Happy Fri-Yay! Reader,

Welcome to the 4x Friday, four of the coolest things I've found, learned, or experienced, this past week.

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What I learned

Leaders are told to delegate. Darren Hardy's Sunday Planning System has a quadrant called "The Devil's Vortex," where the tasks that do not align with the week's goals are to go. I'm learning that delegating may not be the answer. Delegating tasks may initially feel satisfying, but it often leads to the burden of constant follow-up and micromanagement. Instead, offboarding is a game changer. It transfers task ownership--your employees own the entire outcome (volunteers, kids, etc.). Speaking from experience, this is an excellent way to train employees, increase their value to the business (and ensure they feel valued), and relax your grip. This also frees up your schedule, allowing you to pursue other goals. The idea came from an Inc. Magazine article that also points out two other business' truths' that are fundamentally untrue.

What I watched

I came across Poenari Castle, a ruined castle in Romania once the home of Vlad the Impaler, the inspiration for Dracula. The castle is situated high atop a mountain and accessed by climbing 1,480 concrete stairs. It was built in the 13th century by Wallachians and later repaired and consolidated by Vlad in the 15th century. The castle was abandoned in the 16th century and is now a historical landmark. You can see a 4K aerial view of the castle on YouTube (00:03:43). Somehow, watching that video lead me to the official 1931 Dracula movie trailer (00:01:48) featuring Bela Lugosi.

What I read

​Taco Bell filed a petition Tuesday (ironically) with the US Patent and Trademark Office to cancel the trademark "Taco Tuesday," owned by rival Taco John's for 34 years, because Taco Bell claims the commonly used phrase "should be freely available to all who make, sell, eat and celebrate tacos." "Taco Twosday" was coined by a Taco John's restaurant owner in the early 1980s to increase sales with a 99-cent deal for two tacos on its slowest day of the week. It worked. The name was tweaked to "Taco Tuesday," the chain trademarked the phrase in 1989, making it part of its marketing. Since then, Taco John's has defended its use of the phrase and sent cease-and-desist letters to others trying to use it. Taco Bell may have a strong case. The US trademark law "prevents the registration of common phrases or phrases that become commonplace after a registration is granted."

What I'm pondering

The Mindset List is an annual compilation of the experiences that shape the worldview (or "mindset") of students about 18 years old and entering college and, to a lesser extent, adulthood. It was published by Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin, from 1998 to 2018, when it moved to the auspices of Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York. For those of you thinking of hiring, here are a few thoughts about those graduating this month.

• When they pulled themselves up off the floor for the first time, they may have been hanging onto the folks' brand-new Xbox.
• Nearly half of their generation is composed of people of color.
• Snapchat has become their social media app of choice, thus relieving them of the dilemma of whether or not to friend Mom?
• PayPal has always been an online option for purchases.
• The nation's mantra has always been: "If you see something, say something."

​Read the complete list.​

Have a triumphant week.

PS - Tickets for Design & Build Nashville: The Science in Design, Aug 4 & 5, are on sale now! AIBD.org/DesignBuildNashville.

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