Keep Googling?
Is whiskey good for a cold? Is the world flat? Should you spank your kids? Should you invest in stocks? Should you get a divorce?
Google it and you’ll find the answer you’re after. It’s worth admitting the answer is laced with cognitive bias.
When our actions/thoughts disagree with our beliefs we tend to justify our choices. If we get negative feedback our knee jerk is to defend. This is dangerous because our internal narrative can blind us to the truth.
Many times we aren’t able to see our mistakes… much less own them. Seeing and owning are two of the hardest things about growth.
If you don’t feel like growing you can always justify your position if you google something long enough.
Customer’s Brain
Our brains are filters. Constantly scanning information, confirming two basic things.
There are no immediate threats.
The mind is clear enough to notice immediate threats.
Our minds sort information and naturally move on from confusing non-threatening things. What does this mean to a salesman? It means you’re competing for mental real estate.
Your customer’s brain is in filter mode and constantly being bombarded by messages...Your’s better be clear. If your message is too clever or filled with technobabble they won’t burn the mental calories to figure out your offer.
If your offer clearly shows how it can make their life better you’ll have a better chance of holding their attention.
Knock Knock
We were eating dinner the other night and someone knocked on the front door. We scolded the dogs a little and then took the next bite.
Aren’t you going to get the door, you ask?
Nope…
Why?
Answer: Probability
80% sure it was Amazon
19% sure it was a solicitor
1% sure it was one of you
10 years ago I would’ve hopped up to see who it was. These days I only hop up for 2nds.
Thankfully...going door-to-door will soon be a thing of the past.
Hero Hunter
Asking good questions to create a meaningful conversation is an art. People want to feel seen and understood. Everyone is the hero in their own story. Find out why they are the hero.
We all have the urge to show others why we are the hero which directly conflicts with their hero. When you slow down and find the superpowers of others...you will have an edge on the masses.
While the masses are busy displaying and posturing you are becoming a leader worth following. You’re worth following because people will trust you when they are the hero of their own story. The story you help them step into.
Accountability
Holding people and being held accountable is an exchange of trust. An unhealthy version takes convincing, prodding, and coaxing. This type of accountability is missing a proper reason. The reason is empty in the mind of the one being held accountable.
If there is no trust in the purpose it feels like an empty activity with no value. The deadline feels pointless. If you see an accountability breakdown, chances are the bigger picture of how it benefits them on the mission isn’t clear.
Healthy accountability is about trust. Trust that the action will have a meaningful impact.
Tru Dat
Things that are true can be false later. Things that are true can change like the weather. Things that are true can also be unshakeable and forever. The truth is hard to get to sometimes. Once you get to it, can it be absolute? IS there such a thing?
No matter what you believe, the absolute truth doesn’t need you to believe for it to be true.
Bucket List
What is a bucket list for? Is it a reminder? A list of intentions? A collection of wishes?
Usually the items on a bucket list are disruptive experiences that require planning.
It feels a little funny when a friend does something that is on your list. You smile and say “wow, switzerland?.. I’ve always wanted to go there.” Is it true? Have you always wanted to go there?
If it is true… where is the breakdown? It feels good to dream but it doesn’t feel good to watch others execute. It doesn’t feel good because it points to the gap. Your gap. The gap between the list in your mind and buying a plane ticket.
Maybe a bucket list is a way to feel better about the gap. Perhaps it’s a container for your aspirations… So they can be organized and shelved. Shelved and set aside for some day. Some day before you kick the bucket.
The Bump
When you buy a pair of shoes there is almost always a bump. A bump to sell you some socks… It's worth noticing The bumps…they are all around us. Sometimes they are annoying and sometimes they are the next obvious steps and are largely irresistible.
Most companies do pretty well selling their widget. The ones that scale sell something that sells something.
You buy a Peloton for 2k you pay 50/mo to ride
-You buy a Harley there is a waterfall of leather coming your way
iPhone —> Apple Watch —> iPad —> iCloud —> iTunes —> I’m outta money :)
Find a way to put your widget further upstream so you are able to grow through the natural flow of purchases.
Go sell something that sells something.
Time > Money
Time is not money. Time is more important than money. Spending a lot of time to save a little bit of money is normal behavior. Normal behavior will get you normal results.
The abnormal behavior is to value time more than money. The abnormal result of this behavior is wealth. Money is the best tool to buy back your time.
Make a big pile while making your mark.
Belief - Action = Zip
When people meet for the first time a common question is, “What do you do?”
Why is this? What is this question for? What is trying to be established? I think it’s a pretty good question because it ultimately answers a deeper question. The deeper question of who we are.
Our vocation doesn’t define us, but what we “do” does. This idea applies to groups as well. A group’s culture is not a set of common beliefs, it’s a set of common behaviors. Beliefs alone don’t establish anything. Common belief is empty without common action. The two choices are integrity or hypocrisy. What we do is in fact who we are.
What do you do?
Our Mask
Personality tests aren’t perfect but they are useful. They are useful because they help start the process of getting to know yourself. They aren’t perfect because they depend on our ability to separate who we think we are from who we really are.
