Leadership and Business Growth

“E aí! Beleza?”

That’s how I greeted the flight attendant as I boarded my flight to Portugal with my brother Barrett.

She paused, then asked in Portuguese, “Are you Brazilian?”

I smiled and replied—in Brazilian Portuguese—“Nope, I’m American.”

She raised an eyebrow.

I added, “But I lived in Brazil for two years.”

“Ahhh,” she said, “that explains it. You sound Brazilian.”

Now, on the surface, that was a compliment.

But underneath?

It was a masterclass in leadership.

Here’s the Lesson: Your environment shapes your identity faster than you think.

With one sentence, she picked up that I wasn’t from Portugal.

Why?

Because Brazilians and Portuguese speak the same language, but they sound totally different.

Same words. Different cadence. Different energy. Different culture.

It’s just like how American English doesn’t sound like Scottish English.

(Side note: Brazilian sounds much prettier.)

I digress, but here’s the deeper insight:

Language, leadership, confidence—none of it comes from what you know.

It comes from what you absorb.

From whom you around.

From what you hear on repeat.

From what you see modeled every day.

When I lived in Brazil, I didn’t learn the language in a classroom.

I learned it in conversations. At dinner tables. On the street. Through repetition.

Repetition creates rhythm. Rhythm creates identity.

And that’s exactly how leadership works.

If you want to…

• Think bigger → hang out with visionaries
• Get stronger → train with the fit
• Lead deeper → surround yourself with leaders
• Build wealth → break bread with those who’ve built it

You will repeat your environment.

That’s the rule. And there are no exceptions.

Because like water shaping rock…

Your environment will shape you—whether you know it or not.

So your challenge is simple:

Audit your environment.

Then choose to upgrade it.

Because if you want next-level leadership…

You need a next-level circle.

Let’s get after it.

-Coach Bryce

Last week, a good friend and teammate shot me a message:

“Bryce, you’re the king of visibility. Thank you, I really appreciate it.”

It was kind and appreciated.

But let me be clear—visibility isn’t about ego.

It’s about leadership.

Yes, my team probably cringes at how much I communicate at times.

But I’d rather overcommunicate and annoy than under-communicate and crash into an iceberg no one saw coming.

Here’s the metaphor I live by:

I’m the captain of our ship. 

I stand up top with binoculars, scanning the horizon. 

My team works hard below deck, moving us forward. 

It’s my job to communicate what’s coming early and often.

Not because I need the spotlight.

Because without visibility, teams drift. 

Frustration festers. 

And eventually, ships sink.

So here’s your leadership lesson:

We don’t live in a perfect world. 

There is no “perfect” amount of communication. 

It’s always too much or too little.

When in doubt:

Lean in. 

Communicate what’s happening.

Share the vision.

You might annoy a few people in the moment.

But they’ll thank you when they see the shore.

Today is your reminder to be the King/Queen of visibility to your team!

I just returned from two back-to-back trips:

✔️ Co-leading our Fit Body Mastermind Workshop in Boston

✔️ Then a 7-day adventure to the Azores in Portugal

There were plenty of highlight-reel moments—those wins we love to celebrate. But I want to pull back the curtain and share the “unglamorous” part of it that no one shares on Instagram.

• No gym
• Red-eye flights
• Spotty internet
• A cold, damp Airbnb
• Stray cats galore
• Relentless rain

Sounds glamorous, right?

But here’s the leadership truth:

Travel like this forces you to lead yourself.

It removes comfort.

It demands adaptability.

It trains resilience.

That’s the lesson.

Leadership isn’t forged in the perfect environment. It’s sharpened in the mess.

In the unpredictable.

In the uncomfortable.

And just like business, if you’re only “in it” when conditions are ideal, you’ll break under pressure.

So I use travel as a tool.

Not for rest.

For resilience.

As Anthony Bourdain once said:

“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.”

So here’s your leadership lesson and challenge today:

Where can you stretch yourself this week?

That discomfort you’re avoiding.

That’s where the growth is.

Let’s lean in.

In life—and in leadership—it’s not the strongest that thrive.

It’s the most adaptable.

Darwin proved it. Life tests it. And leadership demands it.

Which brings me to Pope Leo’s 4th leadership lesson, given that he modeled this life approach. 

His story isn’t just global—it’s gritty.

He spent his first 30 years in North America. Then invested the next few decades across South America and Europe.

That’s not tourism. That’s transformation.

Because leadership isn’t just about tools and tactics—it’s about perspective.

And perspective is earned through discomfort.

Through fumbling in a foreign language. Through navigating customs, cultures, and conversations that stretch your understanding of the world—and yourself.

You see, the same leadership challenge can carry multiple truths, depending on the lens you use. Travel sharpens that lens.

It humbles you and builds confidence. 

A dichotomy?  

Absolutely!

But it’s also a prescription.

That’s why I challenge myself to explore a new culture or country every year. Not for the passport stamp. 

For the perspective.

Is it uncomfortable? Yes.

