Check Out AYM High Consultants on the Latest Unboxing Logistics Podcast Episode

My colleague, dear friend, mutual mentor, and BFAM (brother from another mother) Fahim and I were incredibly honored to be guests on Episode 79, "Real Relationships, Real Results" of the Unboxing Logistics podcast, which just dropped today--Thursday, January 8, 2026.

The Unboxing Logistics / EasyPost team did such a great job in summarizing the episode that I'll just simply share their summary in full here:

Numbers are critical in the logistics industry, but focusing too much on deadlines, quotas, and revenue can cause leaders to overlook what really matters: relationships. 

In this episode, Marty Johnson and Fahim Mojawalla from AYM High Consultants share how they prioritize long-lasting relationships with both clients and team members. Listen to learn why they believe relationships beat transactions—every time.

Transactions vs. relationships

Transactions are a normal (and important) part of business; without them, no company could ever stay afloat. But Fahim warns that having an overly transactional mindset isn’t the best path to growth. 

He shares a phrase he coined: “Relationships reap real results regardless of recessions.”

Marty adds, “Customer is a very transactional word,” explaining that he and Fahim prefer to use the words guest or client. “A guest is someone you welcome into your space. … And a client is someone with whom you have a relationship that you do business [with] over and over again.”

Creating a standout customer experience

Marty and Fahim have a simple goal: “We want to go from satisfied guest to loyal advocate.”

They point out that shipping is often seen as mundane, especially from a consumer’s point of view. But when a business takes the time to understand its client’s needs, the shipping experience becomes enjoyable and memorable.

The result? “They’re going to go out and tell all their friends and family, wow, I just had a great time shipping a package. … People are then talking about it and … coming in to experience what you have to offer.”

How to hire (and retain) outstanding team members

When hiring, personality comes first for Marty and Fahim. As Marty explains, “[We] hire the smile, train the skills. … Personality has to be number one; heart, authenticity, care have to be number one.”

Fahim gets even more specific, listing six must-have traits for anyone he hires. “So there are six qualities … being hungry, humble, coachable …  intelligence, integrity, and enthusiasm. And if you have all six, everything else can be taught in any industry.”

Please check out the episode here: https://www.easypost.com/podcast/real-relationships-real-results/

Thank you to podcast host Lori Boyer and the entire team at EasyPost and Unboxing Logistics for this opportunity, a great conversation, and a platform to continue to spread our message that solid relationships are absolutely essential for 21st century business.

Let's soar!

The January/February 2026 Edition of MBC Today

Here's the most recent edition MBC Today, including my letter from the editor and a link to the digital version preview of the magazine (the full version is an exclusive benefit for its subscribers).

Thank you to all who contributed to this issue of the retail print, mailbox, packing, shipping, logistics, and business center industry's leading publication, keeping both independent and franchise stores across the country up to date, in the loop, and networked together. It's a privilege to produce and edit this publication, but it's because of your hard work that it has such rich content.

Preview version: https://ambc4me.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/MBC-Today-Volume-28-Issue-1-Preview-Version.pdf

Letter From the Editor:

Dear Readers,

I feel like many of us were just together in Denver and now we're gearing up to grow again in New Orleans. Indeed, 2026 is shaping up to be a great networking year, with event after event coming into view. It's exciting!

I can't stress enough the value of networking at industry events...and at community events. The industry events provide specific training from industry peers, mentorship opportunities, and a chance to get out of your normal setting and into a creative learning space so that you can work on your business instead of working in your business. And the community events provide a chance to show your guests, clients, and neighbors that you're not just operating a business to take, but rather you're part of your local community to give back. Both of these types of events are essential.

I'm also extremely excited about the addition of AMBC's three exceptional new board members: Kristina, JJ, and Kris. I know each of these amazing humans—some very well after years of being peers—and can attest to their "members helping members" spirit, which is essential to guide this important non-profit association of ours.

I'm also very excited to see Tommy take the helm as the new AMBC Board Chair after Crysta has completed her terms...though we'll certainly miss Crysta's leadership. You may not know this, but Tommy and I are birthday twins, born just one year apart on the same day, and he is someone in whom I have complete trust and confidence to do the right thing, lead with empathy, and be an example of what a business owner with integrity should be.

