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No. 317 | January 23, 2026
Welcome to this week’s Friday Five—a short dose of insights, inspiration, and favorites to start your weekend with clarity and focus.
Music of the Week
Chris Stapleton is a widely respected singer-songwriter and guitarist from Kentucky. He’s won multiple Grammy Awards, Academy of Country Music Awards, and Country Music Association Awards.
He’s been a solo act for the past decade and was formerly a member of the SteelDrivers and the Jompson Brothers bands. Stapleton’s distinctive voice creates music for the soul.
Check out Think I’m In Love With You, White Horse, and Parachute if you’re new to his music.
Quotes of the Week
Clarity to gain self-mastery—clearing what’s in front of you to give you the space to become the best. These quotes capture the idea of clarity:
“You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” — Epictetus
“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” — Marcus Aurelius
“Man conquers the world by conquering himself.” — Zeno of Citium
“You must first clearly see a thing in your mind before you can do it.” — Alex Morrison
Article of the Week
“Adding power makes you faster on the straights. Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere.” — Colin Chapman
Some variables compound quietly over time. Legendary Formula 1 car designer Adrian Newey’s variable is aerodynamics. He’s spent nearly a quarter of his life testing his ideas in a wind tunnel.
Team owner, designer, and motorsport executive Colin Chapman also focused on a singular variable. It was the weight of the car. The lighter the car, the faster it was throughout an entire race, not just on the straight parts of the track.
For me, the takeaways from Newey and Chapman are simple: focus on the variable you can control and simplify.
For more on F1, Newey, Chapman, and their philosophies, read my article below:
📝 Focus on the Variable You Can Control: Adrian Newey, Colin Chapman, and Formula One
Book of the Week
King of the Cowboys: The Life and Times of Jerry Jones is the story of the larger-than-life owner of the Dallas Cowboys.
He’s a controversial figure in the NFL. But he offers lessons that bleed into the business world, including:
- Succeeding on your own terms
- Thinking big and rolling the dice
- Working harder than everyone else
- Moving quickly on the scent of a potential sale
- Keeping your head together during tough times
- Knowing how to assess risk well and when to walk away
- Never being afraid to make a decision and pulling the trigger
- Busting your butt
- Trusting your instincts
- Outworking the competition
- Taking more risks to increase your chance of succeeding.
For more on Jerry Jones, his business, and ownership lessons from the NFL, read below:
📚 King of the Cowboys: The Life and Times of Jerry Jones
Podcast of the Week
Chris Stapleton recently joined Armchair Expert. The conversation is raw, candid, and offers countless life and business lessons, including:
- Why he looks for quiet time
- Wanting to make a record that his father would like
- Why terms are better than money
- Blind spots that happen through singular focus.
For more on Stapleton, his life, and music, listen to the episode below:
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