My wife recently asked me if having Liam was easier or harder than I expected it to be. My response, "It's been really hard, but that's what I had imagined it would be. So I guess the experience lived up to what I thought was coming." Now, don't get me wrong, fatherhood has been a truly transformative experience with many positives. And also a whole heap of challenges. But because I had been warned by friends, family, and shell-shocked new parents, I was prepared. (Prepared doesn't mean ready. Because you definitely can't be ready. But at least I wasn't surprised when I felt like I was way over my head). Setting Ourselves Up for … [Read more...]
Learn How to Learn from Other Disciplines
I'm a big fan of personal and professional development. You kind of have to be when you're in this line of business. I'm much more likely to watch a TED talk or listen to an instructional podcast than watch the latest binge-worthy Netflix series. (I've purposefully never watched Game of Thrones because I know it will suck me in.) It may seem boring, but I have a trick that keeps things interesting. It also keeps me from being a boring person who can only talk about a few things. I reach far and wide for people and programs to learn from. For example, I don't listen solely to sales podcasts or watch videos on why I should wake up … [Read more...]
Discipline Yourself First
The 8 Things You Must Know or Your Life Will Totally Suck
If you don’t understand sarcasm, then please, for your own mental and emotional safety, don’t read any farther: Always remember: You are the victim. Everyone who tells you that their life is tough is full of crap because they don't understand how really tough your life is. They’ve obviously never been in your shoes for a day. If you feel that the universe is conspiring against you, it's because it is. You can’t go 20 minutes without someone deliberately making your life harder than it has to be. Throughout your life, you’ve always been the wrong height, weight, gender, ethnicity, and even when it seemed like you’ve had all of the … [Read more...]
The Story of my Success (So Far)
June 6, 1997. There's a common thought that the most important moments in your life happen without you realizing their meaning at the time. That's certainly tue with one of the turning points in my career. I didn't know it, but that day would go on to influence the direction of my entire professional life. Because that's the day I walked out of a non-descript office on the north side of Chicago and became a knife salesman. Yep, I sold knives. I sat down in people's kitchens and sold Cutco Cutlery. These days the company has grown to be a common brand name; but back then, few people had heard of it, much less thought about selling them. … [Read more...]
You Can’t Do Anything You Put Your Mind To
No matter how badly you want to, you can't do anything you put your mind to. Sorry. It's a dangerous myth that we often hear when we are children. We are told constantly that "you can do anything you put your mind to" as the moral of the story in sitcoms and Saturday morning cartoons (remember the G.I Joe "knowing is half the battle?). It's dangerous because it's untrue and it usually has the exact opposite effect that's intended. Before you get all huffy, know that I'm a huge proponent of personal growth and development; that's why I know this idea isn't true. No matter what happens, I'm not going to be able to slam-dunk a … [Read more...]