For 2026, I hope you've made some resolutions...and if you haven't yet, why not make one now? Who says it has to be exactly on January 1st anyway!?

Resolve to network more, both in your local community and in your industry. Go to events. Do whatever it takes to get there, even if it means closing your store for a day or two. The value provided far exceeds the minor disruption at home. I promise.

Networking has been the not-so-secret secret to my success and to the success of nearly every single store owner that you see sharing in this magazine, helpfully posting on forums, and taking on leadership roles.

Here's to a wonderful, profitable, brand spankin' new year of growth—growth of networks, growth of teams, growth of excellence, growth of kindness, growth of empathy, and, of course, growth of bottom lines.

Onward!

Marty Johnson (he/him)

Founder | Uncle Marty's
Columnist | Ask Uncle Marty™
Editor & Producer | MBC Today
Communication & Vision Lead | AYM High Consultants
Co-Host | To-Be-Announced Podcast Launching Spring 2026

askunclemarty.com · @askunclemarty

Let's Do Lunch

Something I rarely did when I owned Uncle Marty's, that I now wish I had done more of, is taking clients and potential clients out to lunch.

Deep down, I'm an introvert—technically an "extroverted introvert," from what I'm told. This may surprise many of you who meet me at conferences, are my clients and chat with me regularly on Zoom or in person, see me on socials, or encounter me hamming it up at the local theaters where I now spend a lot of time in my semi-retirement era, but I get drained when I have to converse on a surface level with too many people for too long. Yes, I can perform...and love, love, love the spotlight. Yes, I do genuinely care for people and value a good heart-to-heart with someone I'm close to. Yes, I'm fully engaged on client calls, because I have a relationship with them and care about their success. But too much fluffy small talk with people I don't know well often exhausts me...and it's hard for me to focus when I'm not fully engaged. I don't get energized by most conversations, but rather I get energized, recharged, reset, and refocused by alone time—in my own room, curtains drawn, dark, quiet, and without distraction, interruption, or conversation.

I'll share a little secret: when I travel to conferences, I often stay at a different hotel than the one the conference books. I do this for a few reasons: 1) I'm a Hilton loyalist and love racking up points in order to maintain my coveted tier status with the brand, so if the conference isn't at a Hilton property I'll usually find one nearby; 2) I try to avoid as many elevator and hallway conversations as possible, protecting my energy for more meaningful discussions in classes, presentations, seminars, and exhibition booths; 3) my privacy is important and nobody need to know my room number. So, staying elsewhere allows me the personal space and decompression time that I know I need to shake off the day and reduce the chances of having a too-many-people-triggered migraine when it's all over (though that migraine will still happen 80% of the time, and is why I often schedule a buffer day or two after every conference to recuperate from cephalalgy that inevitably comes after that much socialization).

It's because of this boundary, which is a healthy one, that I traditionally shied away from wining and dining people too much. True, I did it some. In fact, I've been on more business lunches and networking meals than I can possibly count! But, as a general rule, I'd prefer to do other things. I joined a plethora of committees in my municipality and at the local university, but a group setting is much less triggering to me than a one-on-one sit-down dedicated conversation where I have to be fully present and engaged. It's also why, after over a year now of being in my new home, I can count on one hand the times I've invited guests over for a meal. It simply drains me, even though there's much about it that I do enjoy.

But one thing I've learned since coaching alongside Seema and Fahim for the past decade, and past two years officially as colleagues with AYM High Consultants, is the value of feeding people. They feed people all the time. When I'm at our AYM High headquarters in Grand Island, New York for workshops, client training, or whatever, meals are often the main focus of our time together. It's the same when we meet at conferences or are doing onsite visits for a clients: going out to eat will always lead to much greater things. Truly, more gets accomplished over a shared meal than it does at other times. 

One of my favorite new podcast discoveries is Wiser World (wiserworld.com—check it out!), hosted by the incredibly well-researched, wise, smart, and empathetic Alli Roper. Lately, she's been doing a series on the show called "Common Ground," where she digs into traditions and customs that are the same or similar across-the-board for cultures around the world. It's fascinating! And sharing meals, feeding guests, and breaking bread to build bonds is certainly one of the things that we, as humans, share as an inherent quality of community and relationship building.

