A change is coming

After 100+ issues, a new direction

📸 from a weekend trip just outside Lisbon

Hey folks,

In the words of the late great Charles Bradley (cue the track):

I feel a change

Coming over me

I feel a change

Things ain’t what they used to be

Yesterday is gone

Now it’s a brand new day

This update is about change.

Today is the why. Next week will be the boring logistics.

This week’s newsletter is broken into three parts:

1. The story on where we started and where we’re going

2. The reason for the change

3. What’s actually happening

Let’s go.

I. Quick backstory

Some of you know me personally, and have been here awhile. Others have joined this list recently (welcome!).

For those new, here’s how we got here:

I quit Google in 2020 to start my own thing, and One Percent Wisdom was born the same year. At the start, it was a place for me to explore my curiosity and learn in public.

Issue #01 - March 2020

A hundred issues (!!) later, I’ve written to you about more or less everything: productivity, habits, business, health, wellness, meditation, and a bunch of other stuff that was driving my curiosity.

And over the years, the business kept changing shape.

In 2020 and 2021, I was a true solopreneur, figuring out how to make a living on my own outside the walls of Google.

Claire joined full time in 2022. We built up our B2B work under the Forgewell umbrella, running workshops for teams at L’Oréal, Google, Squarespace, Klarna, YouTube, and many more.

While we designed tons of customized trainings ourselves, we kept getting asked to deliver Make Time trainings, and so in 2024, we went all-in on that direction.

We certified trainers to teach Make Time, we redesigned the website from scratch, and relaunched the Make Time newsletter, Time Dorks. Since I started writing it, we’ve sent hit ‘send’ on over 50 editions in just two years.

In 2025, after five years focused on B2B, we decided to go in a new direction, and we launched our first B2C program for individuals, called The Inner Operating System.

We started with two live cohorts, which went incredibly well. And now we’re in the next phase of the journey: running the program in a hybrid format (async curriculum + live weekly calls + community of people doing the work alongside you).

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II. Keep It Simple

Honestly, I thought this email was going to be 300 words but look at us now - it’s a full-blown essay.

Simplicity is not my forte.

But everything has changed in my life since becoming a dad. It’s almost impossible to put it into words, but what I can say is that the need to simplify, subtract, and focus has never been more clear for me.

Since starting this business, and this newsletter, I’ve done a million different things…and I’ve loved it — 1:1 coaching, keynote speaking, facilitating group workshops, consulting work, launching courses, etc. - the list goes on and on…

Today, the focus of what we do is The Inner Operating System. That’s where I want to put my time, attention, energy, and heart.

So, this newsletter needs to evolve along with that change.

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Three Changes

First, we’re dropping the One Percent Wisdom name. Going forward, the newsletters will just come from me.

Second, the focus of the writing will shift. Instead of writing about anything on my mind, I’ll focus on the themes behind The Inner Operating System like nervous system regulation, focus optimization, energy management, and stress mastery. I know that won’t be for everyone here, which is totally fine - you can unsubscribe whenever you like (and I never ever check who does - so don’t feel guilty!).

Third, I’m moving off Substack to a new platform (Kit) that is more aligned with our new direction.

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So that’s what’s happening behind-the-scenes. Thanks for being here through all the evolution and changes.

More soon,

Connor

P.S. Will someone buy me one of these?