Why Clichés Work: Time-Tested Wisdom on Action, Time, Luck & Fortune

We discuss why clichés, though often dismissed as lazy or cheesy, endure because they’re time-tested phrases of wisdom, distinct from corporate buzzwords.

We unpack favorite examples focused on urgency and action:

“time is money”

“actions speak louder than words”

“strike while the iron’s hot”

“the early bird gets the worm”

“put your money where your mouth is”

“less is more/keep it simple”

Then we shift to relationships and character:

“you get more with honey than vinegar”

“what goes around comes around” the golden rule,

“show me your friends, I’ll show you your future”.

We connect clichés to luck versus fortune, arguing you can “create your own luck” by staying in motion and taking aligned action, citing “the harder I work, the luckier I get,” while warning about busyness, sunk costs, and when to change direction.

We close with long-term perspective:

“Rome wasn’t built in a day” and risk-taking

“fortune favors the bold”

Plus the French printing-press origin of the word “cliché.

”00:00 Why Cliches Matter

02:50 Time Is Money

03:45 Action Over Talk

04:58 Oglesby Boot Camp Lessons

06:17 Seize The Moment

07:25 Early Bird Advantage

11:23 Honey Over Vinegar

12:41 Karma And The Golden Rule

14:47 Friends Shape Your Future

16:16 Less Is More

16:42 Create Your Own Luck

20:00 Hard Work Vs Busy Work

22:32 Fortune Favors The Bold

23:49 Where Cliche Comes From

Follow the SuccessFlow Podcast on ⁠Instagram⁠: @successflowpodcastTo connect with Steven and ways he can help:⁠Founder/Creator: ⁠www.oppoflowmindset.com⁠ Small Business Payroll - PHX Franchise Owner: ⁠www.journeypayrollhr.com⁠ Instagram: @steven.oppo.flowTo connect with Phil and contact directly: ⁠https://phillipcrawford.com/⁠ X: ⁠https://twitter.com/PhillipCrawford⁠ Instagram: @flowstatecrawfordAcknowledgements:The Intro and Outro Music credit to Holden Peyton.

This podcast episode is produced and published by Dolphin Podcasting, LLC. Launch your podcast today at ⁠www.DolphinPodcasting.com

In a face-to-face interview, the Steven reflects on learning responsibility and adaptability through service work at Oregano’s, arguing hospitality should be a rite of passage because it builds confidence with strangers and sales skills. He describes moving from ASU to ITT Tech for computer drafting, working in AutoCAD at Fitch, and realizing the “CAD monkey” desk life lacked the people-focused creativity he wanted. Encouraged by Kimberly, he joined his father’s company MasterTax, then transitioned through ADP’s acquisition, using training and certifications to grow as a salesperson and leader while recognizing the value of human connection with business owners. He shares early interest in starting a payroll company, a 15-month family move to Denver, and eventually buying into a payroll franchise with longtime colleague Jaime, highlighting hard lessons in managing people. He also explains creating the OPPO FLOW framework - open mind, purpose, preparation, opportunity awareness - and sharing it with other entrepreneurs and solopreneurs through writing, workshops, podcasting, and speaking as a creative outlet to keep the momentum, and create future opportunities.

00:00 Earn Your Spot

00:39 Service Industry Rite

01:40 Oreganos Lessons

03:28 Tipping And Incentives

05:10 Finding Drafting Path

08:04 Cad Monkey Reality

09:33 Architecture Vision Board

11:22 Master Tax Leap

14:45 ADP Transition

16:46 ADP Learning Sprint

17:36 Payroll Idea Sparks

18:32 Dad’s Acquisition Advice

19:58 Denver Family Detour

21:52 Go Time Entrepreneurship

22:46 Starting the PHX Franchise

24:55 Hard Truths Leadership

26:58 OPPO FLOW Framework

30:54 Closing Reflections

Follow the SuccessFlow Podcast on ⁠Instagram⁠: @successflowpodcastTo connect with Steven and ways he can help:⁠Founder/Creator: ⁠www.oppoflowmindset.com⁠ Small Business Payroll - PHX Franchise Owner: ⁠wwww.journeypayrollhr.com⁠ Instagram: @steven.oppo.flow To connect with Phil and contact directly: ⁠https://phillipcrawford.com/⁠ X: ⁠https://twitter.com/PhillipCrawford⁠ Instagram: @flowstatecrawfordAcknowledgements:The Intro and Outro Music credit to Holden Peyton.This podcast episode is produced and published by Dolphin Podcasting, LLC. Launch your podcast today at ⁠www.DolphinPodcasting.com

