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MAKING HEADWAY

BY RICH FARRELLY

Credit: Me. The farm at Rupanyup, Victoria. Australia

Sunday, March 2nd, 2025

Hello Allspice!!

I have had a draft of this letter open in my tabs for a few weeks now. It was open when I travelled to Queensland, Torquay and Canberra and haunted many cafes in all of these places. 

I tend to have very little internal structure. But I'm trying the focus thing from my what's in and what's out list for 2025. 

As a mostly freelance human with a never-ending list of projects and ideas, my to-do list is basically a pinball machine of “looking up stuff for my clients, do client work, think about putting stuff on social media, a few emails, practice Duolingo, my letter to you, write stuff, meet clients, think about a podcast, listen to a podcast, go down rabbit hole, read more non-fiction” - all crammed into “the next indefinite period of time.” 

The machine that is my brain is one micromovement away from flashing TILT.

The scope? Vast. Unmanageable. “The next indefinite period of time” is … 

A five-day week is a relative hypothetical for me. So, I need to start thinking about "How many blocks of time do I have?" I'm working on that, so let me start now - with you.

On this cloudy Melbourne Sunday afternoon, I give my focus to you. 

* * *

February certainly raced by like a Red Bull stunt plane - I lost control at the start but managed to wrestle it back toward the end. How was it for you? 

Personally, I’m glad it’s over because at least now I’m out of the woods when it comes to spelling February. That rogue ‘r’ gets me nearly every time.

February included book club. We read Kingmaker which was nominated by a very good friend of the book club (and many other people) Nina Muhleisen. 

I recommend connecting with Nina, she's ace. Taking a little wisdom from one of the greatest philosophers of our time, Kenny Rogers, Nina knows when to hold 'em, knows when to fold 'em, knows when to walk away, knows when to run. She also married in February and had of a ripper wedding - event of the year type stuff.

I love my book club for many reasons, the sense of community, the wide array of books that we have covered since it kicked off in 2019, the location at Melbourne University all contribute to something special. I always scoot away with my cup filled.

Strangely enough, before joining book club, I rarely read books - which is ironic, given that my mum was a librarian.

* * *

And sometimes your cup runneth over....

I was reading about the Brooks family from Fargo, North Dakota. They have a love for the US restaurant chain Applebee's which they took to a whole new level.

In early 2024 they snagged the Applebee’s 'Date Night' Pass, giving them 52 discounted meals over the year. It kinda makes you think the US glossed over the finer print of the memo explaining Date Night .  

Determined to get their money’s worth (over $1,500USD in savings - which is, like, a gazzilion Australian dollars!), they embarked on a culinary road trip, hitting up locations across three states, including the bright lights of Times Square Applebee’s (they were visiting NYC, they didn't drive 25 hours just for a half rack of double-glazed baby back ribs).

To keep things spicy (literally and figuratively), they experimented with different menu options, although Bill Brooks had to get a little creative after starting a diet - because nothing says commitment like eating at the same place 52 times and still losing over 20 kgs. 

As they approached the deadline, they realised they were falling behind and had to squeeze in multiple Applebee’s visits per week - yes, you can have too much of a good thing.

Along the way, they spread the Applebee’s gospel to friends and family, showing up at gatherings with takeout like devoted disciples of the Bourbon Street Chicken. 

Emily Brooks took things even further, gifting Applebee’s gift cards - because nothing says “I love you” like encouraging your loved ones to eat at half-price. 

After an entire year of Applebee’s, they admitted they’d do it all over again - just maybe with a little less urgency (and perhaps an occasional meal not from a chain restaurant).

* * *

Speaking of community.....

In my last letter, I mentioned my goal-setting group - which is exactly what it is. The real name, The Conspiracy, always feels a little awkward to explain. I once mentioned it to someone, and their confusion was immediate, so I defaulted to the more generic goal-setting group. If you’re curious about the full story, you can check it out here.

We focus on our Worthy Goals - the ones that are thrilling, daunting, and important. This newsletter exists because of my Chapter group. They give me more than a nudge, it is the extra shove they give me that drives me along.

My goal? To be known more for my ‘from’ line than my subject line.
Big, I know. I had to sit with it for a while.

• It’s thrilling because the thought of growing my business excites me.
• It’s daunting because I have to put myself out there and make things happen - remember, hope is not a strategy.
• It’s important because I want to give more to the world than I take. That means sharing more thoughts, insights, and research - not just for the sake of it, but in the hope of helping people become better leaders and, well, better humans.

