CJ Casselli
📍 Durham, NC | CEO @ Truss Vet
📝 Editor’s Note
We are officially in New Year’s resolution territory. This likely queues an eyeroll for some but excitement for my type A’s.
I fall into the later camp. I’ve used a very thorough Annual Review template from Anthony Gustin for the past few years. I recommend this template for anyone who wants to be very intentional about their goals and also has the time to follow his template (again, it is very thorough).
Without further ado….
Why CJ?
CJ is a grad school classmate and a close friend. I really admire his values and also his entrepreneurial drive. I’ve enjoyed trying to live vicariously through his professional path after school and I’m very excited (and inspired) by the growth of his business.
Self-Description
Christian, happy husband, dad of two, (sad) Florida Gator fan, business junkie... trying to have it all while simultaneously figuring out what "it all" means to me
CJ’s Recommendations
Written in his own words…
Content
I recently read a book called The Great CEO Within by Matt Mochary. He's been a longtime CEO coach to many of Silicon Valley's top entrepreneurs. For a while, he was coaching for free, and he's always been a big believer in publishing content for anyone to access. All of his philosophies and writings which are highly tactical and helpful, are available in a Google Doc here: LINK
Digital Tool
My number one app recommendation is Todoist, which I use for daily task management, but I've also started using Streaks. It's been a fun way to gamify certain daily habits that I'm trying to build. I've also used it to track anti-habits, and I've enjoyed watching how long of a "streak" I'm on for not doing something.
Brand
It's hard to beat the Rambull Christmas list for brand/product recommendations, but I recently got a pair of custom Nike Air Force 1s. I designed them in an all-neutral color (bone) that goes with everything, and I find myself wearing them all the time now! I kind of forgot that this was an option at Nike, and it's fun to be able to create something unique that you won't see other people wearing.
Professional
Personal Productivity Playbook
This past year has been the busiest of my life (by far). It's forced me to be hyper-productive with my time, and I've had to adopt various systems to get everything done. I ended up documenting my workflow in what I'm calling a Personal Productivity Playbook, and it distills pretty much everything on the topic down to what actually works (there is a lot of BS out there). It’s built from years of personal experiments, and it’s the only way I know how to balance the CEO role + faith, marriage, family, fitness, friends, fun, etc. Link here
Wellness
I loved learning about Peter Attia's career journey from ER doctor to McKinsey to longevity specialist. He's focused on what I perceive to be the biggest problem in healthcare... preventing problems as opposed to simply fixing them after the fact. His guidance on fitness for maximizing healthspan and lifespan has completely changed the way I work out, and it's a book I intend to revisit often.
Gift
My co-founder at Truss Vet is a "watch guy", and when we started Truss Vet, he was sick of looking at my crappy digital watches... so he ended up getting me a Hamilton Khaki Field Watch, which I absolutely love. It looks great with everything, doesn't ping me with notifications, and you can change out the watch bands when you feel like you a style change.
Music
If you like background noise when you're trying to get focused work done, I've been enjoying Noisli.
Amazon Purchase
I'm a big fan of the half-gallon water bottle. You fill it up in the morning and make sure it's gone before you go to bed. Great way to make sure you're getting enough water, which is a key pillar of good health. I recently bought a new one since Stanley finally released a version with a handle.
Plug
If you live in the Triangle and have a dog or cat, check out Truss Vet! We offer same-day veterinary urgent care, 10am to 10pm, lower costs than the ER, you can book online, and our team is amazing!
Want to get in touch with CJ? Email him at cj@trussvet.com
P.S. Over the holidays, I asked my 10 year old nephew what his favorite restaurant was in town. He quickly said Texas Roadhouse. I had never been before, so naturally we went. I was highly impressed with the service, steaks, line dancing, and the 50 rolls and cinnamon honey butter consumed at our table. Kids eat for $2 on Tuesdays 👀