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No. 315 | January 9, 2026
Welcome to this week’s Friday Five—a short dose of insights, inspiration, and favorites to start the weekend with clarity and focus.
Music of the Week
Led Zeppelin was an English rock band formed in the late 1960s by Robert Plant (vocals), Jimmy Page (guitar), John Paul Jones (bass and keyboards), and John Bonham (drums).
They emerged from the ashes of the Yardbirds and released eight studio albums in ten years—each pushing rock music forward while achieving massive commercial success.
If you’re starting from scratch, begin with Whole Lotta Love, Ramble On, and Immigrant Song.
Quotes of the Week
Taking action is simple in theory and hard in practice. It means moving from thinking to doing. From intention to execution. From talk to results. These quotes capture what it really means to act:
“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” – Marcus Aurelius
“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.” – Epictetus
“Putting things off is the biggest waste of life: it snatches away each day as it comes, and denies us the present by promising the future.” – Seneca
“Continuous effort—not strength or intelligence—is the key to unlocking our potential.” – Winston Churchill
“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney
Article of the Week
📝 Happiness Before Success: What Zappos’ Tony Hsieh Taught Me About Freedom explores the deeper lessons behind building Zappos.
One lesson is the power of a growth mindset. Hsieh created a company library with a simple goal: help employees become a little wiser each day.
That mindset helped him build Zappos, which was later acquired by Amazon. The financial outcome mattered—but what mattered more was what the money bought: freedom.
Another lesson is that happiness comes from enjoying how you live, not just what you achieve. Hsieh used that freedom to design his life on his own terms—and that’s where happiness followed.
In the end, growth led to value, value led to freedom, and freedom made happiness possible.
For more on Hsieh, Zappos, and Delivery Happiness, read my article:
📝 Happiness Before Success: What Zappos’ Tony Hsieh Taught Me About Freedom
Book of the Week
Inside Steve’s Brain by Leander Kahney examines the forces behind Steve Jobs’ almost unbelievable success.
Jobs reshaped personal computing in the 1970s and 1980s, animated movies in the 1990s, and digital music in the 2000s.
He was a visionary, and also a one-man wrecking ball, relentlessly bending Apple and its people to meet his standards.
For a sharper look at Jobs, Apple, and the cost of greatness, read the book:
Podcast of the Week
Ken Langone is best known as the co-founder of Home Depot.
On Invest Like the Best, Langones talks about life lessons, building Home Depot, and why putting employees first isn’t soft—it’s smart.
He also covers keeping your word, the compounding power of loyalty, and taking pride in your work.
For more on Langone and the mindset behind the American Dream, listen here:
🎧 Ken Langone – The American Dream
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