,

Mastering the Art of Authenticity

More than just being yourself, mastering authenticity is about being self-aware, having clear values, understanding the motivators that drive you and putting all of this into the proper context.

Last week, I explored the topic of “The Big Bounce-Back: How to Flourish After Adversity” with Dr. Rachel Talton. She kindly shared some additional insights with me as we explored how you continue your momentum, increase your success and become a high performance leader. “The context is always leadership”, says Dr. Talton. “CEOs and entrepreneurs who are authentic tend to have high-performance organizations. Their employees are more engaged, more loyal and more aligned. Authentic leadership is a competitive advantage.”

This is why authenticity matters. In our personal lives, authenticity is a drive for more engaged relationships. Who exactly am I dealing with? Who are you when you show up? If I know, like and trust you then it’s less work to guess who you are. It is authenticity that allows us to get past transactional relationships and into deeper relationships.

Authenticity starts with trust and the willingness to be vulnerable. In being vulnerable, there are three traits that most people look for:

  1. Are you benevolent? Do you put the needs of those your serve above your own? It’s important that those you work with and care about know that you back them up and have their best interests at heart.
  2. Do you have competence? Those around you must trust that you know what you’re doing.
  3. Do you have integrity? We look for those who have high moral values, are honest and display high ethical standards. Those around you look to see if you share a set of values and live those values. Value alignment is important when it comes to integrity. High ethical standards require honesty and transparency.

Do you authentically have my back or do you put your needs in front of my own? (Or do you just say that you do and not back it up with your actions?) People can tell the difference. The words must match the actions, competence and expertise. “You either say it or you ARE it,” explains Dr. Talton.

In mastering the art of authenticity, there are 4 specific areas we all need to work on:

1. Self-awareness. The most critical aspect of being authentic is to know yourself.Understand your why and what matters most to you. Who are you really? What are your values, and what are the values that align with others? Can you stand powerfully with those values? As Berne Brown explains in her book Daring Greatly, “It’s important to allow your true self to shine regardless of your circumstances.”

2. Values. Another great key to authenticity is an understanding of your unique purpose and values–and practicing those values daily. What are your passion points? What makes you uniquely you? This is the currency of passion. Foundation fuels our energy to do great work. Dr. Talton has five primary personal value currencies:

  • Passion–a huge value that drives everything else. Get to the answer.
  • Accountability–real measurable and meaningful impact. Marketplace, organizations, etc.
  • Trustworthiness–it lowers transaction costs and is very much like currency. The best marketing on earth means nothing if it’s not believed. Trustworthiness is the difference. Emotional value, removes barriers. Trusted relationships change everything. Even if we don’t agree, you need a level of trust to start conversations (think GeoPolitical).
  • Intellectual curiosity–the value of knowing things and asking the next question. Emotionally engaged for the purpose of helping people in the answer. Passionate and emotionally engaged curiosity to know the answer on behalf of humanity.
  • Legacy–having a legacy to live toward is a tremendous value that I have.

3. Motivators. Each of us must understand what motivates us intrinsically, and extrinsically. For some, intrinsic motivators can include “making a difference.” Extrinsic motivators might include earning the respect of others in your industry. Once you understand the values, what are the triggers that move you to action?

“Movement toward a desired outcome requires key motivators” says Dr. Talton. “Having an impact, for example, is an intrinsic motivator for me. At seven years old, I knew I wanted to fix people who were broken. How do you help people be whole, happy and integrated? That’s intrinsic. That’s what I wanted. Knowing that, I create work that helps other people. I align the work that I love with serving other people.

“Extrinsically, I get to talk to others about it. Operate from a place of authenticity to have a more joyful life. Flourishing is about finding joy in the process as well as success and excellence. It’s why we take time off–to enjoy our lives and bring joy to our lives as we become successful.”

4. Context. Finally, understanding the context in which you are operating is extremely important. Sometimes, even the most authentic responses must be moderated, or even muted, depending on the context. Although it’s important to be yourself, being professional, being respectful, and being effective is also important.

Know your audience and be mindful of how to have the best impact by listening to their needs. How do we truly meet these needs? By paying attention to where you are and how to truly leverage who you are. “I spent some time in Dubai” Dr. Talton explained. “As a woman, I saw that men can’t hear me at all if I have a certain level of assertion or aggression. With a tinge of modesty, I can still be me and be heard. This will get you the outcome you desire by meeting the needs that they have.”

Well said. Mastering the art of authenticity is more than just being you. It’s about being self-aware, having clear values, understanding the motivators that drive you and putting all of this into the proper context. It’s not easy, but if you start with being vulnerable, authenticity has a real chance of success.

/by
,

How to Make the Impossible Possible

Instead of obsessing about what you can’t do, it’s important to focus on all the ways you can accomplish your vision. Your brain is a powerful tool for overcoming obstacles.

As an entrepreneur, you’re used to seeing things that others don’t see. You have already taken risks that most people simply won’t. But every now and then, you need to remind yourself how to make the impossible possible.

Create New Possibilities
Our personal experiences make up our belief systems, our internal values which generate most, if not all, of what we believe to be possible and impossible. Just because something hasn’t been done before doesn’t mean that it’s impossible. Sure, there are laws of physics such as gravity that we must obey (at least here on earth), but the more we open our minds to new possibilities, the more we can see paths forward-some of which we must trail blaze in order to create a new way of doing things.

The 4-minute mile was once thought impossible, as was a self-aware robot. Whenever you look back with the benefit of hindsight you can easily see how the innovators took bold moves to make the impossible possible. However, looking forward feels different because you must take a leap of faith in order to accomplish anything that is a breakthrough-especially things that are giant leaps forward.

Know Your Why and Let It Inspire Others
Before you dig deep into how you make the impossible possible, you must first focus on your why. Why is it that this must happen? How does making the impossible possible benefit others? The more you can paint a clear picture on why what you’re doing is important and will serve others, the deeper a seed you will plant in your own mind and influence those around you. If your reasons are important, then you will find a way to make it happen. If not, then you’ll end up chalking your idea up to a dream and won’t spend the time needed to turn that dream into a reality.

Reframe the Question: “How Could I Do This?”
When turning your vision into reality, it can be helpful to understand all the reasons people tell you that it can’t be done. Listening is not the same thing as believing. If you believe that your vision is critically important, then you can listen with confidence to all the people who believe what you’re looking to do is impossible. What they are actually telling you are the hurdles that you will face and must overcome in order to be successful. As long as you can avoid being overwhelmed by these insights, they can help you formulate your plan of action.

Instead of obsessing about what you can’t do, it’s important to focus on how youcould accomplish your vision. Your brain is a powerful tool for overcoming obstacles. Direct your energy and focus around what you would need to do in order to make the impossible possible. What’s never been tried before, but could work? What can we learn from other people’s failures and apply to a new way of thinking?

