I worked at Costco for 11 years — long before I started writing or teaching about productivity. It was where I learned how people and processes fit together. It’s also where I first met Jim Sinegal, the company’s co-founder.
When he visited our warehouse, I was running both the Food Court and Service Deli. I even served him a hot dog and a soda once. But what stuck with me wasn’t that moment — it was what he said over and over again about how Costco stayed successful: be nimble.
“We want to always try to stay in that position, in that posture. To be very adroit and very nimble, and able to react quickly and stay ahead of the competition.”
That line never left me. Years later, as I built my business and shaped what became TimeCrafting (which is expanded on in my book, The Productivity Diet), I realized that nimbleness isn’t just good for retail — it’s essential for life.
Being nimble lets you shift your attention without losing your intention. It’s what allows structure and flexibility to coexist.
That’s the lesson I unpack in the short video below — and it’s one I still live by.
If you’d like to read the fuller story, including how I applied Sinegal’s words during one of the most uncertain stretches of my career, you can find it here.
