Retail and ecommerce teams using AI for customer service are resolving 40-60% more tickets without more staff, cutting cost-per-ticket by 30%+, and handling seasonal spikes 3x faster.

But here's what separates winners from everyone else: they started with the data, not the hype.

Gladly handles the predictable volume, FAQs, routing, returns, order status, while your team focuses on customers who need a human touch. The result? Better experiences. Lower costs. Real competitive advantage. Ready to see what's possible for your business?

See it in action

IN THIS ISSUE: The hardest relationships to end aren't the dramatic ones. They're the ones you've convinced yourself you have under control.

In January 2022, I made two permanent decisions.

"I do" to my best friend.
"I don't" to alcohol.

One came with celebration. The other happened quietly.

But both were the same: I've decided.

Not "I'll try." Not "let's see how it goes." Just decided.

And I've noticed something:

The leaders I coach are doing the same thing I did with alcohol—but with their careers.

They're managing career transitions they should be deciding.

"I'll give it one more quarter to see if the VP role opens up"
"I'll wait until after bonus season to explore other options"
"I'll stay until my boss retires / the merger settles / my kid graduates"
"I'll test the market but I'm not serious... yet"

Rules everywhere.
Exceptions constantly.
Energy draining.

You're not building your next chapter. You're managing your current one.

And you're not just managing the decision.

You're managing other people's comfort with your choice:

"Are you sure you want to leave?" (your boss)
"But you're so close to vesting!" (your spouse)
"What will you even do?" (your inner critic)

So you make excuses:

"Just waiting for the right opportunity"
"Timing isn't quite right"
"I need to be more prepared"

Anything to avoid the real answer: I've already decided. I'm just afraid to act on it.

For years, I managed my relationship with alcohol.

Rules everywhere. Only on weekends. Only at networking events. Only at special occasions.

I thought discipline meant control. I didn't realize it meant exhaustion.

And I wasn't just managing my drinking. I was managing other people's comfort with my choices.

"Are you pregnant?" "Doing Whole30?" "Training for something?"

For years, I felt like I needed a REASON to say no. Like choosing not to poison myself required an explanation.

Corporate culture made alcohol the price of admission. Happy hours. Client dinners. Sales kickoffs. The unspoken message: if you're not drinking, you're not really in.

So I made excuses. "Early morning tomorrow." "On antibiotics." "Trying to be good this month."

Anything to avoid the real answer: I just don't want to.

The same pattern showed up in my career:

Managing instead of deciding.
Negotiating instead of acting.
Waiting for permission instead of choosing.

The same pattern showed up with food. With hustle culture. With the belief that rest had to be earned. With the need for external validation.

I was managing relationships that needed endings.

The hardest relationships to end aren't the dramatic ones.

They're the ones with rules. With exceptions. The ones where you're always negotiating.

Veganism. Sobriety. Choosing presence over productivity.

From the outside? Restriction.
From the inside? Freedom.

Because nothing is more exhausting than managing something you should have ended years ago.

And nothing is more liberating than finally just deciding.

1. Are you managing this transition, or is it managing you?

If you're creating "one more quarter" conditions, you're being managed. Real transitions don't need endless runway.

2. What would you choose if no one was watching?

Remove your boss, spouse, peers, industry expectations. What do you actually want?

3. What's the cost of another year of negotiating?

Not just time. Opportunity. The version of yourself you're delaying becoming.

If you're honest with yourself, you probably already know the answers.

And the research backs this up:

A study published in the Journal of Vocational Behavior found that career decision-making suffers when people experience "inherent ambiguity" about the right choice—leading to endless analysis, disengagement, and what the researchers call "managing uncertainty" rather than resolving it.

The leaders who break this pattern? They stop trying to eliminate uncertainty (impossible) and start deciding despite it.

I created a simple assessment to help you see the pattern.

You'll discover:

Reply to this email with your score and I'll send you a personalized note in the next 24-48 hours analyzing YOUR specific situation.

Here's what you'll get:

→ Analysis of where you're stuck
→ Your 3 biggest leverage points
→ Exactly what I'd do in your position
→ The one move that changes everything

No charge. No pitch. Just personalized guidance based on what you tell me.

I read every response and take these seriously.

I'm working to make this newsletter even more valuable to you.

and I'll send you my Decision Framework Toolkit (5 frameworks I use with coaching clients, not just this one). One lucky winner will also receive a $100 Amazon gift card.

Your feedback literally shapes what I write. And the toolkit is really good.

Not sure which is right? Reply to this email and I'll send you personalized guidance (no pitch, just direction).

1:1 Transition Coaching
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6 weeks, 3 frameworks, one clear decision. For leaders ready to stop managing and start deciding.
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2. Keynote Speaking
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See you next Tuesday.

P.S. The changes that stuck weren't the ones I forced. They were the ones I discovered. What are you forcing that might just need a different frame?