* * *

Ok, now to the picture of the wheat at the top.

Farming is not in my blood. I married into it. I am city born and bred, and when it comes to farming, it shows. I didn't know the difference between a crop and a harvest (hint: the picture of the wheat is a crop) before I met my wife. To me, there is a magic to farming that farmers themselves are too humble to admit. 

I was talking to my father-in-law a while ago about his farming and how it has changed over the years. When we travel together, we are always sure to take the backroads to see the farmland, crops and the types of soil an area has. 

There have been a few different types of farming and while I love my little knack of finding tenuous, weak or inherently vague connections to things and then tying them to leadership, someone else has done the heavy lifting here, but here's my take on it.

I bet your dying to know what the four different types of leadership are. Well, the wait is now over.

Exploit: Strip Everything, Get Quick Results, and Leave a Mess

Some farmers push the land hard - chasing big yields without giving anything back. It works for a while, but eventually, the soil is wrecked. This is exploitative leadership - leaders who burn out teams, cut corners, and prioritise short-term wins over sustainability. 

Deplete: Slowly Exhausting Resources Without Realising

Depletive farming isn’t outright destructive, but it slowly drains the land - planting the same crops year after year without replenishing nutrients. Leaders do this too, unintentionally wearing down teams through stagnation, overwork, or a lack of vision. 

Sustain: Keeping Things Stable, But Not Improving

Sustaining farmers take care of their land, keeping it healthy but not necessarily improving it. Likewise, sustaining leaders prevent decline and keep things running but may resist change. Sustainable leadership is better than decline, but it’s not growth.

Regenerate: Investing in Growth for the Long Haul

Regenerative farming enriches the soil - cover crops, biodiversity, and smarter land use make it healthier over time. Regenerative leaders do the same, investing in people, innovation, and long-term impact. 

So, What Kind of Leader Are You?

Do you exploit, deplete, sustain, or regenerate? Leadership, like farming, is about stewardship - taking care of what’s in your hands so it can thrive long after you’re gone. Because in farming, as in leadership, what you sow is what you reap.

Why Are Mobsters Always Catholic?
Ever noticed that in The Godfather, The Sopranos, or The Irishman, mobsters aren’t just criminals - they’re also deeply Catholic? It’s not just for dramatic effect. There’s a reason behind all those confessions, baptisms, and candle-lit prayers.

Part of it comes down to The Hays Code, Hollywood’s old-school censorship rules (from the 1930s to the late '60s). It dictated that criminals in films couldn’t be glorified - they had to be punished or show remorse. Enter Catholicism. Giving mobsters a deep sense of guilt (or at least the illusion of redemption) was a clever way to make their actions feel morally complex rather than outright celebratory.

Beyond that, faith isn’t just about belief - it’s about identity. Many mob characters come from Irish and Italian communities where Catholicism is part of everyday life. So even while they’re running rackets and settling scores, they still cling to their religious rituals. It’s a fascinating contradiction: brutal violence on one hand, the search for forgiveness on the other.

And then there’s confession - the ultimate loophole. These characters do terrible things, but as long as they can step into a church, whisper their sins, and say a few Hail Marys, they can tell themselves they’re not really bad people. It’s moral compartmentalisation at its finest.

Of course, this isn’t just about mobsters - it’s a pretty human thing. We all justify our contradictions in some way. But in mob movies, it makes for some of the most compelling storytelling - where faith and morality aren’t black and white, but a messy, complicated grey.

Guest Post

I am trying this idea of a 'Guest Post'

(To be honest, no one has taken me up on this yet. I'll keep trying)

We all have something we have crafted or created, or an idea we are toying with, so if you are keen to take it for a test drive or push whatever it is you have to say a little further, let me know and I can include the whole thing or a link to it. It does not have to be polished. Even a photo on a napkin will be enough. Who knows who you will touch. For the avoidance of doubt, all the creative juices remain with you. I am just giving you a platform to tease them out and maybe get feedback.

I like to think we are all little cheer squads for each other in this world and our default position is that we all want each other to succeed in business and in life, so feedback and ideas are always welcome. I know it is coming from a good place. I am even open to a ‘letter to the editor’, if you are inspired to write.

Thanks for reading this far. I can close the tab now.

Write to you next month.

Rich

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