What Would I Need to Make This Happen?
This is perhaps the most important question of all. When you ask better questions, you get better results. By thinking deeply about what you would need to make your vision a reality, you can start to see the possibilities that most people are closed off to seeing (since they’ve already dismissed the idea as impossible). Get really specific so that you know what precisely you’d need. You don’t have to do it all yourself, you simply need to map out possible ways to get it done and enlist the help of others.

Who Would I Need to Support My Vision?
Once you know what you need to do in order to make the impossible possible, then it’s time to get leverage by asking others to help you. When you tell them you need their help on something they don’t believe is possible, they will be reluctant to agree. However, when you have broken down what you need into individual tasks and are simply asking for their help with a specific task, it doesn’t feel overwhelming and therefore they are more likely to support you.

Gather enough support from enough people and you can do just about anything. The bigger your vision for the future, the more likely you are to inspire others. So dream big, listen to those who doubt your vision, and then lead with confidence as you show those around you how to make it happen.

/by

25 Companies That Are Determined to Help Women Succeed

To overcome systemic social and financial challenges while starting a business, women must approach entrepreneurship differently. Here are 25 companies dedicated to helping women succeed.

Devishobha Chandramouli recently came to me with a clear cut problem in business: Women face systemic social and financial challenges while starting a business. Rather than just complain about it, she took the time to compile a list of 25 enterprises that are determined to help women succeed by focusing on the unique challenges they face. In her own words:

We hear it over and over again. We hear it in the form of the “lean-in” message or in the form of companies instituting parent-friendly policies to encourage women employees. We hear it when economists agree“economic empowerment of women across the rich world is one of the most remarkable revolutions of the past 50 years”. We hear it when we see statistics flashing that women contribute $3 trillion to the economy.

We hear that women are the rising tribe of entrepreneurs. That they own 36% of all businesses. That the golden age for women entrepreneurship has begun.

Yet, we come across facts like these: Women get 33 million less capital than men for their ventures.

That 90% of all startups that raised series A funding never saw a female founder. That men start with almost 6 times more capital than women do.

That 43% of them leave the workforce after having children and struggle to get back; no matter how smart or productive they are after they become parents. That a growing number of women are returning to work as “momprenuers”; undoubtedly because many of them do not find the flexibility they need to work in a corporate setting while raising a young family.

It’s a fact that women face systemic social and financial challenges while starting a business.

Here is a list of 25 enterprises that are determined to propel women into success by focusing on the unique challenges they face.

1. 37 Angels
37 Angels is a network of 50 women investors whose mission is to focus on the holistic entrepreneurial support for women. With a keen spotlight on early investment education, they train women investors as much as aspiring women founders of startups. The network picks about 8 companies every 2 months to pitch to their network of investors and invest between 50-150 K into each company.

2. Ladies Who Launch
Ladies who Launch was founded with the sole intention of providing inspiration and advice to women entrepreneurs. From templates for business or marketing plans,to free advice and inspiring stories of other female entrepreneurs, this website provides as much inspiration as practical advice.

3. BusinessUSA
BusinessUSA’s mission is to help small businesses and exporters navigate the world of Government regulations by connecting them to services and information relevant to them through the intervention of technology. They have special support programs forwomen-owned businesses including special certification courses for businesses that show at least 51% ownership by women.

4. SCORE
SCORE helps entrepreneurs thrive by mentoring and educating them through small vibrant communities. Every year, SCORE’s volunteers freely give over 1 million hours of their time to support their communities. They also have special programs for women to them locate everything they need to kick start and grow their business.

5. Goldman Sachs 10000 Women
Goldman Sachs 10000 Women initiative is a stunningly successful one with women from over 56 countries benefiting from the program. It’s thriving network of over 100 academic and non-profit centers that come together to give the requisite tools and training to women business owners. A recent extension of this program is The Women Entrepreneurs Opportunity Facility. This is a partnership between The Goldman Sachs Foundation, IFC, and other investors contributing up to $600 million to enable approximately 100,000 women entrepreneurs to access capital.

6. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration in partnership with the Office of Women’s Business Ownership and other organizations strives to provide the best possible resources to women entrepreneurs who are interested in starting a business, applying for a business loan, finding government contracting opportunities, or expanding an existing business.

7. NAFE
The National Association for Female Executives has women executives, professionals and business owners as members that carry forward NAFE’s mission- to provide the best resources, advocacy and networking opportunities to help other women advance in business.

8. NAWBO
The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) has emerged as a thought leader on women’s business issues. It is committed to strengthening the wealth-creating capacity of women with the help of strategic partnerships with corporate partners and other non-profit organizations and public-policy advocacy.

9. Count Me in
Recognized as the first online micro-lender, Count Me Inhas dedicated itself to fueling the mindset of growth and success among the women entrepreneur community. Count Me In has designed 3 major initiatives to support its community of women business owners

  1. The Make Mine a Million $ Business (M3) program provides women with small businesses with revenues of $85,000 to $750,000 to the $1 million mark and beyond in annual revenues.
  2. The Urban Rebound program is designed to strengthen the women entrepreneur community by providing $50,000-$150,000 in annual revenues and help them grow to the $250,000 threshold.
  3. The Women Veteran Entrepreneur Corps (WVEC) program in association with the Capital One Financial Corporation is a three-year business growth initiative designed specifically for women business owners who are veterans or spouses/domestic partners of veterans looking to grow their businesses quickly and sustainably.

10. AWBC
Founded in 1998, the Association of Women’s Business Centres is a national non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and supports women entrepreneurs through a sustainable national network of over 100 Women’s Business Centers (WBC). The WBCs provide training, mentoring, business development and financing opportunities to see many women through success in business every year.

11. NWBC
The National Women’s Business Council (NWBC) acts as an independent voice for women entrepreneurs and provides independent counsel to the President, Congress, and the U.S. Small Business Administration on economic issues of importance to women business owners. The council is focused on providing a platform to improve business opportunities for women entrepreneurs.

12. BOND STREET
Bond Street brings a comprehensive collection of resources that offer support specifically for women entrepreneurs in the form of investment, community support or professional advice.

13. USWCC
The U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce helps women start and grow successful business and provides opportunities and information required to gain access to government contacts. They pride themselves on being “non-captive” and being solely focused on building a positive business community for women in a variety of roles, including business owners.

14. Walker’s Legacy
Walker’s Legacy is another enterprise that recognizes and appreciates the need for support and resources for women of color. Walker’s Legacy lends support to “walkers” in the form of information and inspiration through networking in their open forum.

15. Springboard
Springboard seeks to build technology companies with high growth potential that are led by women. Springboard identifies the businesses that they can advise and support through their various programs and initiatives.

16. Women’s Business Development Council
The Women’s Business Development Council’s strives to provide a strong foundation to women-owned businesses by coaching and counseling women on their financial needs through their seminars and long-term financial coaching.

17. Million Dollar Women
Julia Pimsleur, founder of Little Pim and author of “Million Dollar Women: The Essential Guide for Female Entrepreneurs Who Want to Go Big“ has found a way to address the gap women often face find in fundraising. Hereducation initiative by the same name that dedicates itself to propelling a million women into the “Triple Win’ zone – Money, Meaning and Mobility.