Variety Show Episode: Signal vs Noise, KPI Snapshots, Social Media Audits & Guilty-Pleasure TVIn a free-form “variety show” episode, the hosts jump between observations from work and life, starting with a comedic take on holiday traditions. They discuss how unpredictable weeks have become, including a personal highlight of a son switching club baseball teams and regaining excitement for the sport. One host shares a new quarterly “business snapshot” that gives team members KPI-driven insight into their book of business—client stats, compensation, revenue metrics, retention, and efficiency—to build ownership and an entrepreneurship mindset. They also audit time, travel, and social media habits, emphasizing signal vs noise, creation over consumption, and curating feeds. The conversation touches on investing boredom vs risky options, athlete self-sabotage and rehab headlines, and ends with confessions about binge-watching escapist TV and balancing consistency with being human.00:00 Holiday Humor Opener00:33 Variety Show Setup01:56 Club Baseball Reset03:06 Quarterly Business Snapshots07:50 Social Media Audit11:16 Casino Rabbit Hole13:11 Consistency And Health15:02 Boring Investing Challenge18:09 Athletes And Self Sabotage23:41 Netflix Binge Confessions25:17 Zombie Movie Debrief27:59 Wrap Up And Listener Call

Follow the SuccessFlow Podcast on ⁠Instagram⁠: @successflowpodcastTo connect with Steven and ways he can help:⁠Founder/Creator: ⁠www.oppoflowmindset.com⁠ Instagram: @steven.oppo.flow Small Business Payroll - PHX Franchise Owner: StevenH@JourneyPayroll.comTo connect with Phil and contact directly: ⁠https://phillipcrawford.com/⁠ X: ⁠https://twitter.com/PhillipCrawford⁠ Instagram: @flowstatecrawfordAcknowledgements:The Intro and Outro Music credit to Holden Peyton.This podcast episode is produced and published by Dolphin Podcasting, LLC. Launch your podcast today at ⁠www.DolphinPodcasting.com

Why You Need a Side Quest (and How It Can Change Your Life)

The hosts discuss the growing idea of “side quests” as intentional challenges outside one’s main job that add joy, purpose, and personal growth, distinct from hobbies or income-driven side hustles. They compare life to gaming, where side quests support the main mission and often have clear endpoints (e.g., training for a 5K, writing a weekly newsletter, starting a podcast). They share examples of side quests becoming massive successes in business, including 3M’s sticky notes, Google’s Gmail, Stewart Butterfield’s Flickr and Slack (built as internal tools while developing failed games), Twitter emerging from a failing podcasting company, and Patagonia evolving from climbing tools to apparel and culture. They connect side quests to identity beyond career, mention Jesse Itzler’s “Misogi” yearly challenge, and suggest making AI learning a valuable side quest.00:00 Side Quest Defined01:04 Why Adults Need One03:14 Hobby vs Intentional Growth04:35 Gaming Origins Metaphor07:30 Side Quests In Business08:10 Flickr Slack Origin Story15:57 More Success Examples19:23 Personal Side Quest Ideas21:56 The Misogi Annual Challenge24:44 AI As A Side Quest25:36 Identity Beyond Your Job26:55 Wrap Up Take ActionFollow the SuccessFlow Podcast on ⁠Instagram⁠: @successflowpodcastTo connect with Steven and ways he can help:⁠Founder/Creator: ⁠www.oppoflowmindset.com⁠ Small Business Payroll - PHX Franchise Owner: ⁠wwww.journeypayrollhr.com⁠ Instagram: @steven.oppo.flow To connect with Phil and contact directly: ⁠https://phillipcrawford.com/⁠ X: ⁠https://twitter.com/PhillipCrawford⁠ Instagram: @flowstatecrawfordAcknowledgements:The Intro and Outro Music credit to Holden Peyton.This podcast episode is produced and published by Dolphin Podcasting, LLC. Launch your podcast today at ⁠www.DolphinPodcasting.com

