Last Friday I was sitting in the Legacy Boardroom at the House of Melo exhibit.
Enoch Pratt Library was closing out the Hall of Fame showcase for Carmelo Anthony.
I was interviewing the co-curators, Khalilah Beavers and D. Watkins. These are my people. We go back over 20 years. Melo even popped in for a cameo during the podcast.
But the business lesson didn't come from the Hall of Famer. It came from D.
D. Watkins is a New York Times bestselling author.
His inbox is ridiculous.
He gets asked to write books for everybody. Stephen A. Smith. Method Man. His email legitimately looks fake because of who's reaching out.
And he turns down most of it.
Most business owners would kill for those opportunities.
Big names. Big checks. Massive credibility boost. D says no to almost all of it.
He told me about something he calls the ‘Hell Yes’ framework. It's simple. If the opportunity isn't an immediate "Hell Yes," it's a hell no.
No maybes. No "this could be good." No "I should probably do this because it looks impressive." If you're not immediately excited about it, you don't do it.
That's why he wrote Melo's book. That's why the exhibit exists. He gave a damn about the work.
Khalilah does the same thing with styling. She only works with clothes and clients she's passionate about. The fabric. The threads. The details. If she doesn't care about it, she's not touching it.
Even Melo follows this. He built a wine company because he's passionate about wine. Not because wine companies are hot right now. Because he actually cares.
You see the pattern?
Most business owners are doing the opposite. They're saying yes to ghost opportunities. The client who pays well but drains you.
The partnership that looks good on LinkedIn but wastes 15 hours a week.
The project that sounds impressive but makes you miserable.
I had this experience last year. It lasted for months but to preserve the relationship and I resigned.
Every time you say yes to a "maybe," you're stealing time from your ‘Hell Yes’ opportunities. That's 20 hours you're not spending building the business you actually want.
So here’s what I did and you can do the same:
Write down everything else you’d be doing during the time working for that “maybe” opportunity. Ask yourself one question: "Am I excited about this, or am I just going along to get along?" If you hesitate, that's your answer. It's a no.
Sometimes you have to thug it out on sub-par opportunities. But if you do that too long you begin to block the great opportunities all around you.
You can’t out hustle this. You need a better filter.
This is exactly what I work on in strategy sessions with clients. I help you identify your ‘Hell Yes’ opportunities and build systems around them.
I've got limited slots available next week.
Today thru Sunday is the last chance to book a strategy session at the current price.
Starting Monday, rates are going up.
We’re still at the top of the year and you have chance to set the vision for success now so you’re not stuck grinding on ghost opportunities. If you want to go from “ughh not again” to “Hell Yes” work, let's talk.
Book your strategy session » HERE«
You can watch the full podcast with Khalilah, D, and Melo's cameo is live on YouTube:
🧱 Keeping building and “Stay Melo”
Q
p.s. common things people bring to strategy session:
questions about how to implement AI into their business
websites, marketing, social media content and profiles for strategic advice
general inquiry on the next best move to make to grow their business