18. Women Startup Lab
Women Startup Lab started as an interest group in and quickly grew into an accelerator focused on female founders and their teams; focusing on CEO development, transformative coaching & company growth.

19. Female Founder Stories
Female Founder Stories is a collection of interviews and insights from the female alumni of YCombinator; an accelerator that helps startups with seed funding. They also help them find investors and sometimes even acquirers once they are ready to move on to the next stage of funding.

20. WBDC
The Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC) is a non-profit with a range of programs designed to assist women at every stage of business development and growth.

21. CHIC CEO
Chic CEO is a trusted online resource for women entrepreneurs with information on practical how-tos, tools, techniques and the strength of a community; that helps you take the plunge if you are staring at a blind spot right now.

22. eWomenNetwork
eWomenNetwork presents a dynamic network of brilliant women entrepreneurs, business owners and corporate professionals. It provides a headstart for women in the network to market and promote their companies along with access to important resources and influencers.

23. The Founding Moms
The Founding Moms is a unique mix of offline meetups and online resources where moms talk as much about the balancing act as about the business and growth strategies.

24. ASTIA
Astia focuses on providing capital, support, connections and guidance to highly innovative, women-led ventures around the globe.

25. The MOGUL MOM
The Mogul Mom provides in-depth articles, resources and insights from successful entrepreneurs to show the path to other aspiring moms that growing and business and a family at the same time is possible.

Devishobha Chandramouli stumbled into the world of writing when she decided to chronicle her parenting experience with her two little girls on Kidskintha, which eventually evolved into a specialized content zone for two important facets that touch a child’s life: Parenting and Education. She is currently writing her first book.

/by
,

20 Most Disruptive Innovators of 2016

As Clay Christensen points out, these twenty people are just like you. They are ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

On Friday, April 22nd, I attended one of the most inspiring and arguably one of the best award shows available to entrepreneurs today: The Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Awards. So many CEOs talk the jargon of innovation, but actually disrupting entire industries is another matter. This award show featured 20 of the most disruptive innovators of our day and I had an incredible journey learning about what really inspiring people are doing to make our world a better place to live.

Rockin’ 1000’s Creator, Fabio Zaffagnini, Creates the Ultimate Flashmob
The event kicked off with a simple question: “How does a small town in Italy get The Foo Fighters to play in their town?” The answer was to get 1,000 musicians to record a video “Learn to Fly” and personally invite the band to join them. The video was impressive and received over 30 million views on YouTube. This was Fabio Zaffagnini’s vision and the start of the Rockin’ 1000. The lead singer, Dave Grohl, of the Foo Fighters was inspired, moved and agreed to play a show in Cesena, Italy.

Emily Callahan and Amber Jackson Share a Vision of Beauty Beneath Massive Eye Sores
All along California and the Gulf of Mexico, you can see giant oil rigs (and what most residents refer to as eye sores). Through much petitioning, many of these oil rigs are being closed down. What Blue Latitudes Co-Founders Emily Callahan and Amber Jackson discovered, however, is that there is a full underwater ecosystem below the rigs. So what’s ugly as sin above the water is actually cultivating an incredibly gorgeous and thriving marine ecosystem below the water. Their underwater photography is changing the nature of the conversation about how these rigs are dismantled in ecologically friendly ways to save the wildlife currently living below the structure of these rigs.

Brent Stapelkamp Takes Breathtaking Pictures to Engage in Conversations
Brent Stapelkamp is using his incredible photography to change the nature of the conversation about the extinction of our planet’s endangered animals. Through capturing awe-inspiring imagery, he’s providing that emotional connection you need to have empathy and care about the animals who’s habitats and populations are shrinking.

Louie Psihoyos Projects Movies on Iconic Buildings to Raise Awareness
This one must be seen to be fully appreciated. The name “Projecting Change” simply doesn’t do it justice. Here, Mr. Psihoyos projects his movies “Racing Extinction” and “The Cove” on iconic buildings such as the Empire State Building and The Vatican in order to raise awareness. Visually stunning movies projected on top of iconic buildings in front of millions of tourists. Brilliant way to raise awareness.

Dr. Richard Leakey Burns $100 Million (~20 Tons) of Ivory To Prove a Point
After a lifetime dedicated to stopping the illegal sale of ivory and rhino horn from poachers, the poaching industry is alive and well. To prove this point, Dr. Richard Leakey has organized a mass incineration of nearly 20 tons of ivory that was confiscated post his retirement not more than 15 years ago.

Ron and Owen Suskind Break the Autism Language Barrier Through Disney Movie Dialogue
What if the only way you could communicate with your autistic son was through the language of Disney movies? The New York Times broke this story and now there is a new book, “Life, Animated” coming out to chronicle the incredible story and breakthrough between a family and their autistic son. The full story is available online at Ronsuskind.com.

Jenna Arnold & Greg Segal Create a Hashtag That Saves Lives via Donations of Organs
While the vast majority of people would happily donate their organs to those in need, the process to become an organ donor is most states prohibits more people from becoming one. What if you could simply register and make your desire to be an organ donor known through a simple hashtag like #DonnateMyParts on social media? Yeah, that’s disruptive alright, and it also saves lives.

Renaud LaPlanche Disrupts the Banking Industry
What if you could get a better rate on a loan by bypassing the banking industry altogether? That was Renaud LaPlanche’s vision and the foundation of Lending Club. Investors, for example, who want to disrupt credit card companies’ high interest rates (often as much as 20%) can support borrowers who want to consolidate their credit card debt and pay half as much (i.e. 10%). In theory, everyone is better off as more money gets to those who need it and investors willing to lend the money earn better than market interest rates.

Scott Harrison Continues to Deliver Clean Water to Millions of People
Chances are, you know about Charity Water. Scott Harrison continues to build water wells for disadvantaged communities as well as increasing their monitoring technology to ensure all the wells continue to produce water for their intended communities. A great company that continues to do great work.

Alec Ross is Honored for his Book of the Year: “The Industries of the Future”
I wasn’t able to stay for this breakout session as the award ceremonies went longer than planned, but by all accounts you should plan on reading Alec Ross’ new book as he is considered one of America’s leading experts on innovation and his New York Times bestseller, “The Industries of the Future” is geared towards helping entrepreneurs navigate disruptive change.

Thomas Heatherwick Delivers Stunning Design Projects Globally
“The world is full of great designers, but visionary commissioners are the real heroes” says Thomas Heatherwick who received a lifetime achievement award. You’ve seen his work even if you don’t recognize his name.

Alan Eustace Does a Stratospheric Parachute Jump (Higher than Red Bull)
While Felix Baumgartner was the first person to free fall from space (in partnership with Red Bull), Alan Eustace holds the record for the longest free fall from space at 14 minutes long and a distance of 25.7 miles (more than a mile higher than Mr. Baumgartner). Just when we thought we reached the limit of what’s possible, Alan Eustace reached higher and fell further than anyone in the world.

