No. 298 | September 12, 2025
Welcome to this week’s Friday Five—a quick hit of insights, inspiration, and favorites to kick off your weekend with clarity and intention.
Music of the Week
The Black Keys, formed in Ohio in the early 2000s, consist of Dan Auerbach (vocals, guitar) and Patrick Carney (drums).
They began as an independent act—recording in basements and self-producing albums—before breaking through as one of the decade’s most popular garage-rock bands.
If you’re new to their music, start with: Lonely Boy, Howlin’ For You, and Gold on the Ceiling
Quotes of the Week
Lately, I’ve been focusing on the present moment—only worrying about what I can control. These quotes have helped me take life one step at a time:
“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” – The Buddha
“There is only one time that is important—now! It is the most important time because it is the only time when we have any power.” – Leo Tolstoy
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” – Steve Jobs
“Stress primarily comes from not taking action over something that you can have some control over. I find as soon as I identify it, and make the first phone call, or send off the first email…it dramatically reduces any stress that might come from it.” – Jeff Bezos
“True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future.” – Seneca
Article of the Week
“Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.” — Vince Lombardi
Public speaking terrifies many—but not Steve Jobs. His secret? Relentless practice. Perhaps his best-kept secret was the amount of time he devoted to rehearsing.
Before presenting, Jobs knew his material cold—he rehearsed relentlessly.
I also love that he practiced his keynote persona—his voice, stance, gestures, look—as if he were speaking to a live audience.
Jobs would keep going as long as the presentation stayed on track. If he veered off, he’d stop, rewind, and repeat lines until they were perfect.
By the time Jobs got on stage, he never messed up a line. His presentations looked effortless.
His obsession with practice wasn’t limited to presentations—Steve used this framework on Apple products through continuous iteration.
Apple’s iterative demo process compelled the team to refine a product continuously until it was ready for the world.
Demos turned an idea into reality—a product customers could use, hold, play with, and admire.
For more on Steve Jobs’ presentations and Apple’s demo process, read my article below:
📝 How Steve Jobs’ Presentations Were Perfected Through Relentless Practice
Book of the Week
The Fish That Ate the Whale: The Life and Times of America’s Banana King by Rich Cohen is outstanding.
Cohen tells the incredible tale of Samuel Zemurray—the self-made banana tycoon who went from penniless Russian immigrant to rainmaker.
Zemurray arrived in the U.S. in the late 1800s. He was tall, awkward-looking, and had no money.
When Zemurray died nearly 70 years later, he was among the richest men in the world.
He worked his way up from a fruit peddler to eventually running United Fruit Company. During this time, he became a symbol of what people loved and hated about the U.S—a land of opportunity and a corporate pirate.
Zemurray’s story is one of the most captivating I’ve ever read.
He started with a cart full of nearly rotten bananas in Mobile. He went on to build a sprawling banana empire—populated by cowboys, mercenaries, Honduran peasants, CIA agents, and American statesmen.
For the full story, read the book below:
📚 The Fish That Ate the Whale: The Life and Times of America’s Banana King
Podcast of the Week
You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation. One of the most brilliant ad lines ever.
It may be the greatest marketing campaign of all time—for what many consider the world’s premier watchmaker.
Patek is a special brand. It has a nearly 200-year history. Patek has countless patents.
For more on Patek Philippe, check out the Patek Philippe: Watch Perfection episode below:
