Strategy

The Pericles strategy of the Peloponnesian War, for instance, that whenever the Spartans invade, we will withdraw within the walls of Athens, that's much more of a strategy than a stratagem.

But there are blurred lines between them.

Stratagems are individual exploits on a battlefield, generally speaking.

So you get these explorations of stratagems in ancient literature, only two of which survive, and both from the Roman Empire.

One by Sextus Julius Frontinus writes a set of stratagems, four books of stratagems, after he's written a strategia or a De re militari, and he writes them as an appendix, basically, to a wider theoretical book about strategies.

So, that's what's triggering what's going on.

So there's a joint statement, emergency meeting of the Strategic Political and Defense Committee of the Makkah Alliance for Defense in Riyadh on 5 October 2026.

That's yesterday.

So, "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Republic of Turkey convened an emergency meeting of the Strategic Political and Defense Committee of the Makkah Alliance for Defense in Riyadh on 5 October 2026 to address the security developments and threats facing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The parties also condemned in the strongest terms the attempts of targeting of Mecca and Medina, as well as continuing attacks targeting cities and civilian and economic facilities in the kingdom, reaffirming their unequivocal rejection of any attack or threat against the kingdom, security and territorial integrity.

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Islamic Republic of Turkey commend the vigilance and readiness of the Saudi Armed Forces." Goes on a little bit more.

Now, this is what's happened so far.

On August seventh, twenty twenty-six, Mecca Joint Defense Agreement.

So, folks, that is our show.

Remember, we are in the year of experiential hospitality, where strategy becomes experience through intentional design, people, and connection.

That is your competitive advantage.

It is not price, folks.

And now onto your scheduled podcast episode.

So today we have with us Rachel Benz, the founder of The Joy Collective, who helps high achieving leaders stop performing happiness and start building joy as a real strategy for their life and leadership.

Through her book, Joy is a Strategy, her podcast, Joy Unfiltered, and her community, The Joy Project, Rachel guides leaders through the Enjoy Method, a neuroscience-rooted framework that turns joy from a nice idea into a daily practice.

Now, Rachel's journey from wellness coach and fitness expert to building a joy-based movement demonstrates the courage it takes to let go of an old identity and step into the work you know you were made to do.

and while launching a paid community, writing her second book, and navigating one of the biggest creative leaps of her life.