Max Kenner’s Bart Prison Initiative Serves Up World-Class College Education in Prison
Research has shown that US taxpayers save $4 to $5 in reimprisonment costs for every $1 it spends on prison education. And did you know that the BPI division of the Bard Debate Union competed against both Harvard and West Point and won? A college education isn’t a right in the US, but those who have one are much better prepared to serve society–even after being incarcerated. Max Kenner, Founder & Executive Director of the Bard Prison Initiative is working hard to support the educational needs of both our society and prison inmates.

Adam Foss: A Prosecutor with a Vision for a Better Juvenile Justice System
Less than 3 months in, Adam Foss’ Ted Talk has over 940k views. He points out just how many of us did stupid stuff when we were kids (from fighting to stealing to doing drugs), yet very few of us went to jail for our infractions. Mr. Foss believes that “it is incumbent that prosecutors lead and not follow in the criminal justice reform movement.” Adam Foss is a true Juvenile Justice Reformer.

Jennifer Jacquet Believes Public Shaming Can Make the World a Better Place
Jennifer Jacquet is an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Studies at NYU. Her new book, Is Shame Necessary, explores how shame can be used as an agent for positive change in the world–especially when examining challenging the “norms” on everything from climate change to ideological divides.

Hilde Lysiak, at 9 Years Old, Co-Founds Orange Street News & Cracks a Murder Investigation
Remember my previous article Rethinking Youth Empowerment as Generation Z Blows Your Mind? Well here’s yet another incredible example of a 9 year old girl disrupting an established industry. This time it’s the news media. Two sisters, Hilde Kate and Isabel Rose Lysiak, partnered together to launch Orange Street News, which is a hyper local blog / news site that covers the happenings of Selinsgrove, PA. I used to deliver newspapers at 12 years old. These sisters have created their own digital newspaper and even received tips which lead to an arrest of a local murder investigation. Talk about disruptive innovation in the news and media!

Anthony Romero of ACLU Brings Edward Snowden on Stage Broadcasting Live from a Secure Location
When Perri Peltz, host of the Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Awards, asked the audience to turn off their WiFi, we knew something special was about to happen. Never would I have guessed I’d see Edward Snowden rolled on stage via a mobile robot broadcasting live from a secure location. This was an incredibly disruptive innovation that allowed the entire audience to hear Edward Snowden speak. Very impressed with Anthony Romero, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union for making this happen.

Lin-Manuel Miranda Makes Alexander Hamilton Cool Again
Lin-Manuel Miranda is a composer, lyricist, actor and is best know for creating and staring in the Broadway musical Hamilton. He was recently awarded the 2016 Pulitzer Prize in Drama for Hamilton–not to mention Time’s 100 most influential people for 2016 (and makes the cover).

Nate Parker Sweeps Top Prizes at Sundance with Birth of a Nation Movie
“Being a disruptor is a lonely place” says Nate Parker. As an activist and breakout filmmaker, Nate Parker asks himself daily what his children, his most important critics, will think about the bold actions he’s taken. While he’s thrilled by all the media support and attention around his film, he is his own harshest critic and demands more of himself than anyone could reasonably expect. Perhaps this is why he stole the show with his inspiring words and insights.

Clay Christensen, best-selling author, agent of change and co-founder of the Disruptor Foundation, was moved to tears by what Nate Parker had to say about himself and everyone in that room. To which Clay Christensen tossed out the prepared speech he had made and simply spoke from the heart–moving many others, myself included, in that room. My favorite quote from Mr. Christensen was, “We, as plain old ordinary people, can do extraordinary things.”

And that truly was one of the most inspiring moments of the day. The 20 most disruptive innovators of 2016 are people just like you; ordinary people doing extraordinary things. It doesn’t matter what industry you are in or what you’ve done up until now. There is a disruptive innovator inside of you and if you haven’t let him or her out for awhile, then perhaps it’s time to do so now.

/by
, ,

3 Things You Can Learn from Tony Robbins Million Dollar Guarantee

If you are looking for world-class business insights you can immediately apply, consider the most powerful money back guarantee: $1 Million Dollars of Value or your money back.

Let’s talk about risk for a minute. If you had the courage to start a company or join a small business or start-up, then you have the entrepreneurial spirit. Every business has risk and every deal you choose to move forward on has inherent risk. That’s why smart businesses offer some sort of money back guarantee. Let’s face it, if one of your customers was unhappy with your product or service, they will ask for their money back anyway. And, if their complaint was legitimate, you’ll most likely do it. So why hide it? To stay in business, you must deliver 10 times the value that your customers are paying, or you risk having them come back and question your value.

What If You Offered 100 Times The Value Of Your Product or Your Money Back?

Would you even consider 100 times the value or your money back? Think about that for a minute. As a business owner or key contributor to your company, is that something you’d support? The vast majority of businesses owners I know would give an emphatic “NFW” (i.e. No Way) response.

So check this out. If you want to attend Tony Robbin’s Business Mastery event, the cost to you would be $10,000 (unless you first attended a UPW and bought it there for a discount). And right on your application form you will see Tony Robbin’s guarantee:

“If after attending the first full day of Business Mastery, you do not feel you have received $1 million worth of value to create exponential growth in your business, turn in your manual and materials and we will send you a full refund for the event.”

Personally, I prefer seeing the 90 second video with Tony Robbins declaring this guarantee to his audience, and then asking at the end of the 5 days how many people got not $1 million, but at least $5 million in value. Watch how the audience responds:

3 Applications to Your Business

There are three important lessons to be learned from all of this. You can take massive action today and immediately change your outcomes.

  1. Put Your Money Back Guarantee Up Front – If you take nothing else away from what Tony Robbins has done here, I urge you to consider putting your guarantee up front. Think about your best customer coming to you and asking for their money back. If the problem was real and you were unable to fix it, you would, in fact, give them their money back, wouldn’t you? Construct the terms and conditions any way you’d like, but by mitigating the risk of working with you, your business is going to grow in ways that it probably hasn’t in quite some time.
  2. Determine How You Can Add As Much as 100 Times the Value – Stop and quantify the value you’re delivering for the money you’re charging. If it’s “about right”, then you’re at risk of being disrupted by a competitor. If you can quantify 10 times the value, then you’re probably doing well and growing. However, if you want to experience geometric growth, then spend some time thinking about how you can deliver as much as 100 times the value or more. If you can quantify how you can consistently deliver $1 million dollars of value for every $10 thousand dollars your clients spend with you, then you have a winning formula that will sustain your growth for the foreseeable future. Your job, once you have mapped this out, is to make sure every possible prospect who could use your services knows about the value you deliver and how you guarantee their satisfaction and/or outcome.
  3. Decide How You Will Add A Minimum of $5 Million in Growth to Your Business – When you do the two items above successfully, you’re already on your way to growing your business by $5 million dollars. But we’ve only scratched the surface here. How long have you spent with this article? A few minutes? Imagine if you were to immerse yourself in your business for 60 hours with other like-minded individuals who are just as motivated to geometrically grow their business? All the while being guided by the top tier experts in their field. If you have a better plan than attending Business Mastery, please share it with me. Either way, decide right now what you’re willing to invest to get the outcomes you deserve. By takin g massive action now, you will end up where you want to be not just in the next 12 months, but over the course of your career – which I’m guessing is many, many more years to come.