Is it worth it? Always.

Because discomfort develops your leadership muscles.

It teaches adaptability. Builds resilience. Fuels creativity.

Lesson #4 from Pope Leo is this:

Get uncomfortable on purpose.

Put yourself in new environments.

Challenge your perspective.

Lead with more humility, strength, and vision.

The world is the ultimate leadership classroom—if you’re willing to sit in the front row.

Let’s talk about the power of curiosity—and how it creates connection.

Pope Leo XIV, the first American Pope, speaks five languages fluently.

That’s right—five.

Meanwhile, some days I struggle with just English. (Kidding… mostly.)

But jokes aside, there’s a leadership lesson here.

Yes, language is a practical tool. With English and Spanish, Pope Leo can speak to the masses. With Italian, he connects deeply with the Vatican.

But beyond utility? It signals something far more powerful: curiosity and care.

This hit home for me while living in Brazil and throughout my world travels. Even saying just one phrase in someone’s native language, like “thank you,” can light them up.

Brazilians & Filipinos lose their mind! 🙂

Why? Because it shows effort. It shows you’re curious. It shows you care.

It reminds me of a classic Zig Ziglar quote:

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

That’s what curiosity does—it creates influence.

So here’s today’s challenge:

Take the trip.

Get uncomfortable.

Learn “thank you” in five new languages.

Use it. Often.

Do that, and like Pope Leo, you won’t just connect. You’ll lead.

I am here today with the 2nd Leadership lesson from the first American Pope Leo XIV, which is:

Lead with Empathy vs. the Ivory Tower.

This is a dichotomy of leadership. 

As a leader, you have to be on top and in front, casting vision and leading your people far into the horizon. 

While that’s true and at the same time.

You must get in the trenches to build relationships, connect with, and listen to your people’s feedback and needs. 

Pope Leo XIV has lived his life in this manner.

He has plenty of leadership training in his first 3 decades of life in the States. However, in his early 30’s, he went off on a mission and lived in both Peru and Italy for decades.

In fact, the people of Peru claim them to be their own, which is a testament to their connection and his impact. 

Today’s lesson:

Connect with your team on a human and personal level.

You have to have a big vision as a leader! 

Just never forget to lead with empathy and get down from your ivory tower to be present in the service of your people.

I’m still in amazement of the first American Pope. 

In fact, I just recorded a podcast episode with a little more backstory to put some context on my amazement. 

In the episode, which is pending release.

I delivered 5 lessons Ive learned from Pope Leo XIV, who is now the spiritual leader for 1.4+ billion catholics on the planet.

Looking ahead, I will break them apart for our weekly lessons.

For today’s first lesson?

1. Leaders are trailblazers. They break the mold into uncharted territory.

By definition, leaders lead.

To provide another example that happened 71 years ago, when Roger Banister broke the 4-minute mile. Up until that point, it was deemed impossible for the human body to run at that pace.

Well, it was impossible until May 6, 1954, when Banister did it. 

The wild part?

Within 24 months, another 5 people accomplished the same feat. 

Given the nature and rarity of the papacy, no one knows if there will be another American Pope.

However, one thing is for certain: I had believed there never would be one, along with many American-based Catholics.

This was reinforced in my youth by my grandma, a devout Catholic, and the priests at the church where I served as an altar boy 30 years ago.

Well, it was impossible until May 8, 2025 when we watched Pope XIV, born and raised in Chicago, get anointed.

Given his impressive accomplishments, it seams to be well deserved. In hindsight, maybe not that big of a surprise.

Just remember: Leaders are trailblazers. They break the mold into uncharted territory.

Humility is a characteristic of strong leadership that attracts.

The world saw this on full display last Thursday, when Pope Leo XIV, the first American Pope and “Bob” to his family/friends, initially greeted the world in both Italian and Spanish.

He is fluent in both languages, which is beyond impressive to me, despite speaking American English natively.

However, by addressing the world in this way at the onset of his papacy, it was a gesture to humanity.

Without using the words, he said, “You first, then me”.

That is humility at its finest.

It’s also strong leadership.

Just remember, good leadership requires humility.

One critical and challenging part of leadership is managing communication with your team.

The higher levels of leadership you go, the more bad news you receive.

Why?

The leader of every department or company is tasked with solving the biggest constraint of the department or organization.

What’s better?

Leadership is an ongoing process of solving the biggest, messiest problems.

With this responsibility, the hard truth is that you often encounter unpleasant news.

The best part?

The bigger the responsibility, the more frequent and heavy the news you receive.

So my message and lesson today are this:

When bad news that will affect your team and clients hits your door.

You must provide proper visibility so the concern is transparent.

Your people deserve this.

At the same time, you must ensure your communication is steady and not frantic. It should include a few proposed solutions along with a solution-oriented feedback request to build trust. 

This way, you show light (as there’s always light) and collaboration (to increase the probability of identifying the best solution) despite the darkness.

This is very hard and both an art and a science of leadership.

Just remember: Good leadership requires strong communication management.