Phil Crawford on Leaving the Midwest, Loss, Sales Success, and Ending Unnecessary Suffering

The Success Flow podcast introduces an in-studio interview with one of it's Co-Hosts, Phil Crawford. Phil recounts growing up in small-town Missouri with strong church-centered community and work ethic, being inspired by travel with his aunt, and moving to Arizona for college with dreams of playing golf. He discusses joining a fraternity as a junior and the accountability it taught. Phil shares being adopted, time in the system, and losing his father at 12 and his mother to breast cancer after he graduated at 22, along with how he masked pain in his 20s. Professionally, he describes shifting from marketing at MasterTax/ADP to joining startup WebFilings/Workiva, building a sales career, learning confidence with executives through “equal business stature,” and using self-help, meditation, and subconscious work to reduce fear and “unnecessary suffering” via his Focusacti Group.

00:00 Meet Phil Crawford

00:21 Podcast Refresh Update

01:16 Midwest Roots and Values

02:45 Travel Spark and Arizona Dream

04:18 Chasing College Golf

05:29 Student Life and Fraternity Lessons

08:01 Big Brother Mentorship

09:32 Adoption and Losing Parents

12:10 Masking Pain in Twenties

13:43 Career Pivot After Acquisition

15:36 Marketing vs Sales Wake Up

16:48 Leap to Workiva Startup1

7:41 Gut Feel Career Pivot

19:10 First Sales Role Proving Ground

20:13 Building Skills Without a Playbook

21:48 Facing C Suite Intimidation

24:27 Books That Break Ruts

27:38 Meditation Identity Shifts

30:43 Ending Unnecessary Suffering

34:27 Authenticity and Closing Reflections

Follow the SuccessFlow Podcast on ⁠Instagram⁠: @successflowpodcastTo connect with Phil and contact directly: ⁠https://phillipcrawford.com/⁠ X: ⁠https://twitter.com/PhillipCrawford⁠ Instagram: @flowstatecrawford

To connect with Steven and ways he can help:⁠Founder/Creator: ⁠www.oppoflowmindset.com⁠ Small Business Payroll - PHX Franchise Owner: ⁠wwww.journeypayrollhr.com⁠ Instagram: @steven.oppo.flow Acknowledgements:The Intro and Outro Music credit to Holden Peyton.This podcast episode is produced and published by Dolphin Podcasting, LLC. Launch your podcast today at ⁠www.DolphinPodcasting.com

Nelson Mandela: Resilience, Reconciliation, and the Fight to End Apartheid | Success Flow Podcast

In the Success Flow podcast’s finale of its Africa mini-series, the hosts reflect on Nelson Mandela’s life and leadership, highlighting his mindset of “I never lose, I either win or learn” and “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” They discuss his background, education, and commitment to civil rights amid South Africa’s apartheid, including his shift from non-violent resistance after the 1960 Sharpeville Massacre and the formation of Umkhonto we Sizwe to target infrastructure. They cover his 1962 arrest, 27 years in prison under severe conditions, and his philosophy of reconciliation, symbolized by inviting prison officials to his inauguration and the 1995 Rugby World Cup moment. Released in 1990 amid global pressure and sanctions, Mandela led negotiations to end apartheid, won the 1994 election as South Africa’s first Black president, served one term, then focused on HIV/AIDS and peace initiatives before dying in 2013 at 95.

00:00 Nonviolence Fails

00:12 Mandela Mindset Quotes

01:39 Prison Years Lessons

03:42 Born a Troublemaker05:45 Apartheid and Leadership

09:17 Rugby Unites a Nation

10:02 Sharpeville Turning Point

11:46 Resilience and Forgiveness

14:58 Release and End Apartheid

17:09 Legacy Beyond Presidency

17:40 Final Reflections Wrap

Follow the SuccessFlow Podcast on Instagram

To connect with Steven and ways he can help:

⁠Founder/Creator: www.oppoflowmindset.com

Small Business Payroll - PHX Franchise Owner: wwww.journeypayrollhr.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steven.oppo.flow/

To connect with Phil and contact directly: https://phillipcrawford.com/

X: https://twitter.com/PhillipCrawford

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flowstatecrawford/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phillip-crawford-92a84115/

Acknowledgements:

The Intro and Outro Music credit to Holden Peyton.

