Making the most of your summer vacation . . .

For many people who work really hard throughout the year, vacations are somewhat complicated.

They know that it’s important to unwind, recharge and spend quality time with their families, but it’s very challenging to take their minds off work.

I’ve struggled with this myself at times, and have found a way to balance these two feelings.

Vacation time is family time . . . and it’s book time.

I use the opportunity of being out of the office to immerse myself in great books that I know will help improve my business and better serve my clients.

Being outside of day-to-day work tasks allow my mind to be even more receptive to new ideas. I end up being able to think on a deeper level and envision the future.

This year’s family vacation was at Kiawah Island, SC, and while I was there I finished 24 Assets: Create a Digital, Scalable, Valuable and Fun Business That will Thrive in a Fast-Changing World by Daniel Priestley.

The book does a great job of listing the two dozen assets that every high-performing company needs. Priestley defines an asset as “anything that would still be valuable without you.”

Here are the seven asset categories of his focus:

1️⃣Intellectual property

2️⃣Brand assets

3️⃣Market assets

4️⃣Product assets

5️⃣Systems assets

6️⃣Culture assets

7️⃣Funding assets

Going one level deeper, these assets include podcasts, methodologies, digital downloads, CRM systems, books, media channels, project management systems, on-boarding processes, KPIs, key people of influence and much more.

The book really helped me rewire my thinking about what we all need to build scalable businesses so we’re not so dependent on our precious time.

I also asked my LinkedIn community for recommendations of impactful books they had recently read and got some fabulous suggestions. Here’s a sampling:

• ​Victor Roy II recommends:
  • Strengths Based Leadership: Great Leaders, Teams, and Why People Follow by Gallup
  • Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork by Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy
  • What the CEO Wants You To Know: How Your Company Really Works by Ram Charan
• ​Anna Marie Centeno recommends: The Art of Rest: Faith to Hit Pause in a World That Never Stops by Adam Mabry
• ​Gerry Mecca recommends: Always Learning: Lessons on Leveling Up, from GameStop to Laura Mercier and Beyond by Gary Kusin

I’m really excited to explore many of these titles. What is your current summer book? Reply to this note and let me know!

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If you need help with your brand and market assets, let's ​talk​.

Artecia Wilson: Three Clues to Spot Tech Problems Early

​​Artecia Wilson​ is our latest guest on the Tech Leaders Untold Podcast. Being the Director of Technology at AT&T, slowing down has never been an option for Artecia. A self-proclaimed Navy brat, she attended 15 schools before graduating.

The constant moving and needing to quickly understand new cultures ended up being great training to be agile in corporate America. The curiosity and discipline she nurtured as a child eventually led to her uncovering a major fraud ring at AT&T.

Here are some of the other insights from our conversation:

• I uncovered almost a quarter of a million dollars worth of credits that had been given to these folks that had decided to work together to try to commit fraud.
• Think of things as widgets. All things fit together, and if something is not fitting together appropriately, then how do we make it fit appropriately?
• Pitching to your executive or the board? Understand the language of the person that you're speaking to. What really motivates and drives them? What do they actually see as success? And then tie your agenda to what really is important to that particular executive.
• Leave every space that you've been in better than when you arrived.
• It's an exciting time in history. We are in a perfect time to control our future.

Watch the full interview ​here​.

Upcoming Tech Events:

​​T200​ has invited me to speak at their ElevateHER Career Chat virtual session on Wed July 30 at 11am CST. Learn how to strategically build your visibility and thought leadership on LinkedIn. Open to members and non-members. Register for this free training ​here​.

GovCon Transformation Series - Are you a government contractor under pressure from all the shifting rules and regulations? Join the ​LinkedIn Live show with delaware North America​ on Wed Aug 6 at 3pm CST.

​​The CG Hour LinkedIn Live Show​ - Save the date (Aug 27 at 12pm CST) for another thought provoking show as we explore the topic of building or buying software for your business' next transformation.

​​DFW Technology Prayer Breakfast​ - Join 1000+ tech professionals on Wed Oct 1, 2025 for networking and community. Reserve a table ​here​.

Thank you to our Tech Legacies sponsor, CG Infinity!

Huge thank you to CG Infinity for sponsoring our podcast so we are able to feature these tech leaders with their perspectives and insights. Follow their company page to learn about their tech consulting services and #peoplefirst culture.

Shout out to our partner, Tech CXO Launchpad!

Shout out to our partners at Tech CxO LaunchPad. Their next cohort starts Mar 6! Connect with Karen Bruno to learn more about the Program, the benefits, the outcomes, and how this Program provides a blueprint for new C-Level Execs or the path to the C-Suite for rising stars.

Now we want to hear from you, Reader

What book are you reading this summer?

Fanny

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