The Propeller – Dad’s Day: Honor the Man Who Taught You Duct Tape Fixes Everything – 6-15-2025

I love being outdoors, especially hiking through wooded trails and exploring nature. But once the warmer months hit, there’s one thing I always keep in mind: tick season. From April through September, ticks are out in full force, and it’s worth taking a few extra precautions to protect yourself, your family, and your pets.

Here are a few tips I’ve picked up over the years:

Cover up smart
When I hike, I wear long sleeves and pants, preferably in light colors so ticks are easier to spot. It is also recommended to tuck your pants into my socks or boots, which feels a little silly but goes a long way in keeping ticks from finding their way to your ankles. You can also treat your hiking clothes with 0.5% permethrin spray, which helps repel ticks and other bugs.

Stick to the trail
As much as I like to explore off the beaten path, I try to stay in the center of the trail. Ticks tend to hang out in tall grass, leaves, and brushy areas, so avoiding those spaces lowers the risk of picking one up.

Don’t forget your pets
If you have dogs, check them thoroughly after every hike or trip outside. Even if they’re on a tick preventative, it’s still important to look them over, especially around the ears, neck, and paws. Cats and other pets should be checked too, and your vet can recommend the best tick protection for them.

Check everything and everyone
When I get back home, I make it a habit to check myself, my gear, and my clothes for ticks. You can toss your hiking clothes into the dryer on high heat for 15 minutes to kill any hidden hitchhikers. And yes, it’s a good idea to shower and do a full-body check, especially in those spots ticks love to hide.

Tidy up the yard
Even if you’re just hanging out at home, ticks can be lurking nearby. Try to keep your yard clear of leaf piles and tall grass, mow regularly, and use safe tick control treatments when needed. It’s a lot easier than finding one on your dog’s belly after a quick trip outside.

Bottom line: I’m not letting ticks keep me from doing what I love, but I am staying alert and taking the right steps to stay safe.

Let me ask you something: If your phone died for 72 hours… would your business still make money?

If the answer is no, then let’s be honest, you don’t own a business. You own a job.

And as entrepreneurs, we didn’t take the hard road just to become our own overworked, underpaid employees.

I’ve been there. Running full speed on the treadmill of busyness, calling it progress. The income might look decent, the title might sound impressive, but deep down, I knew I wasn’t free. I was just trapped in a fancier cage.

Being a business owner is hard. You carry the weight. You lose sleep. You wear every hat from sales to customer service to tech support. But somewhere in all that hustle, you have to make a shift, from doing everything to building something that works even when you’re not around.

Here are a few reflections that hit me square in the face over the years:

4 Thoughts to Reflect On

• Busyness isn’t freedom
  You can fill every hour, impress everyone with your hustle, and still be broke, exhausted, and one emergency away from it all falling apart.

• You’re the bottleneck
  If the business only runs when you’re involved, it doesn’t scale. And it won’t survive without you.

• You need systems, not superstardom
  It’s not about being the genius who has all the answers. It’s about building systems that produce results, even when you’re offline.

• Freedom shows up when you disappear
  If your business keeps running (and earning) while you rest, travel, or step away, you’ve built something real.

4 Lessons I’ve Learned the Hard Way

• Being the hero limits your growth
  Solving every problem feels good short term. But long term, it keeps you small.

• Every hour working in your business is one less hour building it
  Owners think ahead. Operators just survive the day.

• Freedom doesn’t come from more sales; it comes from less dependency on you
  The more you can hand off, the more you can grow.

• You don’t scale by grinding harder
  You scale by stepping back, rethinking, and acting like a builder—not just a worker.

4 Challenges for all of you entrepreneurs out there this week:

1. Track how many hours you spend in the business
   Be honest. Clarity starts with truth.

2. Pick one task you shouldn’t be doing, and delegate it today
   Yes, today. Don’t overthink it.

3. Take one afternoon completely off, no phone, no laptop
   Then pay attention to what breaks or stalls. That’s your next system to build.

4. Ask yourself: What would this look like if it ran without me?
   And start moving one step closer to that answer.

Entrepreneurship is tough. But being stuck in your own business is even tougher.  You deserve freedom, not just income. Build for that.

“Don’t you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead.”
Jeffrey R. Holland

This one’s for the days when you feel like giving up. Keep going, you’re not alone.

Rooting for you, 

This is re-published from the weekly email sent by Leonard Mack entitled The Propeller.  To subscribe, visit https://www.LeonardMack.com/subscribe and read it every Sunday evening.

This intellectual nourishment is intended for informational purposes only. One should not construe anything herein as being legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

My rule is this – I have no advice to give, only experience to share. I have no interest in being a guru or telling people what they should do. Rather, I share my own experience because there is no right or wrong. Your mileage may vary.