What’s holding you back from doing that thing? My guess is that it’s some form of fear. Having the right amount of fear is healthy and logical. It’s biological and we are hardwired to survive. But fear might also be keeping us playing small. In my experience, and it doesn’t matter what it is— fitness; relationships; growing a business— anything worth doing requires a level of courage, effort, sacrifice and risk that comes with having to pay a price to earn the reward. That is, the rent is due every day for any form of victory big or small. As an example, I just worked on a TV spot with a big consumer brand that went way out of their comfort zone on our creative idea. This took courage and I know it hasn’t been easy for them. That said, the competitive landscape requires breaking away from the herd and being distinct. To break out of being a commodity product and into the category of legitimate brand requires bold moves. Author James Clear writes: "The problem with smart people is they can come up with a good reason for not doing anything. They are smart enough to find the cracks, to foresee the challenges, and to talk themselves out of the idea. They are experts at justifying their lack of courage or lack of action with an intelligent excuse. But there will always be reasons to not do something, and this is particularly true of anything worth doing. We value those moments in which we overcame challenge, not those in which we avoided it. Ultimately, action is a choice. The choice to emphasize the reasons for doing it despite the reasons you have for avoiding it." What’s holding you back from doing that thing?

Competence without warmth reads as suspicious. @vvanedwards studied 495 Shark Tank pitches to find the mistake smart founders make.

When people fear a bad idea, they pitch a mediocre one. Gabe Whaley on how MSCHF removes the fear.

Chad Smith: there are no great bands with an okay drummer. Agree or disagree? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

Why pay $1,425 for sneakers filled with holy water? MSCHF's Gabe Whaley says buyers pay for the story. My new @Inc column on the MSCHF playbook: inc.com/bryan-elliott/mschf-…

Your first five words set the first impression. Skip the apology. Lead with gratitude. @vvanedwards explains.

Chad Smith and Flea once ran from the cops in Green Bay. Socks on, a midnight sprint through the woods, and video games with two naked strangers. What's the wildest show story you've heard? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

MSCHF made 12 pairs of the Jesus Shoes and oversold by 700 in 30 seconds. Gabe Whaley tells the story.

50 million views, a $15,000 bird, and a small Brooklyn shop buried in one-star reviews. Why Kelly Clarkson and Art of Play both got the playbook wrong. My new @Inc column: inc.com/bryan-elliott/kelly-…

"How are you?" tells the other person's brain to stay asleep. @vvanedwards on what to ask instead.

Rick Rubin's favorite question for the Chili Peppers: "What else you got?" The band writes 30 songs to keep 15. What's the best idea you almost threw away? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

Rule one of entertaining at a kids' party: never follow the cake. @Justin_Willman explains.

Chad Smith wasn't a big Chili Peppers fan when he tried out. He bought a cassette to learn the songs and gave the gig four months. 37 years later, he's still behind the kit. Full episode on Behind the Brand.

At 12, @Justin_Willman broke both arms. His doctor prescribed card tricks as physical therapy.

His mom named him Justin Kredible. With a K. @Justin_Willman on the stage name that built his brand, then held him back.

How does a magician pick a volunteer? Not the person begging. Not the one hiding. @Justin_Willman explains.

What happens when a magic trick goes wrong on stage? @Justin_Willman explains.

My hot take on @kellyclarkson is that she dunked hard and still lost the game. My full feature from a brand POV here: inc.com/bryan-elliott/kelly-… 👀 @Inc @KellyClarksonTV

Congrats @garyvee on the @nyknicks win 🏆

New whip this week for a client project