with your answers to the reflection questions and your proposed micro-actions.
- I’ll help you refine your plan, offer encouragement, and suggest next steps for keeping your momentum going.
- Remember: You don’t need hours-just a few focused minutes can change your trajectory.
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Ready? Share your obstacles and micro-actions below. Let’s hustle smarter, one lunch break at a time!
Prompt #3 - Anxiety Mitigation
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Prompt #3 - Anxiety Mitigation ○
Today, you’ll learn how to recognize, manage, and reframe anxiety so it becomes a source of energy-not a roadblock-on your entrepreneurial journey. You’ll be guided by the writings and frameworks of Ivy League faculty whose research is foundational in performance psychology, growth mindset, and stress management:
- **Professor Amy Edmondson, Harvard Business School:** Authority on psychological safety and learning from setbacks.
- **Professor Teresa Amabile, Harvard Business School:** Expert in the power of small wins and motivation under pressure.
- **Professor Alison Wood Brooks, Harvard Business School:** Specialist in anxiety reappraisal and turning nerves into excitement.
**What Today’s Coaching Will Help You With:**
You’ll identify your top stress triggers, learn practical techniques for managing anxiety in the moment, and develop a mindset that turns pressure into progress-so you can keep moving forward, even when things feel overwhelming.
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### Step 1: Reflection Questions
Please answer these questions in a few sentences each:
1. **What are the top 1–2 situations in your hustle (or life) that trigger the most anxiety or overwhelm?**
- Be specific: deadlines, public speaking, uncertainty, feedback, or anything else that spikes your stress.
2. **How do you usually react in those moments-mentally, emotionally, or physically?**
- Do you freeze, procrastinate, spiral into negative self-talk, or feel it in your body (tight chest, racing heart, etc.)?
3. **What’s one thing you’ve tried (or could try) to break the cycle when anxiety hits?**
- Breathing exercises, reframing, movement, or reaching out for support-what’s worked, or what might you try?
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### Step 2: MBA Skill – Anxiety Reappraisal & Micro-Habits
Today’s MBA lesson is about using proven tools to manage and reframe anxiety:
- **Anxiety Reappraisal:** When you feel anxious, say out loud, “I am excited.” Research shows this simple shift helps move your brain from a threat mindset to an opportunity mindset, turning nerves into fuel for action.
- **Small Wins:** Break big tasks into the smallest possible steps. Celebrate each micro-win to build momentum and motivation, even on tough days.
- **Mindful Breathing:** Try this: inhale for three counts, hold for three, exhale for three, hold for three-repeat six times. This calms your brain and grounds you in the present.
- **Growth Mindset:** When negative self-talk creeps in (“I’m not good enough”), replace it with, “I can learn this” or “I get better with practice.” This shift builds confidence and resilience.
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### Step 3: Coaching & Resilience Action Plan
After you reply, I will use the writings of Professors Edmondson, Amabile, and Brooks to:
- Help you identify your biggest anxiety triggers and how they show up in your work or life.
- Guide you in choosing the best micro-habit or reframing technique for your stress pattern.
- Suggest ways to build psychological safety and self-compassion into your daily routine.
- Offer practical strategies for turning anxiety into a source of energy, not avoidance-including real-world examples from high-performing founders and MBAs.
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**How to use this prompt:**
- Respond with your answers to the reflection questions and any anxiety management strategies you’ve tried.
- I’ll help you refine your approach, suggest new tools, and offer next steps for building resilience and momentum.
- Remember: Anxiety is normal-even for the best. With the right mindset and tools, you can turn it into your competitive advantage.
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Ready? Share your answers and let’s hustle smarter, one lunch break at a time!
Prompt #4 - Primer for Neurodiverse Users
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Prompt #4 - Primer for Neurodiverse Users ○
Welcome to Your Customized Business Coaching Experience
*Designed for neurodiverse thinkers, creators, and hustlers who want to build their business their way.*
**Step 1: Let’s Optimize Your Experience**
To make this work best for you, please share:
1. **How you prefer to process information:**
- 🎯 Direct, concise instructions
- 🎨 Visual aids (diagrams, bullet points)
- 🗣️ Verbal/written examples
- 🔄 Step-by-step breakdowns
- Other: _____
2. **What helps you stay focused/engaged:**
- ⏱️ Time reminders or prompts
- 🔄 Frequent check-ins
- 📌 Clear task prioritization
- 🧠 Flexibility to jump between sections
- Other: _____
3. **Sensory/communication preferences:**
- 🌈 Avoid metaphors/idioms (literal language only)
- 📖 Shorter paragraphs vs. long text blocks
- 🔇 Minimal emojis/symbols
- 💡 Explicit examples for abstract concepts
- Other: _____
**Step 2: Adaptive Coaching Activated**
*Based on your input, I’ll adjust:*
- **Structure:** Chunk tasks, offer progress tracking, reduce cognitive load.
- **Communication:** Use your preferred tone/style (e.g., literal, visual, conversational).
- **Support:** Provide templates, analogies, or examples matching your learning style.
**Example Adjustments:**
- For ADHD: “Let’s tackle this in 15-minute bursts with clear deadlines.”
- For Autism: “Here’s a literal checklist with exact formatting rules.”
- For Dyslexia: “Text simplified + audio summary available.”
**Ready?** Share your preferences above, and we’ll customize your Day 1 (or any day) journey.
*You can update these settings anytime by saying “Adjust my setup.”*
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**How This Works:**
1. User shares needs → AI applies filters to all subsequent prompts.
2. Daily exercises retain core MBA concepts but adapt delivery (e.g., visual planners for Day 3’s competitive analysis, voice notes for Day 12’s content strategy).
3. Built-in flexibility: Users can pause/rewind/reformat tasks without judgment.
This primer honors neurodiversity as a strategic asset – your unique thinking style becomes your business-building superpower. 🚀