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Most leaders don't stall because they've run out of talent or opportunity. They stall because they've run out of brutally honest pressure. Your inner circle, it's either multiplying your momentum or it's quietly capping it. And here's the part that nobody likes to say out loud. The people who helped you build your last chapter, they're not always built for your next one. By the end of this episode, you're going to know exactly how to upgrade your inner circle without blowing up relationships, creating drama, carrying all that guilt. You're going to leave with a clear, repeatable system to choose the right people to shape your next level. Welcome back to business bourbon and cigars. This is the show where we don't dance around the hard conversations. You know, we get straight into what actually moves leaders, businesses, and lives forward. I'm Scott Joseph. I have spent my entire career building companies and scaling teams, sitting in rooms that change my entire trajectory. And I've also stayed in rooms that have really slowed me down. You know, Me Plus Ultra. It exists because I've lived both sides of this. I've seen what happens when your inner circle becomes your ceiling, and what happens when you finally step into a room that raises the standard. So here's a quick roadmap for today's episode. We're going to get honest about who's in your circle and what seat they actually belong in. You'll learn the exact sign someone should no longer be in your core. I'll show you the principles for upgrading your circle without conflict, and we'll design what a next level inner circle actually looks like. Then we'll close with a simple action that you can take this week to start that upgrade. You know, a lot of you have heard me talk about this, but I'm a loyalty guy, almost to a fault. You know, I hold on to people. I've had friends and colleagues who've been with me, you know, when everything was uphill. But loyally, it has a dark side that no one likes to talk about. It can become a lid. Now, I remember a season where every time I shared a win, I found myself just kind of shrinking the story a little bit so people wouldn't feel threatened. You know, I'd walk away from conversations. I don't know if you've ever done this, but you walk away from conversation where you just feel exhausted when you should feel energized. You know, I started defending my goals instead of sharpening them. And that's when I kind of realized something. I'll Never forget gratitude for your past. It doesn't require sacrificing your future. There's a huge difference between honoring where you came from and letting it dictate where you're allowed to go next. That was the moment that I realized I need a smaller core and a better room. And when I did literally everything in my life. Accelerated business relationships, clarity, peace. But the key is to never burn bridges with the people that you care about. You have to reassign the seats, and I'm going to show you how to do this. It. I'm going to do it and show it in five steps. You know, how you can upgrade your inner circle without burning bridges. And this is where we're going to get tactical. Not fluffy, not theoretical. Real moves you can make today. You know, the first step is you got to get honest about who's in what seat. You know, most leaders, they make a fatal mistake. They treat every relationship like it should function the same way. And that's how you end up, you know, disappointed, drained, plateaued. You should be using structure that puts people in one of three circles. You've got your core circle, right? Inner circle. These people get unfiltered access. These should be people who, you know, sharpen your thinking. They ask the uncomfortable questions. They want your growth as much as you do. And they're the type of people who normalize the next level for you so it doesn't feel weird, so you don't shift back into your comfort zone. And then that next circle would be the collaborators, right? This circle is going to include your strategic partners, the people you build with, people you refer, challenge you create some momentum with. And then the outer circle, the largest circle, would be your community circle. This circle is going to include your friends, your neighbors, people you enjoy, but they shouldn't be influencing your biggest decisions. You know, the upgrade isn't about cutting people out. It's about seating them correctly. And 99% of leaders get stuck because someone who belongs in community is sitting in their core circle. Step two. You have to recognize the signs when it's time to reseed someone. And there's some indicators to this, and I want you to treat these almost like dashboard alerts. You know, think about all the times you. You leave conversations defending your goals instead of sharpening them. Maybe your growth makes them sarcastic, competitive, uncomfortable. You can just sense it. They keep pulling you back into patterns that you've outgrown. You edit yourself because they can't handle your next chapter if two or more of those are true. They don't belong in your core, no matter how long you've known them. This doesn't mean you stop caring. It means you stop giving them the influence over the decisions that define your future. Third step, you got to upgrade without the drama. There's four principles that actually work, you know, make this a little easier for you. You got to adjust the access, not the affection. It's not about who matters, it's about who gets access to your limited time and your energy, your decision making power. Those have got to be strategic assets. The second principle is, you know, be honest instead of slowly fading out of relationships. Ghosting, it's easy, but it's weak. A short, respectful explanation is going to protect the relationship. It's also going to help you avoid resentment. There's an effective way that you can articulate