My daughter attended Incarnate Word Academy, a private high school with an exceptional leadership program, led by an inspiring teacher – Charles Kafoglis. The Young Leaders Program has an innovative curriculum and is one just a few high schools to offer students a concentration in leadership studies. I’ve witnessed the positive impact Charles and his program had on my daughter. I told the HIG team about the courses offered at the school and the personal finance module caught the attention of our fearless leader – Matt Hall. An introduction to Charles was inevitable and followed with an invitation for Matt to speak at the school’s “Leadership Live!” speaker series.

The students, Charles and Matt worked together to come up with a fun, student-led Q & A with the goal of energizing and inspiring these young women to change the way they think and feel about money. Matt took the stage in early November and engaged a packed auditorium with thought-provoking concepts around money, leadership, and entrepreneurship.

Matt encouraged the 9th through 12th graders to take control of their financial futures by saving early, understanding the value of compounding and using money wisely. When the 3:25 PM dismissal bell rang, signaling the end of Matt’s interview and the end of the school day, many students didn’t run out the door, but instead swarmed Matt to ask questions and receive copies of Matt’s book, Odds On. If Matt had hoped to reach only a few students that day, I’d say he more than accomplished the goal.

You’re busy.

Not a minute goes by without a notification, a phone call, or a person asking for “ a quick second” vying for your attention. At times, life can feel like a treadmill that moves faster and faster— sometimes making you wonder how much of that movement equates to real forward motion.

It should come as no surprise that the distracted, divided life can put a strain on our relationships. Not just at the office, but with our loved ones. When we feel compelled to micro-manage the details, it’s impossible to devote sustained attention to any one important task or person.

What can possibly be done?

The answer may lie in The Power of Full Engagement, a book written nearly two decades ago by a performance psychologist and a renowned business consultant. If you give it a read, you’ll realize how seamlessly the lessons apply to cultivating healthy relationships, as well as a healthy work life. 

Here are our top three takeaways from the book:

1. Energy is often more valuable than time.

Time management is certainly important for any sustainable relationship or career. But as authors Loehr and Schwartz note, understanding how to effectively channel the energy you have during your waking hours, as well as your time, can transform every aspect of your life.

“The number of hours in a day is fixed, but the quantity and quality of energy available to us is not,” say the authors. “It is our most precious resource. The more we take responsibility for the energy we bring to the world, the more empowered and productive we become.”

2. It’s OK to disengage

Most of us would like to live our lives fully engaged from dawn to dusk and put forth 100% effort at every waking moment. But truthfully, that’s not sustainable. We need to practice disengaging: from work, from the glow of the screen, and yes, even from loved ones. 

Taking a true break might feel uncomfortable at first, but it’s the key to restoring balance in all aspects of life. Take a walk. Read a book. Watch the sunset. We predict the important people in your world will be able to tell the difference.

3. Treat rest with the same respect as action

The average human has a “high performance mode” of about 90 minutes. In this window, we can remain alert, creative, and resilient. And then there’s a wall. Motivational speakers might tell you to push through the fatigue, but science begs to differ.

After 90 minutes of intense activity (this can range from holding a conversation to hiking a mountain) the brain and body need a rest period of about 20 minutes. This quick recovery maintains your ultradian rhythm (the ebb and flow of energy).

At Hill Investment Group, we call this “Tea Time,” which one of our other favorite authors Laura Vanderkam referenced in her podcast a few months ago.

One of the main points in the book is gaining energy from regularly identifying and revisiting your core values. We have found this to be a powerful energy source.

We hope you find The Power of Full Engagement as valuable as our team has. Got a favorite book of your own? Shoot us a note – we are always looking for recommendations!  

Now, close your browser and open a book.

Building a restaurant and hospitality empire from the ground up doesn’t happen by accident—it’s the product of unwavering attention to detail complemented by a bold vision. That’s where Danny Meyer’s classic book comes in: Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business.

Restaurants have a notoriously high failure rate. By some estimates, more than half of new restaurants shutter before their fifth anniversary. When you’re a restaurateur, the odds are stacked against you—especially if you’re a novice. But what about the outliers? The mavens, the tastemakers who have the magic touch?

Enter Danny Meyer: St. Louis native, CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group, and founder of several restaurants including the beloved Shake Shack. At the age of 27, Meyer opened Union Square Cafe in New York City which became an instant hit. But he wanted to prove to himself that his success wasn’t a fluke–and it wasn’t. Today, Meyer has a portfolio of restaurants and is widely regarded as one of the most successful restaurateurs on the planet.

In his memoir-manifesto hybrid, Meyer illustrates the philosophy which he credits to his success: Enlightened Hospitality. “[Enlightened Hospitality] stands some more traditional business approaches on their head, but it’s the foundation of every business decision and every success we’ve had,” says Meyer.

Meyer’s writing is undeniably entertaining and intriguing, but what’s most impressive about the book is how easily it can be applied to industries outside of hospitality. Whether you’re managing a coffee shop or a publicly traded corporation, Meyer’s behind-the-scenes stories are guaranteed to equip you with priceless insights into leadership, creativity, and customer service.

At Hill Investment Group, we don’t limit our reading to books strictly about finance. In fact, some of the best Long View lessons we’ve learned come from stories completely unrelated to money. Now, thanks to Danny Meyer, we can add hospitality to that collection.