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December 23 - December 25, 2018
“How much value do you create?”
Yes, an employee working for a company may create some value, but the true value in its strictest definition is created by the employer, not the employee.
Unless you’re creating value through a product or service, and serving others, you cannot achieve success on a large scale. Here are some basic questions to consider:
They don’t think about doing it. They just do it. They don’t wait on anyone. They just do it. They don’t wait on anything. They just do it!
Beyond that, it’s all about traction. This is a key distinguishing factor between those who get funding and those who do not. The days of raising money solely based on a business plan are long gone. Any form of traction, especially when it comes to sales, is a plus. Let’s take a common cliché and chop it up for our own use.
Not one single successful person I met ever attributed their success to a single book, success system, seminar, guru, infomercial, blog, or post.
They are often well intentioned, but utterly clueless. Giving advice feels great, and people will take the opportunity to do so if you give it to them, whether or not they have anything meaningful to say.
Always go directly to the source, whenever possible.
If you can develop a discerning, critical eye to see the difference between the value creators and value compilers, you’re ahead of the game.
No two journeys are the same, so while you can learn about someone’s path to help inform your own, you can never take the same one.
The point is, seek advice at each intersection of your journey, not just the very beginning. The mouth of the cave is only the beginning!
Guard your time like a precious stone.
Some are totally trapped in their own worlds and lack the self-consciousness needed to see what’s happening in their lives.
Then there’s the problem-solving. They approach problems differently and push their teams to achieve the impossible, to defy the laws of physics. They can often communicate with each other without uttering a word. They have their own language which outsiders and the masses will never understand. The question is never how much money they make.
They continued to believe in themselves and kept pushing on, throttling
I realized then that no matter how bad I thought I had it, someone else before me had it much worse, and they still made it. After hearing so many personal stories of strength, courage, and perseverance, my own voices of self-pity and doubt were immediately muted. A louder, stronger, and much bolder voice began speaking to me. “No excuses.” “You’ve got this.” “If they did it, so can you.” “These people are no smarter than you.”
You must absolutely believe in yourself and know for a fact that most things are possible no matter how difficult they seem.
Opportunities and luck are more likely to strike those who are on the move than those who are motionless.
Focus on one direction until you reach cruising altitude. From there, things will be much easier. Keep rising!
Less is more when it comes to situations like this. Virtually every successful person I came across had a vast network in terms of overall value, not members.
Is your product or service so good that millions are willing to stand up on your behalf? That’s where you want to be! You can’t buy your way there, even if your marketing budget is bottomless. Your product or service needs to truly move your customers and delight them.
magical.
Very few of the successful people I met did any advertising whatsoever.
They focused on educating and problem-solving rather than
selling.
You’ll need to have something of value to offer, and the best way to do that is to be useful. You’d be surprised how far a small gesture can go.
When you offer to help, genuinely and with no expectations, it’s a breath of fresh air.
These folks are often isolated, and lonely because while they are surrounded by friends, family, employees etc. trust can be a challenge.
Volunteer to assist the network or a single node with something. Identify pain points they have and address
them. Pick up clues from conversations. People notice these things and tell others about it. I can’t count how many conversations I’ve heard during which people just light up when describing the little things.
One entrepreneur went as far as telling me that his cars were not actually his, but the general public’s. He just happened to have the keys. He told me that the public at large supports his ventures and that he is merely a custodian of the cars. I’m sure he felt good driving them around, but his real satisfaction came from having people take pictures with his car, and seeing the smiles on their faces. Remember that when you’re raking in the big bucks.
say. It’s tragic, and if I could do away with it, I would in a blink. But, here’s the don’t get me wrong part: It’s beautiful in a way, like fire.
After five years and tens of thousands of interactions, my conclusion was that everyone is lying to you, and it’s always to save their own ass. Or, in some cases, improve their ass. Not sure if the saying works that way. Don’t believe me? The following are just a few examples of things that might lead you to the same conclusion as me
Assume everyone is clueless!
always accountable to themselves. No finger-pointing allowed!
One key observation I made was the outward-in approach that successful people took to everything they did. What does this mean? In short, they seemed to put the needs and views of others before their own.
This is about character.
“Success isn’t something you do for you, it’s something you do for others.”
All their conversations, questions, and interests speak very loudly of what their priorities are. In most conversations, the customer may never even come up! It’s always about numbers, sales, and other metrics. This is what they use to bark orders at employees and management to take corrective action—or else.
They started on the far periphery with the customer experience, and worked backward from there.
know over a period of time. I dropped off and picked up many of their customers. One always spoke to his team using language like “customer experience,” “wow them,” and “delight them.” The owner paid close attention to every single detail, including the layout of the place, what customers would first see when they walked in, their interactions with the staff . . . hell, even the restrooms were designed around the customer experience with cleanliness, mom rooms, etc.
If you pull aside a jaded, miserable employee, connect with them on the most human level possible. Get right down there in that pit of misery with them and help them climb out. Make them happy in any way you can.
Consistency.
Ultimately, we can fool others, but we can’t fool ourselves. Deep down, the successful have a clear conscience.
This is happening every day, across every industry. It’s absolutely critical to know what you stand for as a person or business. If you don’t know this, you’ll sail like a rudderless ship.
The greats have an amazing sense of who they are. They stick to their core even in the very early stages.
Be true to yourself. Many people at the top do what they love to do, so figure out what you love to do well in advance of your riches.
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