Think about it: at the last industry conference you attended, did you find the most value in the classes or during the meals or after-hours gatherings when you sat with peers, vendors, and industry leaders together to have frank discussions and share ideas? Likely, you're torn on the answer, as both have incredible value. Eating together breaks down walls and allows us to, indeed, share common ground.

If I had to do it all over again, I'd take a lesson from my colleagues and from one of my favorite shows, Emily in Paris, where most of their major business deals are made over lunch out, and do a whole lot more business meals—with clients, potential clients, colleagues, and neighbors. Undoubtedly, breaking bread brings bonds bound for big business.

…

 

Marty Johnson is the Communication and Vision Lead at AYM High Consultants, a columnist, and an editor, producing the mail and business center industry's leading magazine, MBC Today. In 2023, he sold his popular and growing brand, Uncle Marty’s, and retired from shopkeeper life to focus on writing and coaching. Subscribe to his Ask Uncle Marty™ newsletter and read more at askunclemarty.com; follow him on socials @askunclemarty.

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This article will be co-published on January 5, 2026 on aymhigh.com and will also be shared in the Ask Uncle Marty™ column in MBC Today Volume 28 Issue 1 on January 6, 2026.

Let It Go

When I sat down at my workstation in my home office this morning and checked my email, I was met with a very big surprise: an email that my dear friend, fellow AYM High Consultants coach, mutual mentor, and BFAM (brother from another mother) Fahim had sent to his BNI (Business Networking International) group and BCCd me on. I'll share it here (with permission, of course):

Dear Circle of Excellence Family,

It is with a heavy heart that I share this note.

After a great deal of reflection, I’ve made the difficult decision to step away from BNI this year. This was not an easy choice, and it comes from a place of deep respect for this group and for each of you.

AYM High Consultants is truly taking off, and alongside the growing responsibilities at Island Ship Center, I honestly feel like I’m carrying two full-time jobs. With after-hours coaching calls, an upcoming podcast, 10–12 onsite client visits, and multiple industry tradeshows already lined up for 2026—and the year having barely begun—I’ve come to realize that my plate is simply overflowing. I won’t be able to show up with the consistency and presence this chapter deserves, and doing anything halfway just isn’t in my DNA.

I truly thought I could make it work, but clarity sometimes comes only after listening closely to reality.

Please know this: every one of you has a very special place in my heart. The relationships, trust, laughs, referrals, and growth we’ve shared mean more to me than I can properly put into words. You have helped shape me both personally and professionally, and I am deeply grateful.

All of you will always be welcome at Island Ship Center, whether for business, collaboration, or simply a hello. My door remains open, my support remains sincere, and my respect for this group remains unwavering.

I know you understand, and I know you can empathize. I wish each of you continued growth, fulfillment, and success in all that you pursue. Circle of Excellence truly lives up to its name, and I’ll be cheering you on from the sidelines.

With incessant gratitude, deep appreciation, and much love,

Fahim

Wow! I have to admit that I was momentarily stunned. BNI has been a huge part of Fahim's being for a few years now. The relationships he's built through that group and the business he's received as a result have been outstanding. Every week, he prepares for the upcoming Friday morning BNI meeting, bringing a new sample of something that was printed the week before to talk about and share with his peers, deciding what inspirational quote, quip, or story he'll present, and genuinely, heartfully, and intentionally psyching himself up for each interaction. He's hosted the group for after-hours celebrations at his store, Island Ship Center, and served as the Education Coordinator for his Western New York BNI chapter.

Fahim has been incredibly invested in BNI. He loves it! He is very successful at. Yet, here he was this morning, stepping down because he realized that, as good as it has been and could be, there were other priorities that were even more important that he needed to save more of his most precious commodity—time—to focus on.

Fahim often says to our clients, "Let it go so you can grow." He and I have taught classes at national events on this concept, done videos about it, and are using it as one of the themes for our upcoming podcast that we'll be announcing in a matter of weeks after we record our first season in mid-January of this year. And here he was, practicing what he preaches at the highest level: putting a pin in something incredibly good in order to be able to achieve something incredibly great. I am so proud of his decision, as initially jarring as it may have been to take in this morning.

