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.

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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.