this in a respectful way. Obviously, got to put this into your own voice. But you might say something like, you know, I'm in a season where I have to be extremely intentional about who I process my biggest decisions with. That doesn't change our history. It just changes how I'm structuring my time. You know, that's clean, it's mature, it's respectful. Have you ever felt like no matter how hard you work, your business isn't moving forward? You're juggling tasks, trying new strategies, maybe you're pushing your team, but the growth you know is possible still feels like it's just out of reach. You're frustrated, exhausted. You feel like all you're doing is spinning your wheels. Limitless growth is your roadmap to break free from that cycle. This is a free e book that gives you actionable strategies and real world examples to overcoming scaling hurdles. Clarify your priorities and gain the momentum you need. You'll learn how to stop working harder for the same results and start making real progress in your business, your leadership, and your Life. Head to me+Ultra.com/growth so you can download Limitless growth and take control of your growth today. The third principle to upgrading without drama. You gotta own the shift. Don't make it about them. Don't sit there and say, you know, you've been negative. You don't support me. You don't get it. No, own it. And you can do that by saying something very simple. You know, just honesty, transparency, Right? I'm operating at a different level now and I need to match the inputs to the outcomes that I'm responsible for. You take responsibility, avoid blaming them. I want you to think about this for a second. How many of you run a business you Got mid level managers under you and you've got a directive, you want something done, they go back to their team and rather than saying, all right, guys, this is what we're going to do, this is why we're doing it, they sit there and say, guys, I hear what you're saying, but the president, the boss wants it done this way. Awful management, own it, don't blame. And then you gotta make sure you upgrade or move people in these seats before the breaking point. I used to make this mistake a lot early on in my career. I kept people in circles they didn't belong for way too long because I didn't want the uncomfortable conversation, you know, and then finally something would happen, it'd be the last straw, I had enough and I end up burning a bridge. You know, if you wait until after crisis, emotions run the whole show. And I learned this the hard way. You don't have to, because I'm going to give you this framework. Run quarterly audits so this becomes normal, not reactive. So so far I've given you step one, which was get honest about who's in what seat. The second step, you have to recognize the signs when it's time to reseat someone. The third step, upgrading without all the drama. And I gave you those four principles that actually work and make it possible to do that, right? So now let's move into step four, which is what to say when you're leaving. A room that you've outgrown could be a mastermind, it could be a business group, a peer circle, you know, so anything you've outpaced, any room you've outpaced, I should say. This is a simple structure. And that starts with, first you got to acknowledge the value. This group has been important for me, especially earlier in my journey. Put in your voice, then state your new reality. My goals right now require tighter alignment, more accountability. Make sure you reframe this as respect. You know, rather than stay half engaged, I'd rather step out so I don't take away from the group. If someone comes back to you and says, you know, you've changed, simple way to handle it, and here's your line, adjust to you. Yeah, I have changed. Growth requires it. I'm not competing with anyone in this room. I'm competing with the previous version of myself. Their response or reaction to that will tell you everything. And then finally, step five, how to build your next level. Inner circle, that core circle. And it starts with the right room. And the right room has a few unmistakable traits. First off, the standard is higher than yours. And that's how you're going to rise. The conversations move from theory, you know, to owners and dates. Next steps. Wins are going to be celebrated. Excuses are exposed. The people in the right room, they care more about what you're building next than your highlight reel. Your circle, it has to include people that are ahead of you, right? People that are going to normalize that next level. You also want peers running at your pace that keeps you honest. And then you want people in that room that you can help develop force, clarity and leadership on them. And when you get this mix right, your pace no longer feels extreme, it feels normal. And that's when growth stops being forced and it starts being more natural. Your inner circle, it's not a friendship list. It's an infrastructure. So, as we say all this, if you're tired of feeling stuck, you know, like you've been putting in countless hours, but you're still not seeing the breakthroughs that you deserve. I have something that I think can help all of you. It's limitless growth. It's free ebook. It's designed to help you break free of the frustration. It gives you the tools to overcome obstacles, avoiding that painful cycle of stagnation so you can start unlocking your true potential within your life and your business. It's going to give you some practical, proven strategies. You'll finally take the steps needed to achieve the success and freedom that you've been chasing. Just click the link in the show notes or you can visit meplusaltra. Com Growth and you can download it. Now. It is free to you, but it's going to give you the tools necessary to install it so you can start transforming your life with actionable insights today. That's meplusultra.com growth. Cheers everyone.