Having attended Business Mastery twice myself, I can attest to the value. Ask me at the end of 2017 if I was able to realize the $5 million in incremental revenue I expect to see. If not, I can tell you that it’s on me and my team at Trepoint. Having the breakthroughs at Business Mastery are only as powerful as the massive actions you take coming out of this immersive experience. It’s about the 2 millimeter shifts, not the wholesale changes you make in your business. Taking massive action trumps having great ideas every day of the week.

/by
,

The Tony Robbins Experience: Life Will Never Be the Same Again

After a full year of the Tony Robbins experience, I wanted to take a moment to recap all the incredible adventures I’ve had, highlight the most important wisdom I’ve learned and urge you to make the three most important decisions in your life.

If you’ve kept up with the more than 150 articles I published in 2015, then you know I am a Raving Fan of Tony Robbins. I can honestly say that I have learned more from him and his team than any other person I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with (and there have been many incredible mentors in my life).

After a full year of the Tony Robbins experience, I wanted to take a moment to recap all the incredible adventures I’ve had, highlight the most important wisdom I’ve learned, and urge you to make the three most important decisions in your life.

Thank you, Tony Robbins!

To begin, let me start by saying thank you to one of the most incredible business leaders of our time. I started drafting a thank-you note, but then stopped myself because I realized this was not a private affair–so many people can benefit from the incredible wisdom this man has shared with me, that I want to express my gratitude in public and provide specific examples of how my life will never be the same again now that I’ve gone through these experiences.

So, Tony, let me start by saying thank you for your incredible generosity. I know of no other multibillionaire who has done more for humanity. While I respect the hell out of giving icons such as Bill Gates and Warren Buffet and what they have contributed in financial terms, there is no one on the planet who has deeply touched more lives than you have, my friend.

It all started with Unleash the Power Within (UPW).

I can’t even believe that my journey started less than a year ago, in March of 2015, with my fellow Inc. Owners Council CEOs. I documented my personal transformationat this event, so I won’t detail it here. What I will say is that the rock concert style and incredible energy is unlike any event in any industry (and I’ve attended and/or spoken at hundreds of events globally). I now understand why many Tony Robbins fans refer to UPW lovingly as “the gateway drug.” It’s what sets you on a course for total transformation. (I later invited my entire company and ultimately shared this experience with several of my Trepoint colleagues in Chicago in June).

Business mastery transforms my business.

Having had an incredible personal transformation at UPW, I got on a plane and flew to London to experience Business Mastery (Part 2). Yes, I’m an overachiever so I decided that to get all of this done inside a year, I needed to take the Business Mastery courses out of order. And I’m so glad I did. I met a global network of entrepreneurs who I’m still working with more than six months later. There’s no question that I received more than $1 million dollars in business value in the five days I spent there (as promised and personally guaranteed by the Anthony Robbins organization).

Life mastery transforms my body.

Two weeks after London, I flew to Fiji. That, by itself, was an incredible experience. But what the tropical island did was put me in the right frame of mind, with a deep desire to get back to nature. After a deep cleansing with no hunger, I discovered all the strategies I needed to live life with health and vitality. By the end of 2015, I had already lost 35 pounds, and I’m now on track to lose another 30 in the next five months. Having been on many yo-yo diets, I can’t tell you how powerful it feels to drop what will be 65 pounds in less than two years. Sure, the knowledge was helpful, but the psychology shift was the key to not just taking the weight off, but keeping it off for life. Besides, what good is business success if you don’t have your health to enjoy the fruits of your labor?

Wealth mastery transforms my finance.

During the same week as Life Mastery in Fiji, I continued with another 3.5 days to focus on my personal finance with Wealth Mastery. I had already finished Tony Robbins’ latest book Money: Master the Game and was familiar with some of the most important concepts (including two of the three most important decisions in your life) and the importance of asymmetric risk. Coming out of this conference, I understood the importance of having a fiduciary (vs. just a financial advisor), what it takes to create total financial freedom for my family, and strategies to avoid the psychological and emotional roller coaster of the stock market.

Date with destiny ties it all together.

And finally I attended Tony Robbins’ personal favorite event, Date with Destiny. For those who have attended UPW, this is the 10x version of what most people experienced earlier. This is where you go deep into your life’s purpose. Here, I was able to clearly articulate that “the purpose of my life is to be an inspirational leader who enjoys solving problems and creating breakthroughs in myself and others.” Having struggled with my personal mission statement for quite some time, you can imagine the gigantic sense of relief that breakthrough gave me.

While I have an incredible 15-year marriage, I was taught all sorts of strategies to help keep my wife blissfully happy. Which, it turns out, will be incredibly important as my two boys near their teenage years. At the end of this week, I felt incredibly happy and empowered. Although my breakthroughs are never done, I felt a calm in my life that I hadn’t before experienced.

Reinforcing what I learned at Business Mastery (Part 1).

Most recently, in January, I shared my Business Mastery experience with my EVP of content marketing, Molly Reynolds. I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting some of the concepts I had learned some eight months previously in London, and hearing from some of the great entrepreneurs of our time, including John Paul DeJoria, Jay Abraham, Keith Cunningham, David Meerman Scott, Ajay Gupta, and futurist Scott Klosoky. “Repetition is the mother of skill,” says Tony Robbins, and I can assure you that going back to this event I got even more value than the first time, as I was able to absorb even more material and brainstorm with one of my Trepoint colleagues.

What’s next?

I share all of this with you because I have received an incredible amount of insights, value, and breakthroughs in less than 12 months. I know that not everyone is a fan of Tony Robbins and I respect the “different strokes for different folks” philosophy. What is important to me, however, is that you are constantly educating and training yourself. The minute your business stops growing is the minute it starts dying. To continue to grow massively, find the people and the tools you need to get outside of your comfort zone and truly stretch yourself and your organization.

Through my experiences this past year, I walked on fire, climbed and jumped form a 50-foot telephone pole, lost 35 pounds and kept it off, got my financial house in order, rediscovered the purpose of my life, exchanged my to-do list for a life plan, discovered several ways to add $3 million dollars of growth to my business, and gave tens of thousands of dollars to charities I believe in. I am filled with gratitude like never before in my life. Tony Robbins didn’t do this for me. I did it for myself. However, Tony Robbins made it really, really easy for me to accomplish the kinds of things I had previously been putting off. For that, I am eternally grateful and will forevermore be a raving fan of Tony Robbins.

