Begin with the End in Mind

… and other tenets for kicking ass at work!

If you don’t know this by now, I love a mantra or tenet. They inspire many of my jewelry designs (let go, dream bigger, the wound is where the light shines in). As summer winds down and we jump back into our office saddles (although let’s be real, I worked a ton this summer…), I wanted to share some tenants that help me with work. I’ll start with these three. And share another three in my next post.

As I was writing this series, I realized that a few of them came from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I didn’t notice until now how much this book left an impression on me—two decades after reading it in college. I often refer to these mantras in business, but of course they can be applied to just about any facet of life.

Begin with the End in Mind
Don’t ask me about Excel or Physics 101, but one of my superpowers is synthesis. My brain naturally wants to zoom out, take in a lot of information, and connect the dots. Therefore, “Begin with the End in Mind” is fairly easy for me—but sometimes, when my anxiety is in overdrive or there’s a lot going on across my multiple roles (design, brand, marketing—which is often), it’s helpful to stop, pause, and remember the WHYs. Why and how does this ladder up to our brand goal or campaign objective?

At HART, we always kick off meetings with: “What is the purpose of this meeting?” It’s a simple but effective way to make sure everyone is aligned and avoid tangents. I also like to have every deck start with a GOAL slide: what are we trying to achieve here? Company-wide, we constantly remind employees of our bigger-picture vision. It’s funny—I used to think those posters in corporate offices showcasing goals and values were cheesy as hell. But now, I get it. I want a “Begin with the End in Mind” poster in our main conference room.

Be More Prepared Than You Think You Need to Be
Successful people naturally cross their Ts and dot their Is. How else are they rising above average? Not by being passive or doing the bare minimum. I’ve learned this lesson the hard way—I cannot trust myself to do great work on the fly.

My best results come when I’m prepared for every opportunity—good or bad. That means doing my homework. Before meeting someone for the first time, casual or formal, I Google them (in a professional way, not stalker way). I scope out their Instagram and LinkedIn. If it’s a potential brand collab, I study every bit of the brand's website and marketing (and founder bio) before our kick-off call. Research leads to connections, angles, and strategies that may not have otherwise come up.

It sounds obvious, but it surprises me how often people assume “they got it” and skip the homework. My theory: we now have instant access to infinite information on our phones, so people assume they know enough and can “wing it” — like their iPhone is an external brain cloud of data, ready to stream data at any moment.

Other ways this comes to life: prep for photoshoots (I plan every detail - mocking layouts in advance), and packing for work trips— curating feel-good, climate-appropriate outfits in advance is a must.

Being prepared leads to competence which leads to authentic confidence, which leads me to my next tenant.

(Authentic) Confidence is Key

This may sound a bit dick-ish, but the truth is that the vast majority of people enjoy being led (compassionately), being told what to do, and feeling like they’re in good hands with someone capable and kind. That’s why we’re drawn to confidence. Being on the receiving end of confidence lets you relax—you can let someone else drive.

That said, confidence does not equal competence, and there are plenty of talented bullshitters out there making bank. I see you, Madame Supplement Influencer!

Unfortunately, most people (myself included) don’t become truly confident until they’ve had some success. The success-confidence ratio is a fucked-up chicken-or-egg cycle that you have to break by faking it ‘til you make it—bit by bit. I’ve built up confidence over time by double-downing on what I’m naturally good at and recognizing my wins. For example, I think I’m a decent writer and enjoy doing it—hence Substack. I feel way more confident here than vlogging on YouTube or whatever.

I often think about this as a parent: one of my top duties as a mom is to nurture my girls’ confidence by finding out what they’re good at and supporting them to pursue to those things. And, of course, also sprinkling in some healthy doses of character-building experiences :)

Confidence isn’t really about what you already know. It’s trusting yourself to figure things out. That’s 99% of being an entrepreneur or business owner. Interestingly, that trait - the confidence in yourself to figure things out - is exactly what propels entrepreneurs to confidently wade into markets and territories that intimidate others. No risk, no reward.

One practical note: my oldest sister, Gervais Hagerty, is a writer, radio show host, and public speaking coach. I recently hired her to help me prepare (see above, no. 2!!!) for podcast interviews and public speaking. One big lesson I learned from her was to steer the conversation (not in a shady, evasive way!) so I can talk about the things I’m most confident about. When I talk about the things I truly know, it shows—and it draws people in.

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I hope this helps! Will you let me know your favorite tenant? And drop any of your own wisdom below - I’d love to learn from you!

P.S. I Hart This
I should probably branch out, but my go-to book genre is: enrapturing memoir about a horrific survival saga… preferably in a wild or extreme climate. Maybe I’ll write a Substack about my favorites, which will certainly include what I’m reading now: Papillon, the memoir of Henri Charrière, who in the 1930s was sentenced to life in a penal colony in French Guiana and spent years attempting daring escapes until he finally won his freedom. The true story (and very colorful… I’m a little skeptical in parts) reads like a fever dream.