September Drop

Counter opinion time.

People often worship Elon Musk for his insane accomplishments, and I get it.

Maxims like “excellence is the ability to take pain” and “the most successful people are those who failed the most” resonate. I even love “constantly challenge the requirement.”

All true.

(Sidebar, “challenge the requirement” makes me think of what Hormozi said about “who’s rules are you subscribing to?”)

But I love leadership and people. (Rants on this here, here, & here).

And here’s where I part ways with the Elon cheer squad.

He seems to treat people poorly.

I’m not saying the dude doesn’t deliver results, but I believe he’d be even stronger if he treated people with respect and loyalty.

John Maxwell nailed it:

If you don’t honor the people you lead, you shouldn’t lead them.

In the words of my friend Charles:

Strength Under Restraint

This mindset isn’t about force, it’s about control.

“Strength under control is a virtue,” is a line that’s stuck with me after listening to Joby Martin a few weeks back.

We’ve been talking through what it means to act like men (biblically).

Being the most powerful person in the room doesn’t mean steamrolling others. It means being kind, measured, and (when necessary) standing toe to toe with evil.

There’s power in restraint.

As Confucius put it…I’m just kididng, no one cares what that guy said.

People Matter

I posted about how much impact others have on your life (relevant to last month's business deal chatter).

It’s simple but true dog:

That applies to business, life, everything. Surround yourself wisely.

Reminder from the Founders Podcast

The Founders episode on Elon was good.

It’s a raw look at some unique parts of his life that’s pretty informative, despite my chips against him.

What’s This Month Teaching Me?

• Excellence isn’t just surviving pressure, it’s choosing to stay kind when it’s easier to snap.

• Leadership shows in what you don’t do, just as much in what you do.

• You don’t build momentum by tearing people down, you build it by showing up with character.

TLDR? People over Profits

September Events

Tue, Sep 9 — North Charleston Chamber Coffee Meetup
Time: 7:30–9:00 AM
Location: North Charleston Chamber HQ, 8887 Old University Blvd
Why Go: Structured networking with coffee and bagels.
Register Here

Mon, Sep 9 — AI in Business: Practical Applications Workshop (Charleston Digital Corridor)
Time: 5:30–7:30 PM
Location: Charleston Learning Center, 997 Morrison Dr
Why Go: Hands-on look at how AI is actually being applied in local businesses.
Details Here

Wed, Sep 10 — Charleston Business & Brews
Time: 5:00–7:30 PM
Location: Estuary Beans & Barley, 3538 Meek's Farm Road, Johns Island
Speakers: SC Rep. James Teeple & Charleston City Councilman Jim McBride
Why Go: Casual networking + short talks, always draws a crowd. Free and open to the public.

Info Here

Wed, Sep 10 — CREW Charleston Luncheon
Time: 11:30 AM–1:00 PM
Location: Segra Club at Riley Park, 360 Fishburne Street
Speaker: Katie Blum, East West Partners
Why Go: Commercial real estate insights, sustainability projects, and top-tier networking.
Register Here

Wed, Sep 10 — SAME Charleston & USCG Industry Day
Time: 11:30 AM–9:00 PM
Location: Porter Room at Holy City Brewing, 1021 Aragon Ave, North Charleston
Why Go: Full-day program on military engineering, Coast Guard ops, then Top Golf networking.
Details Here

Tue, Sep 17 — Thrive Social (Charleston Chamber)
Time: 4:30–6:00 PM
Location: Moxy Charleston Downtown, 547 Meeting Street
Why Go: Chamber social with an upbeat downtown setting.
Register Here

Thu, Sep 18 — Mount Pleasant Chamber 15th Annual Business & Community Expo
Time: 11:00 AM–5:00 PM (Happy Hour 4:00–5:00 PM)
Location: Omar Shrine Convention Center, 176 Patriots Point Road
Why Go: The Chamber’s flagship networking event — job fair, exhibitors, samples, and hundreds of pros. Exhibts sold out but can still attend here 

Thu, Sep 18 — Product Jam: Under the Hood (ProductTank Charleston)
Time: 5:30–7:30 PM
Location: 665 Johnnie Dodds, Suite 201
Why Go: Local startups show off real products, raw conversations with builders.
Register Here

Wed, Sep 24 — Community Social Leadership Lab (Charleston Digital Corridor)
Time: 4:00–6:00 PM
Why Go: Tech community mixer, leadership and advisory focus.
Details Here

Thu, Sep 25 — RISE Women in Business: Aloha Sunset Sail
Time: 5:30–7:30 PM
Location: Palmetto Breeze
Why Go: Networking on the water with the women-in-business group.
Register Here

Fri, Sep 26 — YPG Shem Creek Scavenger Hunt (Mount Pleasant Chamber)
Time: 5:00–7:00 PM
Host: On Purpose Adventures
Why Go: Team scavenger hunt with young professionals. Good excuse to be outside and meet people.
Register Here

The End

Have a nice day!

Bye,
— Josh
a.k.a. the mayor

P.s. Don’t forget about 9/11 that stirred a generation of heros. There’s a cool run on DI every year. Sat 09/13