My inner Elsa has been singing ever since, "Let it go, and you'll grow. There's a world full of so much more. Let it go, and you'll grow. You'll truly, truly soar."

What good thing are you spending a lot of time on that, if let go, could allow you to truly soar? As I do on a daily basis, take inspiration from my BFAM Fahim and allow yourself to grow...simply by letting go.

…

Marty Johnson is the Communication and Vision Lead at AYM High Consultants, a columnist, and an editor, producing the mail and business center industry's leading magazine, MBC Today. In 2023, he sold his popular and growing brand, Uncle Marty’s Shipping Office (now rebranded simply to Uncle Marty’s) and retired from shopkeeper life to focus on writing and coaching. Subscribe to his Ask Uncle Marty™ newsletter and read more at askunclemarty.com; follow him on socials @askunclemarty.

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This article was co-published on January 2, 2026 on aymhigh.com and will also be shared in the Ask Uncle Marty™ column in MBC Today Volume 28 Issue 1 on January 6, 2026.

Be Your Best Selfie

It’s probably no surprise to anyone, but I'm totally not above taking mirror selfies when I'm feeling snazzy…or just plain happy.

I don't often post those selfies, as they're mostly for my own wellbeing and self-esteem. Embracing feel-good moments helps me keep my head up, maintain optimism, love life, find silver linings, and better cope with the complex, confusing, stressful, and otherwise not-so-good moments that humanity inevitably entails.

Even in hard situations—whether they be personal, communal, or global—staying positive and finding joy is what keeps me going. It takes intentional work, rooted in both embracing gratitude and embracing yourself instead of what someone else may want you to be. After all, I'm rounding out my 13th bonus year, and that simple fact keeps me living in gratitude every day that I still get to experience this crazy thing called life.

Life is what you make it; it's all about attitude triumphing over circumstance, as sometimes in the best circumstances we can be our worst selves. As I often tell my friends and clients, "You can't control anyone else's actions or reactions, but you indeed can control your own actions and reactions." So, learn to put your best self forward and not let the not-best-selves of others dull your shine.

For many years now, one selfie at a time, I've been giving myself permission to embrace my good parts and remind my fickle brain just how lucky and loved I am. Doing this also allows me to better see the good parts in others...and have more grace for parts in every human, myself included, that perhaps are not so good.

So, do yourself a favor next year: take some mirror selfies when you feel like you're ballin', then look back on them to bring hope and focus when life inevitably throws its curveballs, non-joyful people sling selfish jabs and judgements (often simply a projection of their own trauma), or your brain temporarily forgets just how wonderful you are. You don't have to share those selfies like I'm doing here (and, believe me, there are many more that aren’t being shared), but do keep them in your arsenal to draw from when you need a joy boost…because joy is essential.

Onward!

…

Marty Johnson is the Communication and Vision Lead at AYM High Consultants, a columnist, and an editor, producing the mail and business center industry's leading magazine, MBC Today. In 2023, he sold his popular and growing brand, Uncle Marty’s Shipping Office (now rebranded simply to Uncle Marty’s) and retired from shopkeeper life to focus on writing and coaching. Subscribe to his Ask Uncle Marty™ newsletter and read more at askunclemarty.com; follow him on socials @askunclemarty.

Think Like Ferrari

My colleague, mutual mentor, dear friend, and official BFAM (brother from another mother), Fahim, is a force to be reconned with. After a decade of friendship and learning from each other, I still get inspired on nearly every call, at every event we co-host or co-present at, and at every family dinner that we share. 

Fahim writes quite a bit for the coaching enterprise that he, his wife Seema, and I run together, AYM High Consultants. The AYM High blog is amazing, with updates frequently that features Fahim's strategies, inspiration, and 30,000-foot birds eye view about business, life, and how to soar in both. I don't share every post that goes on that blog (so you should definitely go there and read and also sign up for our AYM High free monthly newsletter while you're at aymhigh.com), but this one posted today was too good to not put on all of the platforms that I have the privilege to manage. Enjoy!

Think Like Ferrari: Why Saying “No” Might Be the Most Profitable Move You Ever Make

Every so often, a business story comes along that punches through the noise and delivers a lesson so clear, so timeless, and so against conventional wisdom that you can’t help but stop and rethink everything.

Ferrari just delivered one of those lessons.