What’s next? Leadership Mastery in October in San Diego. Because I don’t just want to receive these kinds of breakthroughs, I want to be empowered to give them and to serve anyone who wants to learn them from me. At the end of the day, life is not about certainty and significance (as I once valued). Life is about growth and contribution, and I have done a ton of that in 2015 and look forward to continuing on this path for the rest of my life.

/by
,

The Best 2 Hours You Can Spend on Netflix

If you’ve ever wondered why so many people would invest six days and thousands of dollars in a total immersion program with Tony Robbins, this is your chance to get a behind the scenes, VIP all-access pass right from your couch.

For more than 38 years, Tony Robbins has served as an adviser to thought leaders, c-suite business execs, athletes, and top entertainers alike. Now you can experience a summary version of his most powerful event; one that has touched the lives of the more than 4 million people who’ve attend his live seminars around the world.

This week I had the privilege of sitting down and speaking with two great talents. Joe Berlinger is a veteran documentarian whose films have garnered Academy Award nominations, seven Emmy nominations, Peabody awards, and virtually every other award a documentarian can amass. If that’s not enough, his films also helped get three innocent people off death row and out of prison. Tony Robbins is a New York Times No. 1 best-selling author, entrepreneur, and the chairman of a holding company whose more than a dozen privately held businesses deliver combined sales of more than $5 billion a year.

This Friday, July 15, Joe Berlinger’s original documentary Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru premieres on Netflix in 190 countries.

You can watch the full interview here:

 

Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru Delivers an Unflinching Look Inside Date With Destiny

“I resisted making this film initially,” says Tony Robbins. “How could you possibly capture the essence of six full, 12-hour days in a two-hour film? I also didn’t want the film to be disruptive to the 2,500 attendees. But Joe Berlinger convinced me to make this film. If the cameras were too disruptive to the folks who invested their hard-earned time and money to be there, I could send the cameras home. But I was amazed at how effectively and elegantly Joe was able to capture the essence of the program.”

“When I filmed the Paradise Lost Trilogy,” Joe Berlinger explains, “we had one hour of a two-hour movie capturing the court room scene. And yet, it was a 16-day trial. A documentary is about compression. You’re compressing the time while capturing the essence of the experience.”

I can personally attest to this. Having been moved by the universal insights gleaned at a Robbins event myself, this film captures the essence of the entire experience and goes even further, taking you backstage and behind the curtain for a real and raw look at the tapestry of human joy, suffering, struggle, conditions, and commonality.

Why This Film Is a MUST Watch
From one entrepreneur to another, let’s get real. You’re slammed for time and stressed out about all the things you want to accomplish personally and professionally. You have high expectations for your business and are constantly looking to make it even better. Who has time to sit down and watch a two-hour movie?

This one’s a MUST watch. Especially for people like you and me.

In Tony Robbins own words, “Success without fulfillment is the ultimate failure.” This movie helps you take a moment to reset and remember what’s really important in life. It provokes you to ask better questions. It calls you to be more.

Our careers (and the cell phones in our collective pockets) are enough to stress anyone out, but when you’re beating yourself up for not accomplishing all you have set out to do in this world while you’re still lucky enough to be above ground, you’re not going to make any progress. This movie will help you realign and reassess what’s most meaningful to you for a life on your terms. If you’ve not experienced Tony Robbins in person, I promise that this movie is all you need. Think of it as an online class designed to prime you for everyday human experience and how to show up at home and in the office as your best self. Seeing humanity in all its diversity of issues and experiences is very powerful fuel.

Pain Is Inevitable, but Suffering Is Not
What resonated most for me was the scene where Robbins asks if anyone is contemplating suicide and 12 people in the room stand up. The film focuses on a young woman from South America who has been sexually abused in a religious cult since the age of 6. She had been “the strong one” who was always there for her family. The transformation here is incredible to watch, and a stark reminder of just how powerful each and every one of us really is.

This weekend, fire up Joe Berlinger’s Netflix Original documentary Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru. It’s less than two hours and for the sake of you, your personal relationships, and your business–you’ll be glad you did. As Warren Buffett says, “The best investment you can make is in yourself.” Who knew it could be as easy as watching a movie.

/by

Tony Robbins on the Next Big Disrupter That Changes the Very Fabric of Your Business

It doesn’t matter which industry you’re in. Tony Robbins knows it’s only a matter of time before this technology revolutionizes your business.

“Not since the dawn of the internet has a single technology had the power to fundamentally change every business and industry,” says Tony Robbins in his latest podcast, The Next Big Disruptor|NextVR’s Brad Allen talks about how virtual reality is about to change everything.

When Tony Robbins first put on a pair of virtual reality goggles, he was transported to a basketball game, courtside. “I have been fortunate enough to sit courtside watching an NBA finals game, and I felt like I was right back there,” says Robbins.

I must admit that my first reaction was to be skeptical. Ever since Star Trek’s Holodeck, I have wanted to believe that virtual reality would one day change the very fabric of how we consume content and thereby how we do business. I was an early supporter of Linden Lab’s Second Life in the late ’90s and a huge fan of Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash novel (published in 1992). But for the better part of the past two decades, virtual reality has not seemed to progress very much, until now.

Virtual Reality (Finally) Ready for Prime Time
What has changed is that the technology has finally caught up with the vision of what’s possible. And the end-user cost of the technology has dropped below the $1,000 price point, which means that we’re about to see massive growth in user adoption. According to research firm Tractia, more than 200 million consumer virtual reality head-mounted displays (HMDs) will be sold worldwide by 2020. The same article states, “The company forecasts that consumer virtual reality hardware and content revenue will increase from $108.8 million in 2014 to $21.8 billion worldwide by 2020, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 142 percent.”

Consumer adoption is fundamentally being driven by three players: (1) Google’s Cardboard, (2) Samsung’s Gear VR, and (3) Facebook’s Oculus Rift.

Why Virtual Reality Is the Next Big Disrupter
In Robbins’s latest podcast, he and NextVR‘s executive chairman, Brad Allen, discuss what has fundamentally changed in both virtual reality and augmented reality that has made it ready for prime time. NextVR has invested millions in building the hardware and software technology that allows you to feel like you’re right there.

“It’s as if you are transported,” says Allen. “It’s the closest thing to teleportation you’ll ever experience. You put on the goggles and instantly you’re right there. From a courtside seat at the NBA to backstage with your favorite artist.” NextVR has cut deals with the NBA, Nascar, Live Nation, PGA, NHL, boxing, NCAA March Madness, and Fox TV (to name just a few). NextVR is actively working to deliver the kinds of experiences you can’t even buy in the real world. Not just front-row seats at your next music concert, but onstage, backstage, and the ability to bounce around from multiple perspectives during the live event.

“This is an unfair competitive advantage for businesses in the next 12 to 18 months,” says Allen. “Goldman Sachs is predicting virtual reality will become an $80 billion industry.” He expects as many as 20 million customers will adopt the technology in 2016, with another 50 million to 70 million in 2017 and hundreds of millions thereafter.

