Hey Contrarians,

Let us set the scene for you. A glass of single-malt by your side. A cozy blanket over the shoulders. Fire crackling. Snow falling. Cookies baking. Close your eyes and let that simmer.

Below, we’ve crafted one of history’s strangest holiday gift guides for business builders. Half of it isn’t even a gift guide, but we think it could make you rethink the very notion of giving “gifts” entirely…

🎯 Before we dive in, we have something cool to share.

Something we’ve never done before.

This Saturday (December 16th), Codie’s hosting an extensive, no-fluff crash course on buying profitable, small businesses.

This half-day, 100% live online event will be, by far, our most informative masterclass ever on biz-buying. It’s an incredible opportunity to start learning the ins and outs of it all.

Oh right, and it’s COMPLETELY FREE — but seats are limited and we anticipate they’ll get booked quickly.

Learn more and sign up here today.

Today in 5 minutes or less, you’ll learn:

✔️ The state of gifts (data you’ve probably never seen)

✔️ Contrarian gifts that keep on giving (from $120k to under $100)

✔️ One biz’s unconventional impact

The state of gifts (data you’ve probably never seen)

Just us, or have online gift guides gotten more and more and more… useless?

Oh look, not just us:

What’s driving this trend? Is it the rise of targeted Facebook ads, influencer marketing, and TikTok? Is it Google’s pages of mind-numbing SEO clickbait?

Probably an amalgamation of both, among other things.

Now consider this: we’re just over a week out from Christmas. ‘Tis the season for:

• Buying holiday decorations we’ll use once a year
  
  
• Food we’ll have to purchase a January gym membership to work off (it is what it is)
  
  
• Presents that other people largely don’t want or need

Meanwhile, prices have increased, so we’re going to spend more on all this than ever before.

Looking at both of these charts, the fact is that finding unique, actually good gifts has become both harder to accomplish and more expensive.

Today, we want to get your gears turning on ideas that will actually mean something.

Our framework for gift-giving borrows from a cliche you probably wrote off years ago:

We like gifts that keep on giving.

Think of it like an investment — the gifter pays money once, and the giftee gets to cash out dividends for years down the line.

Because we believe the best gifts aren’t “amber birch vanilla” scented and end up in the closet full of home goods we’ll never be using.

The best gifts work FOR the recipient.

Contrarian gifts that keep on giving (from $120k to under $100)

Running a business is a gift and a hell all in one. It takes a special breed.

Trying to get a gift for those who do this… might even be an even hotter hell. So our goal was to curate some things we can’t imagine we’d regret using.

We designed our list to be brief, with oddly specific objectives:

• Only things that won’t end up in the trash.
  
  
• Stuff with owners and builders in mind.
  
  
• You can’t Google and find it in a janky SEO article.
  
  
• It can improve… nasal hygiene.

Let us know if you actually make a move on any of the ideas below.

1. Power move: A business coach

Or heck, a coach of any kind.

Helping someone leverage an expert’s 10k hours? Talk about a powerful gift. Codie’s spent $120k on a biz coach. You certainly don’t have to pay somebody a G Wagon’s worth of money to consult you, but what we do recommend is this: go find that WHO.

You can either pay to develop your business, health, or mind with your limited hours on Earth (of which you can’t make any more), or you can strategically use somebody else’s. See if you can help someone out with the second option.

2. Level up: A tool for health

Nothing keeps on giving like an investment in your health.

Have someone in mind for your gift? Do they do a lot of sitting?

Consider getting them a standing desk, or an under-the-desk treadmill thingy (yes, we’ve tried these out and yes, we actually love them).

Another idea: Ladder offers a killer app for busy people who prioritize fitness and want access to some of the world’s best coaches. We cannot recommend it enough.

Are we biased? Yes, they’re one of our portfolio companies. Doesn’t matter — the thing’s incredible.

3. Know-how: An education with a purpose

Best case? Learning a new skill translates to a huge increase in income down the line.

Worst case? You learn something new. Which is always a rad thing to do.

Help your special someone think through what they’d like to learn and then contribute to the cause with a boot camp or an online course.

For the aspiring biz-buyers, we’ve got our small business buying course and our Contrarian Community Mastermind, but there’s so much else out there depending on your interests.

4. Why not: An on-demand satellite

Yes, we just said that.

Skyfi, a leading provider of Earth observation data, is another one of our portfolio companies. They’re empowering individuals and businesses with seamless access to near real-time visual insights.

In English: you can go on their website and order up a custom satellite image in a few clicks. It’s kinda ridiculous, in the best way.

This could be great for anyone from the nerds, to the creatives, to the romantics who want to capture a special place on a special day… from SPACE.

5. It’s a classic for a reason: A book

Unless it’s $50 and collects dust on an expensive coffee table, you can never go wrong with a book. Have you ever read a book that changed your life?

Imagine gifting that feeling to someone.

Need some ideas? Check out all the comments under Codie’s post, which is specifically about what books people like gifting the most.

6. Wild card: A…. Naväge?

This tweet from last year (back when we still called ‘em “tweets”) keeps on giving. The comments are a gold mine, but one stuck out… Why?

A) Because it’s from our very own CMO.

B) Because he answered with this:

Unexpected? Sure. Do we fully support it? Absolutely.

The gift of giving (one biz’s unconventional impact)

We wanted to share a super-brief story about one of our Contrarian Community members, Mike.

Mike’s working on an array of businesses, with a particular focus on vending machines.

Why are we telling you this?

Because sure, Mike generates an income from his work. But he’s found other ways to give.

(Small biz owners looking for ways to give, here’s some inspiration…)

Mike’s not just on a mission to build financial freedom. He’s on a mission to improve the health of Americans along the way. How does he do that?

By swapping out the usual vending machine crap for healthy alternatives.

It’s not easier for Mike to do that. Definitely not cheaper, either.

But it’s his way of having an unconventional impact while running a business.

It’s one way he’s giving back.

What do you truly value? What do you think would build a better world?

Mike answered that question with his business.

Why not gift THAT - the thing that you believe will make someone’s world better? Instead of dropping hundreds of dollars on a thing that only exists as a testament to consumerism?

Let’s build the bank account, free the mind, and make savage the body this holiday season, eh?

SO not boring...

🌲 Ever thought about buying a Christmas tree farm? You’ll want to read these threads…

✍️ Good or bad? How couples meet in the US, charted over decades.

🤣 Blackstone’s Taylor Swift-themed holiday video -- yes that exists...

✔️ What’d you think of this week’s newsletter? Hit reply to let us know!

✔️ Check out our Contrarian Community. Learn how to buy your first (or next) business with our expert guidance, support, and accountability.

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