Nobody Talks About These Lessons When Launching Something New

“You want this open on the first day of class?”

It was days before Christmas. We’d just dropped our Airstream trailer onto the Texas A&M–Texarkana campus… and I wasn’t sure we could pull it off.

“Espresso machine delivery is three weeks out minimum,” our project manager said, adjusting his glasses.

Then the part that made my stomach drop: “And they won’t even schedule delivery unless plumbing and electric are finished… which I’m not sure they’ve even started.”

• The equipment wasn’t installed.

• The machine hadn’t shipped.

• And the holidays were about to wipe out a week of progress.

  
  

I took a long pull from a 16oz cold brew, realizing caffeine was no longer carrying the stimulating effect I needed to make this work.

This project had been on my plate since the first day I came on board with Local Habit. My first big mission? Get this thing open, swiftly and successfully.

Yet here we were, nearly a year later, being told the deadlines were… flexible.

“What do we have to do to make this happen?” I sounded more hopeful than confident, but at that point, who’s judging?

“I’ll make a few calls and see what we can do,” he said, not easing my nerves. “But I wouldn’t hold my breath for January 12th.”

This week… We finally opened.

Not because everything was perfect → but because we let go of a number on the calendar and started chasing what needed to be done right.

From the outside, opening a new location looks fun. On the inside, it looks like 100 phone calls, 3 backup plans, and half your day asking: “Who is Chris, and is he the one who fixes plumbing?”

Here are 3 leadership lessons I’m taking with me. Whether you’re launching a new location, a new initiative, or a new season, maybe you’ll find value in them as well.

1. Collaboration without communication means no compensation

With projects this big, you’re required to work with a wide group of vendors, mechanics, university administrators, and employees. If one of these pieces goes missing, the entire project feels it.

One morning, I arrived on the job site eager to receive the new airstream being dropped in place.

To my surprise, it was already there.

Also, to my surprise… it wasn’t in the right place.

Nobody asked. Nobody confirmed. Everyone assumed.

And lack of communication quickly grows into frustration.

But the problem wasn’t everyone else… it was me.

Had I set clear expectations early and communicated them clearly? No.

Was I properly connected to the right people before I needed to be? No.

Had I accidentally blocked an important contact on my phone who I needed to be in constant communication with?... Regrettably, yes.

Research consistently shows teams perform better when people have clarity of roles, expectations, and feel safe speaking up early, before issues become expensive.

And sometimes communication is about having the hard conversations.

This is exactly what we cover in my workshop on Intentional Leadership when we discuss the 3 C’s:

1. Clarity - Having clear objectives and goals early on.

2. Connection – Developing a greater rapport with the ones you’re working with.

3. Consistency – Not doing this once, but making it a part of who you are.

Communication issues never magically disappear as we develop; they just get more expensive. Which is why we must always control our end of the line as best we can.

Stay persistent.

Communicate clearly and effectively.

And do your best not to block the key contact.

2. Deadlines aren’t arbitrary; false expectations are

Remember that first day of class opening goal?

Yeah, that totally didn’t happen.

The decision came on late Thursday night…

“There’s no way we can make this work…” Our manager was right. Opening with this many gaps wasn’t just a hiccup; it could be damaging.

“Can I have a cup of coffee?”

“Sorry, not yet.”

That’s not an opening; that’s a “reputation-destroyer.”

“Let’s do this instead…” I conjured, “Let’s delay the Grand Opening for a week, but we can have a soft opening next week to slowly roll out our menu, work through any kinks, and finish finalizing all the moving parts.”

“Good call,” my manager agrees, “It’ll also give us a better chance to promote the Grand Opening and hype it up!”

A wave of relief washed over me...

Deadlines are essential when it comes to leadership.

“A goal without a deadline is just a wish.”

The problem with deadlines is when you’ve done everything you can and still can’t make it happen, yet you cling to it anyway.

Behavioral Research shows people consistently underestimate complexity and overestimate control. This is what’s known as the “Planning Fallacy.”

The truth is: There are so many moving parts with projects to this scale that it’s often impossible for everything to go according to plan.

The vendors have other clients to serve.

The employees may experience illnesses.

The weather is going to do what it’s going to do.

The principle is: Control what you can

→ And remain flexible on what you can’t.

Instead of obsessing over WHEN this will get done,

Focus on WHAT has to go right for this to happen?

The extra week gave us exactly what we needed to:

• Install new systems

• Develop a strong workflow

• And generate some real attention

 3. Attention isn’t built on perfection; it’s built through momentum.

 I thought people would show up because we were polished, perfect, and prepared.

But really, they showed up because… something new was happening!

• “Are you guys open yet?”

• “What are your hours?”

• And my favorite: “Are you guys staying here forever???”

The buzz didn’t come from everything being flawless or viral marketing…

 It came from this sentence: “Did you guys hear Local Habit is on campus now?”

 And that changed everything.

Oftentimes, we feel we need to have everything perfect, polished, and in place before people begin to care, but the alternative is closer to the truth.

People don’t respond to perfection; they respond to movement.

When they see something new,

• It generates change

• It sparks conversation

• It gets people excited!

 And movement always starts with one thing: A DECISION.

This is why making decisions quickly is one of the strongest markers of a great leader.

Once a decision is made, you can move, shift, and pivot.

And that does so much more than standing still, contemplating the perfect move.

I’ve seen this with events, books, and building a personal brand.

Yet, I’m still trying to grasp it:

 Momentum builds trust.

First within the team →

Then within the brand →

And, finally, into the world.

As leaders, we can’t wait for perfect conditions.

We just have to move forward and let the momentum speak for itself.

The Good News: We are officially open

Coffee is flowing, and…

We found out who Chris was!

Be sure to stop by for some coffee if you’re on campus!

My team and I are extremely grateful to have the opportunity to serve students and staff on the Texas A&M – Texarkana campus. We look forward to the events, the exams, and the memories that will be made with our fellow eagles.

We are happy to fuel:

Big Thinkers

Big Dreamers

Big Doers.

Soar Leaders. Soar Eagles.

Now, let’s go make something good happen.

What are your thoughts? Have you experienced any of these lessons yourself?

Let’s make moves,

-Chase

By the way… If you are looking for someone to come speak to your students on taking ownership, working together as a team, and other leadership lessons, I’d love to add my experience to theirs. Let’s talk about how I can serve your student leaders in 2026. I’ll bring the coffee!

Book a call here!