📈 Show Me Your Friends, I'll Show You Your Future

Read time: 4 minutes

"You're the average of the five people you spend the most time with."

Everyone says it on LinkedIn. We all nod along.

I did too.

But I hadn't felt it until the last few weeks.

Let me explain - I've been in the UK working from Chris Donnelly's office, sitting next to him and Nader Alnajjar (Founder of LeverBrands, a LinkedIn marketing agency) every single day.

When you see how other top performers operate - your weaknesses get reflected back at you.

In my case, I realized how many more automations I needed to build for Saywhat and how much more marketing I needed to do.

Here's the reality about changing your environment:

You don't realize how much it's holding you back until you completely change it.

The Mirror Effect

When you surround yourself with people operating at a high level, three things happen instantly:

1. You see your blind spots in real time

Why? Because everyone has different blindspots.

2. Your standards automatically rise

When everyone is pushing hard - it makes you raise the bar.

3. You move faster

I built our first customer support automation last Saturday. Something I'd been "planning to do" for 6 months.

I call this the Mirror Effect - other people's excellence reflects your mediocrity back at you.

And it's uncomfortable.

But that's exactly where growth happens.

(And why I'm now MORE willing to pay for expensive masterminds than ever before.)

Why The Mirror Effect Actually Works

Most people think environment change is about "motivation."

It's not.

It's about recalibrating your baseline.

When you're the smartest person in the room, you stop looking for gaps.

But put yourself next to someone operating at 2-3x your level?

Your brain immediately starts pattern-matching.

What I thought was "okay" was actually a clear weakness.

That's the real power - it shows you what should be your new normal.

How To Create Your Own Mirror Effect

You don't need to fly to the UK but you probably need to travel.

Here's exactly what to do:

1. Find someone 2-3 steps ahead of you 

Not 10 steps - they need to be relatable. Look for someone who has been where you were recently.

2. Get in their physical space for at least 3 days 

Virtual doesn't cut it. Ask to shadow them. Pay for their coaching. Join their mastermind. You need to see their actual daily behaviours.

3. Identify 1-2 things you need to improve 

Don't try to change everything. Pick the gaps that would have the biggest impact on your business.

4. Implement ONE thing within 24 hours 

Don't wait. Pick the highest leverage win and execute immediately.

5. Share your progress publicly 

Share it with an accountability buddy.

The Bottom Line

The gap between where you are and where you want to be isn't talent.

It's skills you haven’t mastered yet.

Most founders stay mediocre because they're the smartest person in their room.

When you're always the expert, you stop growing.

So go find your mirror this week.

See you next time,

Will

P.S. Wanna join a great community building businesses on LinkedIn? We'd love to have you in the 600-strong Saywhat community.

Will McTighe

Forwarded this email? Sign Up Here
Connect with me on LinkedIn | Instagram