When Minutes Matter: A Year-End Reflection We Didn’t Expect

As we head into the final stretch before Christmas, most business owners are doing what they always do this time of year — closing loops, clearing inboxes, and promising themselves that January will be calmer.

We didn’t expect to be reflecting this way.

Just weeks ago, my wife and I lost our home and most of our belongings to a fire. There was no warning — just minutes to act.

In those minutes:

• I got the car out of the underground parking garage before the power failed (10/10, would recommend).

• My wife grabbed our computers and passports.

• Everything else made a very generous donation to the universe.

No second trip. No calm prioritization. Just instinct.

It’s an unusual way to head into the holidays — but a clarifying one.

Insurance doesn’t make it painless — it makes it survivable

Let’s get this out of the way: insurance does not soften the emotional blow.

There’s shock. Displacement. Fatigue. That strange feeling of brushing your teeth while thinking, “Well, this is not how today was supposed to go.”

But here’s the key difference:
because we were properly insured, we weren’t also dealing with financial panic.

We had:

• Temporary housing

• Coverage for essentials

• The ability to focus on recovery instead of survival mode

Insurance doesn’t prevent disruption.
It prevents disruption from becoming destruction.

That distinction matters — personally and professionally.

Preparation is boring… until it isn’t

When time collapses, theory evaporates. Only what’s ready matters.

Three lessons that landed hard and fast:

1. Have a real “go bag”

Not a vague mental note. A physical, grab-and-go bag:

• Medications

• Chargers

• Basic clothing

• Key documents

If you have to think about where it is, it’s not a go bag.

2. Fireproof and portable beats “organized”

We were lucky with passports. Other documents? Less so.

The lesson:
Accessibility beats neatness every time.

3. Get the car out early

Once power goes, options disappear.
Getting the car out first turned out to be one of the best decisions we made — and it was made in about three seconds.

Business works the same way:

• Liquidity

• Authority

• Decision rights

When pressure hits, timing beats perfection.

The emotional toll is real (humour helps)

One thing people don’t talk about enough: how stress changes decision-making.

Under pressure:

• Thinking narrows

• Priorities shift

• Small decisions feel huge

Humour, for us, has been part coping mechanism, part sanity check. If you don’t laugh occasionally, you just end up very tired and very serious — which helps no one.

I see the same thing with business owners after:

• Illness

• Sudden exits

• Partner disputes

• Family emergencies

Planning done calmly is a completely different animal than planning done mid-crisis.

That’s not weakness.
That’s biology.

The business parallel is uncomfortable — and useful

Most business risks don’t announce themselves either.

They arrive quietly as:

• “I thought we had more time”

• “I assumed that was covered”

• “We never formalized that”

• “I didn’t realize everything depended on me”

Whether it’s:

• Insurance

• Key person risk

• Succession

• Shareholder structure

• Cash flow continuity

The question is simple:

If something happened tomorrow, would your business continue — or scramble?

A few questions worth sitting with

No urgency. No judgment. Just reflection.

• If you were unavailable for 90 days, what breaks first?

• Where is your most critical business information — and who can access it?

• Which risks are insured, and which are quietly being ignored?

• If decisions had to be made under stress, would there be clarity or confusion?

• When was the last time you reviewed risk while things were calm?

Awareness usually shows up before action.A quiet holiday note

The holidays tend to magnify everything — stress, gratitude, exhaustion, perspective.

This experience reinforced something we’ve always believed:
not because we expect bad things to happen,
but because preparation creates space to breathe when life gets loud.

As you wind down the year and look ahead to the next, our hope is simple:

• that you have time to rest,

• people to laugh with,

• and the comfort of knowing that if the unexpected shows up, you’re not starting from zero.

If this reflection sparked a “we should probably talk about that in the new year” thought, that conversation can wait until you’re ready.

Until then, we wish you a peaceful holiday season, a lighter calendar, and a strong, well-protected start to the year ahead.

—
Alexander “Lexx” Potter, CFP®