Recently, Wall Street analysts insisted Ferrari should lower prices and increase production.

Ferrari’s response? They did the exact opposite. And today, they are worth $82 billion.

Most companies would call that insane.

Ferrari calls it strategy.

Scarcity Isn’t a Problem — It Is the Business Model

Ferrari produces 13,221 cars a year. Toyota produces 9.1 million.

That’s 99% fewer cars, yet Ferrari earns more profit per vehicle than almost any automaker on earth.

That’s not a manufacturing decision. That’s psychology.

Ferrari doesn’t play the supply-and-demand game, they play the status-and-desire game. The rarer something is, the more people want it.

That’s the Veblen Effect: higher price → higher demand.

Most luxury brands stumble into this phenomenon by accident. Ferrari has reverse-engineered it into a science.

Ferrari Doesn’t Sell Cars — They Sell Identity

A Ferrari isn’t a purchase, it’s an admission ticket—an entry into a private club built on prestige, exclusivity, belonging, and identity.

The cheapest new Ferrari starts at $226,000; the top models cross $625,000+. And yet demand still outpaces supply.

Why?

Because people aren’t buying a machine. They’re buying what the machine represents.

The Psychology of “You Can’t Have One”

Ferrari weaponizes one of the most powerful forces in commerce: rejection.

To buy a Ferrari, you don’t just walk in with a checkbook. You apply.

They review your history, your reputation, your collection…and many people still get turned down.

Most companies fear rejection, but Ferrari uses it to multiply demand. Because when people can’t have something, they want it even more. That’s human nature.

The Waitlist Isn’t a Problem — It’s Fuel

A three-year waitlist would terrify 99% of business owners. Ferrari treats the waitlist like marketing.

A long wait triggers urgency.

Urgency triggers desire.

Desire triggers obsession.

“I have to get one before I never can.”

So they wait.

And they brag about waiting.

Scarcity breeds pride.

Pride breeds loyalty.

The F1 Halo Effect

Ferrari also dominates a different arena: Formula 1.

Racing victories create a halo effect: “If they’re #1 on the track, they must be #1 everywhere.”

Perception → desire → demand.

Once again… psychology.

And the results?

$6 billion in annual revenue

$1.3 billion in profit

$82 billion market cap

While selling 99% fewer cars than competitors

That isn’t luck.

It’s discipline.

It’s strategy.

It’s the courage to say no.

Now the Real Question: What About Your Business?

Most small business owners make the exact opposite choices:

Lower prices

Increase inventory

Cater to everyone

Say yes to everyone with a credit card

Fear exclusivity

Fear rejection

But here’s the truth:

Your customers don’t want what everyone else can have.

They want what most people can’t.

Ferrari understands this.

AYM High understands this.

The most successful entrepreneurs in the world understand this.

What Would Happen If You…

Set a higher standard?

Raised your prices to match your value?

Limited your production to preserve excellence?

Focused on fewer clients, but better clients?

Said “no” more often so that your “yes” meant something?

Positioned your offer as an identity, not a commodity?

The answer is simple:

You would stop competing.

You would stop racing to the bottom.

You would build a brand that lasts.

Exclusivity Isn’t Elitism — It’s Economics

The fastest way to kill a premium brand is to try to serve everyone.

The fastest way to build an empire is to serve the right ones.

Ferrari isn’t for everyone. And that’s exactly why people are obsessed with it. The same is true for you.

The Ferrari business model can be applied to the service industry by creating exclusivity and a strong brand identity around performance, heritage, and a sense of belonging. This is achieved through limited availability, personalized customer experiences, a focus on high-quality execution and innovation, and cultivating a loyal community with exclusive events and services that extend beyond the core offering.

Make your standards high.

Make your clients earn the privilege.

Because in the end…you don’t need more customers, you need better customers.

Think big.

Think boldly.

Think like Ferrari.

And you’ll soar.

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Fahim Mojawalla is the Motivation and Mission Lead at AYM High Consultants. He loves what he does and would love to show you how to make 21st century sales and marketing easy, simply by being authentic, appreciative, respectful, responsive, empathetic, collaborative, and all-around awesome. Along with his wife Seema, he is an effervescent co-owner of Island Ship Center, the Spa of Shipping.