Everyday Run State: Pro Edition

Amazon Prime Day was last week, and my dad was thrilled. He found his favorite pickleballs on sale - just $2 a ball, which is a huge savings. But there was a catch: to get that price, you had to buy 100 of them.

I said, “Dad, that’s amazing. You should totally get them!”

He paused and said, “Monica… you literally write a newsletter about not buying too much stuff.”

Which is pretty fair. But I like to think it’s a bit more nuanced than that.

Setting Maximums Isn’t About Limiting Growth, It’s About Supporting It

Whether you’re managing a warehouse, a purchasing process, or your own personal to-do list, the idea behind “maximum inventory” isn’t minimalism. It’s operational clarity.

You set maximums not to restrict spending, but to ensure that the things you spend money (and space, and time) on are the right things.

In the case of my dad and his pickleballs: if he’s made room, if he knows he’ll use them, and if the cost fits his budget, then buying 100 is a good call!

The same logic applies to your stockroom, your purchasing approvals, and your tech stack.

Inventory Without Strategy = Cash Flow Drag

Excess inventory eats into your cash flow and buries your team in rework. You wind up with:

• Shelves full of dead stock

• Stale SKUs that tie up capital

• Team members constantly searching for parts, or worse, reordering what’s already on hand

By contrast, a clean, capped, and actively maintained inventory system creates visibility and agility. When your min/max levels are dialed in, you can confidently say yes to a bulk deal, because you know your thresholds.

And if you're not ready to receive the order (physically or financially), you don’t buy - even if it's a “deal.”

This Applies to Non-Physical Clutter Too

Just like a cluttered warehouse, digital and mental clutter slows down your operations. Some examples I see with clients all the time:

• Tool overload: You have six platforms for project management, but no one uses them the same way. Consolidating might cost more per user, but gives you cleaner data and faster decisions.

• Reporting bloat: You're generating 15 dashboards a week, but no one knows what action to take. A clear, consistent reporting cadence actually gives you better ROI on your tools.

• Process sprawl: When workflows are duplicated across departments, things slip through the cracks - and training new team members becomes a nightmare.

These are the systems equivalents of “extra inventory.” They're weighing you down, even if they’re invisible.

Make Space for the Right Investments

When you manage maximums well, (whether in your warehouse or your workload,) you create capacity. That’s when you can confidently take advantage of the things that matter:

• A bulk-buy discount

• A new hire

• A last-minute project opportunity

• A platform migration that will genuinely streamline your ops

You don’t have to say no forever.
You just have to say no for now, until your house is in order.

Then, when the right thing comes along?

Go ahead. Buy the 100 pickleballs.