It turns out getting to know yourself takes a lifetime and you can’t do it alone. The process requires a continuum of curiosity, courage, and input from others.
Pro Tip: the lowest hanging fruit for revealing your real persona is our operating system for dealing with fear. What mask do we use to protect ourselves from being seen? Our ability to lead is directly tied to knowing thyself.
'“Do Your Best”
Are the people around us doing their best? When I ask this question about myself it’s a long slippery slope. It’s like a nesting doll of inquiry that can drive a person crazy. Maybe breaking the one question into three questions is a better approach.
Am I open and curious?
Have I sought counsel?
If my current best isn’t the best, am I willing to learn and course-correct?
Mashing the gas on your “best” without making the effort to FIND your best… ain’t your best.
He Quit
The people who follow you… by choice or by position may or may not be happy. Awareness is a practice and a skill worth learning. As you charge ahead consider the people following you.
The unaware leader will have no followers over time. They will likely be surprised when they quit. If the people that follow you don’t feel seen or heard… if they don’t feel like their work matters they will leave you. People don’t quit their job… they quit their leader.
The fastest way to become a great leader is to get to know yourself through an open stance. An open stance towards growth and tough feedback. How people feel when they follow you is worth studying.
$ Clarity $
Revenue shouldn’t fall short if the product is good and it’s in stock. The spotlight of responsibility is on one thing: clarity. Revenue will always be a problem when a company is unable to articulate how their product will make the client’s life better.
Your clients want certainty. They don’t care about all the features and benefits as much as outcomes. Paint a picture of what their life will be like once they buy the thing.
Never stop tinkering with your message. Revenue will let you know how you’re doing.
Sacred Zone
Our brain is busy. It’s busy assessing, filtering, and making judgement calls. The good news is we all know how to focus. Focus is not the problem. The problem comes when we switch focus.
The switch kills the upside of undivided attention. Work on the thing that requires undivided focus. The people making the biggest impact spend a couple of hours a day in the sacred zone of undivided focus.
“The” Economy
The weather is rough.. a front is blowing in. The wind is howling and it’s raining a little. As the temperature drops the guy in charge says the golf tournament is still on.
“The” weather was bad. Some played well and some didn’t. The ones who struggled fought “the” weather and the ones who played well knew there is no such thing as “the” weather.
There is only “your” weather and “my” weather.
Same goes for “the” economy.
I’m Faster Than Usain
Picture Usain and I at the start line. We’re gonna do a lap as fast as we can. The crowd is big and the stakes are high. There’s laughter and curiosity at the spectacle. It’s gonna be super close and no one knows what the outcome is going to be. Will it be me or Usain? You might be wondering what you’re missing.
Craig isn’t a world class runner… even if he was he wouldn’t have a chance. Why do all these people find this fun to watch?
The answer is leverage. You see, Craig is on his bicycle and he’s a pretty good cyclist. The lever makes it interesting. The lever makes it possible. You can always make up in leverage what you lack in ability.
Pedal hard and make your mark.
Whack-A-Mole
Constantly working in your business is a trap. It’s a trap because it feels like you’re making headway. When you whack the moles and they are all down, you get a win. You’re ahead of the next thing that pops up.
The hammer is in ready position and you lick your lips in anticipation… Two moles pop up. Whack! Whack! It feels so good to smash them back down. It feels like you’re in control. Like you’re in charge. You’re the fastest reactor to subdue what comes your way. Congrats.
Being a world class responder pays a decent wage. The cost of being a world class mole-whacker is fatigue and limited growth.
If you’re tired of whacking moles, teach your business to whack them so you can have the clarity to see the big picture and make your mark.
Floors and Ceilings
Entrepreneurial people like floors and hate ceilings. We want a floor we can count on. A floor that’s solid, stable, and predictable. Imagine a floor as a baseline foundational “bread and butter” of a business.
Looking for your floor? It’s most likely what’s already working. The thing that brings in the most cash with the least effort. Developing a floor is the first step to a profitable business.
But first, it’s worth understanding the relationship between floors and ceilings. You can trade time for consistent money and have a safe floor. You can manage people and create a safe floor. You can dig ditches and have a safe floor for as long as your body lasts. The reality of this type of floor is that it has a clear ceiling.
If you’re using your muscles it’s about 100k. If you’re managing people it’s typically < 300k. It’s worth noticing what floors have ceilings when you’re building.
Pro Tip:
The wealthiest people in the world have vision and can move the masses with their words. History has proven this over and over. It’s worth learning the art of persuasion because once you understand this, the ceiling dissolves.
The Blood
The money in your wallet represents a sale. Somebody somewhere sold something and now it’s in your wallet. Glad I have you thinking. Thinking about the flow of money.
The business you’re involved in has money because someone was persuaded that the thing it offers has more value than the money itself. Sales and marketing are the lifeblood of any business but it doesn’t end there.
Systems protect. The system ensures fulfillment of the promise and makes it possible to increase the velocity of the sale. It protects the margin. It protects the money. If sales and marketing are the lifeblood, the systems and processes are the veins.
If you want the money to stick you’d better have both.