And while the focus of NextVR is currently entertainment, Allen sees applications in every industry. Imagine your child coming home from school and telling you, “We went to the pyramids today and walked around.” Or how about using virtual reality for enhanced training programs? These are way better webinars when you can actually attend the live event. Or in the medical profession, why not consult your doctor virtually? And what about all the advertisers who want to tap this medium?

With the technology finally being ready for prime time, there are a slew of applications we are only just beginning to explore that will fundamentally shift your business.

What Business Are You In? What Business Must You Become?
Robbins teaches that every business must know the answers to two fundamental questions: What business are you in? And what business must you become? When you fall in love with your customers (instead of your products), you must build the future of your business for tomorrow while simultaneously delivering the value you’ve promised today. Regardless of what business you are in today, Robbins is encouraging you to be thinking about what business you need to become so you are not disrupted when the needs of your customers fundamentally shift.

In the podcast, I enjoyed Robbins’s hockey analogy: “The best hockey players in the world don’t skate to where the puck is, but rather they get to where the puck is going.” Google, Facebook, Samsung, and Robbins believe that virtual reality will fundamentally impact every business. It’s not a matter of if so much as a matter ofwhen. Strategizing and planning for these shifts today will help ensure you ride the technology wave rather than have the wave of technology crash over you.

Being Transported Into the Heart of Incredible Experiences
But hardware is not enough. We’ve seen massive flops in technology such as 3-D television sets. Why should anyone believe that virtual reality will succeed when other technologies have failed utterly? The answer is in the incredible content that is currently being developed.

This year at Collision, I was consumed by a virtual reality storytelling panel that had David Eun and Marc Mathieu of Samsung Electronics speaking with Jacques Methe of Cirque du Soleil. Eun talked about his own life-changing experience being transported to Africa. “I was fortunate enough to be with Scott Harrison, CEO of Charity: Water, and a small group of benefactors,” said Eun. “We put on our VR goggles and were instantly transported to a small village in a third-world country. There we experienced the joy of dozens of children as the water well Charity: Water had drilled went online. I’ve never experienced anything like it. I was there. We all were there. And yet each of us had a different and unique experience depending on which child’s face we chose to focus on. I believe virtual reality will fundamentally change the nature of the charities we support, when you can stand in front of the very people whose lives you are forever changing.”

Then, Jacques Methe blew my mind when he described what Cirque du Soleil was doing in partnership with Samsung. “At first, we used virtual reality to capture the front-row-seat viewing experience” he said. “But then we asked ourselves, what if we put you right in the middle of the action? Rather than watch from the audience, what if you could be in the show? With virtual reality, you can now be onstage and part of the story.”

Imagine experiencing what it feels like to be a Cirque du Soleil acrobat. With the ability to change perspectives, you can be flying on a trapeze, bouncing on a trampoline, or simply look out into the audience as a clown. We are now only scratching the surface of what’s possible with virtual reality storytelling. The content creators have an entirely new medium to play with.

We Must Get Beyond the Novelty
I also had the opportunity to speak with Curtis Evey and Dominic Kurtaz of Dassault Systèmes 3DExcite, a leader in virtual reality for the automotive and aerospace industry. “Until you put on a virtual reality headset, you don’t understand,” says Evey. “Today, retail is primarily an execution of decisions already made digitally before you ever enter the store. But with virtual reality, we can finally experience the product without leaving our homes.”

“What gets me really excited,” says Kurtaz, “is combining 3-D printing capabilities with virtual reality. This is going to completely change the game in so many industries.”

And that, my friends is the point of all of this. Virtual reality is (finally) here, and it appears to be gaining traction in all the right places. You can choose to ignore virtual reality and wait for one of your competitors to disrupt you. Or you can take the time to understand what this is all about and find new and interesting applications for your business.

Take Massive Action on Virtual Reality
So, enough of the intellectually interesting information. The time has come to take massive action. If you want the full benefit of this knowledge, you need to do something with it. So here are the three things you must do if you’re serious about building the business you must become.

  1. Listen. Hear all of these insights from the very players who are making it happen today. Listen to Tony Robbin’s podcast: The Next Big Disruptor|NextVR’s Brad Allen talks about how virtual reality is about to change everything.
  2. Put on a damn virtual reality head-mounted display. We can discuss and debate this until we’re blue in the face. You’re at a massive disadvantage until you adorn a virtual reality headset from Facebook’s Oculus Rift or Samsung’s Gear VR. Even Google’s Cardboard at least gets you a taste of what’s possible. But just talking the talk is meaningless. You won’t get it until you wear it.
  3. Envision and write down three possible futures. Once you’ve experienced today’s virtual reality, take 30 minutes to brainstorm (by yourself or with your team) how you might use this technology to make your customers’ experience 10X better. Don’t fall in love with the technology. Instead, fall in love with how you will dramatically improve the lives of the customers you serve. That’s the only way to win.

I appreciate your taking the time to read my articles, but if you choose not to take these action steps, then all I’ve done is bring this technology to your attention. For the full benefit of your business, you need to take the time to do something with this information. Otherwise, there’s very little benefit for you or your company.

If I haven’t convinced you, you can also read Tony Robbin’s latest LinkedIn Influencer post on the same topic. Perhaps hearing it from “the Chairman” (i.e., the man whose ownership of multiple businesses is worth more than $5 billion) will inspire you to take massive action. Robbins is, after all, the No. 1 life and business strategist, a New York Times best-selling author, an entrepreneur, and a philanthropist. When he sees something insightful, let alone game-changing, I tend to pay attention.

/by
, ,

How Money Does, Indeed, Buy Happiness

It turns out that when we spend money on other people, our level of happiness goes up measurably more than when we spend the same money on ourselves. And Tony Robbins advocates that no matter how busy or broke you may be, you have something to offer others.

At the beginning of the year, a friend and mentor of mine, Dave Rich, shared an incredible idea he had implemented with his family. Each Sunday, he would hold a family meeting and each family member would share their gratitude–specifically, one thing that they did for another family member and one thing that another family member did for them. This ensured that each week, the entire family would share their gratitude with one another.

I loved this idea and immediately implemented it. But we went one step further. We had been giving our two young boys an allowance, but at the beginning of the year, we decided to up their allowance so that we could influence what they were doing with their money. Each week, they would divide their allowance into three parts: 1) for spending, 2) for saving, and 3) for giving. In this way, a third of their allowance would teach them to be responsible spenders, another third would show them how saving even a small amount consistently would quickly grow in their bank account, and the final third would allow them to give to the cause of their choice.

Giving thanks and sustaining life. 
This was another wonderful conversation with our children. With so many wonderful charities in need of our support, which should we give to? My grandmother was a life-long supporter of Heifer International. While there are many organizations dedicated to ending hunger and poverty, Heifer International always impressed my grandmother (and me) because it was an organization dedicated to empowering people to change their lives rather than making them dependent on financial subsidies.