This podcast episode is produced and published by Dolphin Podcasting, LLC.

Launch your podcast today at www.DolphinPodcasting.com

The Baobab Life: Building Roots for Endurance, Community, and Legacy

In episode two of a series on African philosophy principles, the hosts recap eight ideas from the prior episode—Ubuntu/Harambee (rising collectively), Sankofa (knowing where you came from), Nommo (defining reality with intention), Seriti (radiating integrity), Maat (aligning with truth), Ujamaa (circulating wealth and giving back), and Baobab (enduring)—then deep dive on the Baobab “Tree of Life.” They describe its longevity, deep roots, thick regenerating bark, water storage for drought, fire resistance, community gathering role, and practical uses for food, medicine, and supplements. Using metaphors tied to hustle culture, they argue for slow, meticulous foundation-building—skills, savings, relationships, and emotional maturity—to prevent burnout and survive setbacks. They discuss outliers to stress that branches (revenue, recognition) fall, but roots (core values) sustain long-term legacy.

00:20 Recap African Principles

02:51 Meet The Baobab

04:50 Slow Growth Strong Roots

07:04 Prepare For Drought

08:41 Resilience Thick Skin

09:42 Success Takes Decades

14:14 Athletes After The Peak

15:37 Community Gathering Places

17:36 When Your Tree Falls

20:19 Fruit Medicine And Giving

22:01 Be Weird Be Useful

23:17 Baobab Life Takeaways

Follow the SuccessFlow Podcast on: Instagram

To connect with Steven and ways he can help:

⁠Founder/Creator: www.oppoflowmindset.com

Small Business Payroll - PHX Franchise Owner: wwww.journeypayrollhr.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steven.oppo.flow/

To connect with Phil and contact directly: https://phillipcrawford.com/

X: https://twitter.com/PhillipCrawford

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flowstatecrawford/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phillip-crawford-92a84115/

Acknowledgements:

The Intro and Outro Music credit to Holden Peyton.

This podcast episode is produced and published by Dolphin Podcasting, LLC.

Launch your podcast today at www.DolphinPodcasting.com

African Wisdom on Success: Community, Reflection, and Sustainable Growth

Phil and Steven discuss launching a multi-part series on African philosophies as a follow-up to a prior Africa reflection episode and a Japanese frameworks series, framing Western success as optimizing for speed versus African wisdom optimizing for continuity. They introduce eight concepts and connect each to success, mindset, and community: Ubuntu (“I am because we are”) as relational success and sharing knowledge; Sankofa (“go back and get it”) as learning from history, reflection, gratitude, and reclaiming abandoned dreams; Nommo as the power of spoken word, self-talk, and manifestation tied to action; Seriti as presence, integrity, and quiet confidence over ego; Harambee as collaboration and finding supportive circles; Maat as truth, balance, harmony, and avoiding ethical shortcuts; Ujamaa as cooperative economics and empowering community; and Baobab as endurance and long-term sustainability, to be deep-dived next week, with a future episode planned on Nelson Mandela.

00:00 Why You Need Others

00:38 Series Setup Africa Wisdom

03:51 Ubuntu Community First

06:56 Sankofa Learn From Past

10:58 Nommo Power Of Words

13:03 Seriti Quiet Integrity

15:10 Harambee Collaboration Wins

18:18 Maat Truth And Harmony

21:29 Ujamaa Cooperative Wealth

22:31 Baobab Endurance Wrap Up

Follow the SuccessFlow Podcast on Instagram

To connect with Steven and ways he can help:

⁠Founder/Creator: www.oppoflowmindset.com

Small Business Payroll - PHX Franchise Owner: wwww.journeypayrollhr.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steven.oppo.flow/

To connect with Phil and contact directly: https://phillipcrawford.com/

X: https://twitter.com/PhillipCrawford

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flowstatecrawford/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phillip-crawford-92a84115/

Acknowledgements:

The Intro and Outro Music credit to Holden Peyton.

This podcast episode is produced and published by Dolphin Podcasting, LLC.

Launch your podcast today at www.DolphinPodcasting.com