Whats up! Welcome!

I'm Will Watters, the founder of Western Rise, and I want to kick this off with some real talk. Earlier this year, I hit a wall. Burnout wasn't just a buzzword; it was my reality. I was running on empty, and to top it off, my wife and business partner landed in an ambulance and hospital bed in Mexico, a stark wake-up call to the toll that overwork and stress can take. Watching my wife and the mother of my two children in that ambulance shook me in a way I can’t explain and I vowed to never let it happen again. 

So here we are, and I'm laying it out there. This isn't just a newsletter; it's a new start. It's about redefining what it means to be an entrepreneur, about learning to delegate, automate, and most importantly, preserve our health and happiness. It’s about building a business and lifestyle that you love. And I want you – yes, you – to be a part of this journey.

Now, onto the lighter stuff. Every week, I'll be dropping what wisdom I have on how to start a business, how to source world class products, and on how to run a business without running yourself into the ground.

Now's the time to jump into ecommerce, and here's why: the world's upside down, but this chaos? It's ripe with opportunity. Forget the old playbook where you needed a whole team to get rolling. Today, it's all about being nimble. With just your vision and a handful of outsourced pros, you can carve out your own slice of the digital pie. Social media and smart tech mean you can reach customers and build a brand that resonates, all from your living room. So, while the naysayers focus on the doom and gloom, you've got a golden chance to start small, dream big, and scale fast. Let's make waves with what we've got.

So, what's first on the agenda? Well, I've just come back from an eye-opening trip, a stark reminder of what’s important. It's not just about building a business, its about the community we build and the freedom owning a business can create.

So how do we do that? Well, I think a business is only as strong as it’s systems, so here's a glimpse of what we'll dive into in the coming months. These are my operating systems that I am working on and that I am excited to share with you:

• Goal: Create a business that you love that makes $ 

  • Define your must haves

  • Score your ideas

  • Brand deck/idea

  • Product sourcing

  • Website

  • Testing

  • Funding

  • Launching

  • Kickstarter

  • Scaling

• Goal: Own your time, health, and happiness by owning a business.

  • Work/Life Balance

  • The Perfect Week

  • Remote work

  • Health System

  • Vision Boards

  • Personal Advisory Board

  • Exercise

• Goal: Everyday retirement. “Retirement is when you stop sacrificing today for an imaginary tomorrow” - Naval

  • Working with an assistant 

  • Delegating

  • Building playbooks

  • Drip Matrix

  • Clone Yourself

  • Replacement Ladder

• Reading: $100m Leads by Alex Hormozi - this book teaches you the ins and outs of effective marketing and sales but also inspires you to think bigger. Perfect for entrepreneurs.

• Watching: YouTube MBA in 10 Days - I’ve been trying to check these off my list when I have time. Lots of value in here.

• Doing: I booked a hot yoga class for my wife for Valentines Day. Long story short, she had a meeting come up and couldn’t make it, so I had to fill in. It kicked my ass, but I like of loved it. Will be going back. There are so many benefits.

• Learning: We shut off ads for January. Cash was tight, returns from holidays are always high, inventory payments were due. We expected to not grow at all. We doubled down, built an organic content funnel and somehow pulled of 100% YoY growth. I’ve been learning everything I can there. Growth without ads is another level of freedom. Story here.

Would appreciate a follow! Hit the social icons below for:

• Instagram

• Twitter

• Linkedin

• TikTok

Also, this is more than just a newsletter. It's a two-way street. Let me know what you want to see more of!

Can't wait to embark on this journey with you.

Thank you so much for being here. If you thought this was cool, please forward this to someone!

Will Watters