But what was particularly impressive to our family was Heifer’s Life Changing Animals Gift Catalogue, which allowed us to choose specific animals we could give to families in need. While we donated in the past as a family, I can’t tell you how happy I was to see my youngest son choose a “Flock of Hope” last month and pay with it from his “giving” account. My oldest son is still saving up for a “Heifer” and has been making great progress.

How money does, indeed, buy happiness.
The point is not what, specifically, you should be giving this year, but the act itself. InMichael Norton’s TED Talk, he demonstrates how money does, indeed, buy happiness–as long as you don’t spend that money on yourself. If you haven’t watched this one, I encourage you to spend the 11 minutes and see the compelling data on “the many ways pro-social spending can benefit you, your work, and (of course) other people.”

It turns out that when we spend money on other people, our level of happiness goes up measurably more than when we spend the same money on ourselves. Think about it. For the amount of money you spend on dinner out, you can substantially reduce and in some cases even end hunger for a family. Which has a more lasting impact on your life?

Another favorite charity of mine is Charity Water. Today, an estimated 663 million people live without clean water. For just $30, you can bring clean water to one person in need. According to their website, “Every $1 invested in improved water supply and sanitation can yield from $4 to $12 for the local economy, depending on the type of project.” We’re now in peak giving season. Between the holidays and the end of the year tax deductions, this is the prime giving season. But what most people don’t realize is how much your gift is helping you, the giver.

The secret to living is giving, says Tony Robbins.
Tony Robbins spends a lot of time speaking about “The Secret to Living Is Giving” at all of his events, his books, and audio materials and I couldn’t agree with him more. From his blog:

No matter how busy or broke you may be, you have something to offer others. So many people miss the opportunity to know that their life makes a difference–but it does. Your life matters–and if you align yourself to be congruent with the truth that you’re here not just to “get” but to give, then other people will feel your authenticity and they will open up to you.

The act of contribution is one of the surefire ways to feel great about yourself. I realize, of course, this is not why people give, but how many miserable givers do you know? People who give willingly of themselves are some of the happiest people I know. It doesn’t have to be money. You can give of your time. My mother-in-law has been working at the Interfaith Nutrition Network (INN) serving the hungry and homeless in Long Island for the past 30 years and she’s one of the happiest and pleasant women I know. She started when she was teaching kindergarten and spent even more time when she retired.

Whether you help your local community or support the needs across the globe, to truly live a full and complete life, make sure you are giving of yourself; especially this holiday season.

/by
, ,

Tony Robbins Shares 5 Words That Change Everything

In your business, relationships, or family life, pain is inevitable, but suffering is not. It turns out as few as five words can change everything from turning around a company to saving a life.

This week, I have been completely blown away (once again!) by Tony Robbins at hisDate With Destiny experience. By his own account, this event is his personal favorite, and three days into it I can see why. Tonight, I witnessed 12 people (out of over 2,500) stand up and self identify as suicidal. The first man was what any entrepreneur would consider “successful” when measuring from a business metric. But just like Robin Williams, who had economic and career success beyond what most people even dream of, this man was ready to end his life. “Success without fulfillment is the ultimate failure,” says Tony Robbins.

I have never witnessed anything more powerful in my life. From the incredible courage to stand up in front of thousands and admit that you are ready to end your life to the complete and utter transformation that resulted in thousands of people, myself included, crying tears of joy right along with this man who chose to end his own suffering, not through suicide, but through love and gratitude.

“I love you. Thank you.”
After going through a process of clearly understanding his own value systems (i.e., what gave him pleasure and what caused him pain), this man was transformed by five words repeated over and over again: “I love you. Thank you.” This was a shortened version of an ancient Hawaiian practice of reconciliation and forgiveness known as Ho’oponopono. The original is, “I’m sorry. I love you. Please forgive me. Thank you.”

While it would be an oversimplification to say that these five words alone ended this man’s suffering and turned around his suicidal thoughts, they were the very words that ultimately led to the breakthrough he had. I was compelled to share this profound experience because far too many of my fellow entrepreneurs suffer needlessly. While pain is inevitable, suffering is not. And if the approach Tony Robbins shared can help a dozen people who were suicidal, I am certain that it can help the millions of entrepreneurs who struggle to grow and/or turn around their companies. But more importantly, by choosing to end suffering, this approach will also lead to fulfillment, which is the ultimate success.

The Three Ways We Suffer in Business
“When you get in your head, you’re dead,” says Tony Robbins. In business, it’s our story of limiting belief that causes us and our businesses to suffer. This story usually comes in one of three flavors: 1) Loss, 2) Less, or 3) Never.

The story often begins with a significant loss. This could be a major client, for example, who decides to take her business elsewhere. In business, we win and we lose, but it’s the meaning we give the event that causes positive or negative feelings about it. Feelings of failure and rejection are normal, but when we begin to obsess about ourselves, we move from the pain of the loss to the suffering around it. A question such as, “Why did this happen to me?” can be healthy if the purpose is to make the company better. But if this leads to a process of self-doubt, judgment, and continued negative feelings, it stops being about improvement and begins to chip away at your generally positive outlook.

Getting less of something can also cause additional suffering. When you expect one revenue target and end up with something less, this can trigger the same negative feelings. While it’s fantastic to hold yourself and your company to a high standard, it’s important to understand when that standard has become an unrealistic ideal that you can never meet. While a standard is something you grow towards, an ideal tends to be a vision of perfection that is not realistic. When you are less than the ideal you’ve set for yourself or your company, you will feel like a failure and needlessly suffer.

“Loss” and “Less” usually lead to the third feeling that “The business will never be ______ enough,” and this begins the downward cycle we’d prefer to stamp out.

The Three Ways to End Suffering
The good news is that it’s relatively easy to destroy your story of limiting belief. You can:

Appreciate and Enjoy
Learn and Grow
Love, Give, and Be Grateful

This is why the Ho’oponopono is so powerful. The statements, “I’m sorry. I love you. Please forgive me. Thank you,” lead to all three ways to end suffering. The core idea being a belief that everything happens for a reason, and that even the most terrible events usually offer an opportunity. Rather than focusing on our own suffering, we have an opportunity to learn from what just happened and grow because of it. The love, gratitude, and appreciation all reinforce the positive feelings we want to maintain, even when faced with incredibly difficult challenges.

The next time you feel yourself getting stressed out or frustrated with a co-worker, take a deep breath and say “I love you. Thank you.” You don’t even have to say it out loud or to the other person, as long as you mean it when you say it. Know that the frustration you’re feeling is usually an opportunity to learn and grow. That’s why you’re thanking the very person you are frustrated with.

Date With Destiny and Business Mastery
I am in no way doing justice to the first 40 hours of the Date With Destiny experience I’ve just had. But when I experience something incredible, I want to share it with as many people as I can. If you’re struggling with your business or sense of purpose in life, then I strongly urge you to check out Tony Robbins’s Date with Destiny (for personal growth) and Business Mastery (for corporate growth).

Maybe when The Beatles wrote, “Love is all you need,” they were right in its application to business as well.

 

/by