Each New Chapter Requires a Sharper Focus

A little over one year ago, I launched Champion Venture Partners, a sports-focused investment firm with a bold vision: disrupt the investment world by making it more accessible to the everyday investor.

Traditionally, alternative investments have been reserved for high-net-worth individuals. But that approach has excluded far too many people from the opportunity to build wealth.

I wanted to change that—and sports became the vehicle to do it. Over the last year, we cast the vision, then started building, executing, and refining the model.

Now, the firm is gaining momentum. My role within it is expanding. The demands are growing. And with growth comes a decision that I am facing—and you have probably faced in your journey:

Do I stretch myself across multiple pursuits, or do I double down and go all in?

The answer to this internal question led to a tough tradeoff. It is the reason I’ve decided to wind down the Separation Playbook platform and pivot the Paradigm Shift newsletter into a more personal and actionable platform: From the Desk of Marques Colston (FDMC).

This isn’t just a rebrand. It’s a necessary evolution.

Focus Has a Cost

Success isn’t always about doing more—it’s often about fully committing to the right things at the right time. Knowing this principle is one thing, but executing it requires clarity, focus, and discipline.

That commitment is not an isolated decision. It’s an active choice—a tradeoff. And when you don’t pair your commitment with letting go of an equally weighted counterbalance, you’re on a fast track to burnout.

The difference between sustained elite performance and burnout isn’t always giving more effort—it’s the strategic allocation of energy.

In every season of my journey, I’ve experienced this lesson in some form—whether as an athlete, executive coach, consultant, and now again as an entrepreneur trying to disrupt an industry.

You can’t challenge yourself on too many fronts and expect to thrive in them all. You have to choose what matters most and what aligns with your vision and purpose. Then, intentionally build your life around it.

If not, you end up spread too thin to make the impact you’re chasing in the places you care about most:

• When you chase too many things at once, you dilute your impact. You make progress, but it’s incremental—not transformational.

• When you say yes to everything, you end up overcommitted and ineffective. What looks like "hustle" is often just disguised indecision.

• When you spread yourself thin, you never create separation. The people who break through? They don’t do everything. They do the right things exceptionally well.

Think about the successful people you know who are truly fulfilled—those walking in their purpose. They probably aren’t the ones who “do it all.” They’re the ones who make tough tradeoffs and fully invest in what will create the most impact.

Two Sides of the Same Coin

By default, going all in on something means you are choosing to walk away from something else. And that’s the hardest part.

If you’re in the middle of a pivot—whether it’s transitioning careers, launching a business, or doubling down on a new opportunity—you know what I mean. You’ve probably felt the quiet resistance, too.

It feels like letting go of one thing to excel somewhere else is still somehow a net loss.

But the reality is, you can’t move forward with the force and velocity you need while holding on to everything from the past.

This applies across the board:

• 🚀 Scaling a business? You might need to delegate things you once handled yourself.

• 🎯 Shifting careers? You might have to let go of an identity you’ve built for years.

• 🔥 Committing to a big goal? You’ll likely need to trade comfort for challenge.

These aren’t easy decisions. But they’re necessary. Because every level of growth demands a new level of clarity.

And that clarity is what allows you to execute in ways that meet new demands—some you expected and others you didn’t know existed.

Design Through the Pivot

I’ve seen a lot of people commit to a bold move, only to realize later that their personal environment wasn’t built to sustain it.

If you’re making a big transition—whether it’s a career shift, a business pivot, or a new personal pursuit—you need a game plan that extends beyond the work itself.

The pivot isn’t just about the what—it’s about the how, and how far-reaching is the impact?

Here are four keys to optimizing your personal environment to maximize your impact and sustainability:

✅ Audit your commitments. What needs to be eliminated, automated, or delegated to free up bandwidth for your next move?

✅ Redefine your ecosystem. Your environment should support your pivot, not distract from it. This includes the people around you, the routines you set, and the way you structure your time.

✅ Reinforce your identity. When you shift gears, there’s a temptation to hold on to past labels. Let go. Step fully into the next version of yourself.

✅ Play the long game. Sustainable success requires durability. Prioritize habits that fuel consistency—sleep, recovery, and mental clarity matter as much as execution.

Focus in Motion

For the past two years, I’ve been creating content and working to build frameworks and DIY training tools under the Separation Playbook brand—all designed to help entrepreneurs and athletes transition into new chapters.

I’m proud of the work. But I also know that if I truly want to create maximum impact, I need to refine my focus and deploy my energy where it’s most effective.

As I step further into my role with Champion Venture Partners, I know that I have to double down to be able to execute at full capacity. That means making tough decisions about where my time, energy, and expertise are best spent.

Rebranding The Paradigm Shift newsletter to From the Desk of Marques Colston (FDMC) is more than a name change. It’s a shift to a more personal, more direct, and more actionable platform.

It gives me a platform to take you inside the frameworks, philosophies, and lessons I’ve personally used to navigate high-performance environments, build businesses, and create sustainable success.

How It Impacts You

If you’ve been following The Paradigm Shift, you’ll feel right at home here. FDMC will be about clarity and execution that will help you play the long game at an elite level.

Nothing changes on your end—you’ll keep receiving these emails, just with a new name, more focus, and more impact.

Appreciate you being on this journey with me, and I hope I’m providing value that exceeds the time you put into reading each issue.

—MC

Ready to take the next step?

Every great transformation begins with a single step. Whether you’re navigating a career pivot, building a business, or redefining your path, FDMC provides the tools, strategies, and mindset shifts you need to create sustainable success:

🚀 Apply for 1:1 Performance Coaching →
Work with MC as a coach and thought partner to uncover personal insights and develop strategies to unlock your full potential.

🛠️ Book a training or workshop for your business →
A personalized system to align your daily actions with your long-term goals, to build a strategic roadmap to success.