Welcome to Week 11 of the High Performance Playbook. We’re closing in on 2,500 subscribers already! Thank you so much to everyone who has shared it with a friend.

If you’re an entrepreneur, executive, or someone who just loves to follow business and commerce in general, today I’m breaking down the 7 business myths that I’ve learned from years of building and scaling brands. Hope you enjoy!

If you’re new to the HPP, my name is Austin Wright. I’m excited to bring you this playbook and system I’ve developed over the last decade as a multi-business entrepreneur, father, and wellness advocate.

If you’re into: health & fitness, personal finance & investing, business growth hacks, and how to level up all areas of your life, the High Performance Playbook is for you.

These are the strategies and frameworks that separate the 1% from the .01%.

If you enjoy the content and get some value from it, please share this link with a few friends and help me spread the word! There’s no better compliment than a referral.

Ready? Start your engines… Let’s GO:

Mindset & Psychology

Grounding yourself daily is essential.

Especially in high-stress seasons or environments.

I know morning routines can be too much sometimes, but here’s a simple way to reset and stay focused when things get chaotic:

• Start the day without your phone for the first 30-60 minutes.

• Get outside and move before opening emails. Even a short 10 min walk does wonders.

• Write down 3 things you’re grateful for (even when it’s small stuff).

You don’t need a perfect morning routine. Just one that puts you back in control.

Let me know in the poll below what helps you optimize your performance and mindset!

Health & Fitness + Longevity

You track KPIs in your business. Leads, appointments, closing percentage, ROAS, Customer Acquisition Cost, TACoS (if you’re running a brand on Amazon), and more…

Why not in your body?

Tracking your health is one of those things that doesn’t feel urgent, until it is.

Most people wait for a bad night of sleep or a weird chest flutter to start paying attention.

But the truth is, if you’re trying to perform at a high level in work and life, you should be tracking how your body’s doing.

I’ve tried a bunch of wearables over the years, and here’s how I think about them:

Apple Watch

The Apple Watch is the easy entry point. It does a little bit of everything (fitness tracking, heart rate, even ECG now). It’s not the most hardcore tool, but if you’re in the Apple ecosystem and just want something to nudge you into standing up more and moving daily, it’s solid.

Garmin

Garmin is built for the endurance crowd. If you’re a runner, cyclist, or triathlete, it’s probably the best for tracking your performance. It’s not as sleek, and the interface can be a little clunky, but the data is deep and the battery lasts forever.

Whoop

Whoop is for the optimizer. It’s all about recovery, strain, and HRV. No screen, no distractions, just a band on your wrist that quietly tracks how hard you’re pushing and how well you’re bouncing back. If you’re the kind of person who wants to know when to push and when to back off, this one’s powerful.

Oura Ring

The Oura Ring is awesome for sleep and recovery. It’s small, simple, and surprisingly accurate. You forget you’re even wearing it, but when you wake up, it’s got a full report card on how your body handled the day before. Not the best for workouts, but for rest and recovery? Top tier.

The bigger point is this: your body runs the whole show. If you’re constantly tired, dehydrated, or running on fumes, it doesn’t matter how good your calendar looks; you’re not showing up at your best.

So, pick the wearable that fits your lifestyle. But more importantly, start paying attention. The best founders I know track their health just like they track revenue, margins, and profit. Because both will tell you how far you’re going to go.

Personal Finance Tip of the Week

Revenue looks great on paper.

It makes headlines. It impresses at parties.

It feeds the ego, but it doesn’t pay the bills.

Profit does.

And better yet, free cash flow is what actually lets you sleep at night.

I learned this the hard way.

For years, I chased top-line growth like it was the only thing that mattered.

The turning point came when I finally asked, “How much did we keep?”

That shift changed everything.

My partner and I focused on tightening margins, trimming bloat, and building a company that wasn’t just growing, but healthy.

Cash started stacking. Decisions got clearer.

Hiring became easier. So did scaling.

Here’s the truth:

Revenue is ego. Profit is peace. Cash flow is freedom.

If you want to build something that lasts, don’t just chase growth.

Build a machine that funds your future.

Business Playbook

Most advice sounds good on social media but falls apart in the real world.

Here are the 7 Worst Pieces of Business Advice - Debunked & Rebuilt:

1. “Follow your passion.”

What: The idea that your passion should dictate your business.

Why it's flawed: Passion is fleeting. Market demand is not. Building a business only on passion is like building a house on sand. It feels good until the storm hits.

How to fix this:

Find a painful problem you can solve. Ideally, one you're curious about.

Curiosity sustains effort. Passion burns out.

2. “If you build it, they will come.”

What: People think a good product automatically creates demand.

Why it’s flawed: The graveyard is full of great products that nobody knew existed. Distribution > product.

How to fix this:

Before building, ask: “Where are my customers already hanging out?”

Then learn how to get in front of them.

Build a waitlist, start a community, or partner with someone who has attention.

3. “You need a big team to scale.”

What: Founders think more people = more growth.

Why it’s flawed: More people = more complexity. Not leverage.

How to fix this:

Focus on automation and high-leverage roles (e.g., media, strategy, finance).

A lean, focused team of killers beats a bloated org of task managers every time.

4. “Always say yes to opportunity.”

What: People treat every new opportunity as a stepping stone.

Why it’s flawed: Saying yes to everything is the fastest way to dilute your focus and destroy momentum.

How to fix this:

Adopt a “hell yes or no” filter.

If it doesn’t align with your clear goals or vision, it’s a no.

Focus is a multiplier.

5. “Raise money to grow fast.”

What: The default path seems to be fundraising → scale → exit.

Why it’s flawed: VC money is a treadmill, not a shortcut. You trade freedom for fuel and that fuel comes with strings attached.

How to fix this:

Ask: “Can this business grow profitably without external capital?”

If yes, bootstrap until you’ve proven traction. And always look for good debt options before giving up equity. Equity is a lot more expensive than debt if you have a good thing going.

Optionality > obligation.

6. “More hours = more success.”

What: Hustle culture glorifies 80-hour workweeks.

Why it’s flawed: Volume without strategy is just noise. You're not paid by the hour. You're paid by your insight and outcomes.

How to fix this:

Track what actually moves the needle. Work in sprints, not marathons.

Protect your energy the way CEOs protect capital.

7. “Fail fast.”

What: It sounds good. Move quickly, break things, iterate.

Why it’s flawed: Failing fast without learning fast is just expensive.

Many use it to justify poor planning.

How to fix this:

Yes, take swings.

But treat each failure like data, not defeat.

Document what worked, what didn’t, and why. That’s how you build momentum.

Takeaway:

Most advice is a screenshot of someone else’s highlight reel.

The real game?

Learn how to think, not what to copy. That’s where the compounding begins.

Thanks for reading!

If you enjoyed this week’s newsletter, please share it with some friends! Let’s all get better together.

🗓️ STAY TUNED:

In next week’s newsletter, we’re going to dive into 5 Key Habits for Building Financial Success (including my thoughts on Crypto) in 2025. You won’t want to miss it…

Have a great week!

Here’s to your success,

Austin Lamar Wright

If you’re social, let’s connect! - Follow me on X for daily business breakdowns, lifestyle hacks, and a behind-the-scenes look at what I’m doing to build a $100M wellness and fitness portfolio across the US.

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_{Disclaimer: The ideas shared in this newsletter are those of the author, and this is in no way intended to be medical, legal, or financial advice. Always do your own research and consult with licensed professionals.}