I’m not much of a sports fan, but I love a good sports analogy. Athletes, especially elite ones, devote extraordinary effort to succeed, and their habits often translate directly into business and personal growth. If you know anything about basketball, you know Stephen Curry. He’s widely regarded as the greatest three-point shooter in history. His long-range accuracy is almost superhuman. There’s even a video of him making ten full-court shots in a row, each one a perfect swish. Not the kind of thing AI fakes. That's talent, yes, but it's not the whole story. There’s a lesser-known part of Curry’s greatness that’s far more relevant to the rest of us: His mastery of the free throw. When a player is fouled, they’re awarded an uncontested shot from the free-throw line. Seems simple. But this “simple” act is often what determines a close game or even a championship. Curry hits 93% of his free throws. The average NBA player hits 78% . Shaquille O’Neal, one of the most dominant players ever, averaged 52% . That gap between 78% and 93% is the difference between good and nearly automatic. And in the NBA, where games are regularly decided by one or two points, that difference is massive. There’s another angle: Coaches will sometimes instruct players to intentionally foul an opposing shooter they think is likely to miss the free throws. They did it to Shaq constantly, to the point where it was termed “Hack the Shaq.” They never ever do it to Steph. Why? Too risky. Because Curry has elevated a fundamental skill to the level of mastery. The Hidden Ingredient: Diligence My friend Alan Stein, a top performance coach, trained with Curry early in his career. One story he shared has stuck with me ever since. At the end of each practice, when everyone else would go into the locker room, Curry would go to the free-throw line and practice his shot. He wouldn't leave the gym until he had made 10 perfect swishes in a row. If the tenth shot touched the rim, he started over. This is diligence. This is a master doing the fundamentals until boredom, resistance, and perfection meet. And this is where the lesson applies directly to your success. Where Most People Fall Short We live in a world designed to keep us entertained and distracted. Our phones are engineered to prevent boredom. Yet success very often requires boredom. Because, let’s face it, practicing the fundamentals is boring. Repetition is boring. But do you know what’s even more boring? Staying average. It’s the same for musicians doing scales. Actors rehearsing lines. Writers drafting endless revisions. The people who excel simply stay with the fundamentals longer than those who don’t. And they accept boredom as part of the process. Whether you’re a salesperson, a dentist, an entrepreneur, or a leader, your “free throws” are the simple, unglamorous actions that compound into mastery. Your free throws might be: Making the calls you don’t want to make Hearing “no” far more often than “yes” Repeating your script until you can deliver it in your sleep Rehearsing presentation over and over And here’s a big one: role-playing. Most of us dread it, but there is often no better way to refine a skill. And the reality is, there are no negative consequences to role-playing, except in your head. We hate not being good at something. So, just start thinking of it like you’re just hitting the rim, and you get to take another shot. Nothing to be ashamed of, just room for improvement. You’re simply getting better before it matters, so you’re game is strong when it does. Why I Tell You This (And Why I Tell Myself This) I don’t enjoy rehearsing my presentations. I don’t enjoy repeating a section over and over until it lands. But I do it because that’s the price of being as impactful as possible on stage. And the reward is being spontaneous, creative, and fully present when I’m in front of an audience. Mastery gives you freedom. Fundamentals give you mastery. If you’re getting average results, there’s a good chance you’ve been avoiding the fundamentals. Maybe it feels easier to stay where you are. But “easier” isn’t better. Not if you want more. THIS WEEK'S BOLDNESS EXERCISE Pick one simple boldness exercise and repeat it today. Examples: Smile at a stranger Compliment someone in line at Starbucks Strike up a 20-second conversation with someone new Practice your pitch out loud five times Role-play a tough conversation with a friend or colleague  If you hesitate, that’s the resistance. The same resistance that keeps you from practicing the fundamentals. Push through it. Do the simple thing. The low-stakes thing. The “boring” thing. Because that’s where your boldness grows. And bold people win when it matters.

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Why asking for feedback is important!

We all know the rush of a fresh opportunity: the new prospect, the new idea, the new connection. It feels clean. Full of possibility. No awkwardness, no rejection risk. And yet, statistically, that’s not where success actually happens. A remarkable insight from HubSpot says 80% of deals close in the follow-up, which means not the first conversation, not the pitch, not the “Hey, great to meet you.” In the follow-up. Yet very few people follow up enough. Why? Because rejection stings. Because silence feels like a “no.” Because it’s emotionally easier to chase the new than to continue nurturing what’s already started. But if you want to live a Superbold life and build a business or career that actually grows, you need to master the art of follow-up. Not as a chore or a sales tactic. But as a form of generosity, professionalism and, of course, boldness. Why People Don’t Respond (And Why It’s Not About You) People are overwhelmed—messages, tasks, notifications, family needs, appointments, deadlines, distractions. You are not being ignored because you’re unworthy. You’re lost in the noise. Think about the number of meaningful emails you unintentionally miss in a week. For most people, it’s several. Follow-up is not pestering. It’s service. It’s helping someone remember what matters to them. Remember, most of the time it’s not a rejection. Silence is the new normal. But we stop ourselves because we’ve been ghosted, (in our mind, at least!) We create stories in our head: “They must not be interested.” “They would have responded by now.” “They already said no.” But here’s the truth: Many “No’s” are simply “Not now’s”. You know this, I’m sure, but you hesitate to follow up. Yet I know people who closed deals a full year after their initial outreach because the timing finally aligned. Persistence isn’t annoying. It’s professional. The Greatest Mistake: Not Systematizing the Follow-Up Every successful business, from dental practices to consulting firms to coaching programs, runs on consistent touchpoints. The earliest lesson I learned in advertising was that repetition alone is what keeps you top of mind. We are bombarded with messages all day. When you don’t systematize follow-up, you rely on memory, which is the least reliable system ever invented. Create a systematic way to continue reaching out to prospects at specific intervals with a different message. And do it. Once you see the results, you’ll be hooked. If you’re looking for what message to send, try gratitude or appreciation. Or just a simple tidbit of useful information not directly related to your product. And finally, accept that ghosting is going to happen. It is the new norm and it’s not going to improve. Don’t ascribe any meaning to it. That’s a waste of calories. Be bold enough to do the hard stuff and make following up part of your daily activity. This Week's Boldness Challenge: This one should be pretty obvious. Follow up with someone you've been avoiding. Do one for business and one personally. Because sometimes we neglect our personal relationships, too, don't we? Boldly yours, Fred