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Book Review: “Make a name for Yourself” by Scott Ginsberg.

By Filed Under: Uncategorized

Scott Ginsberg: Make A name For Yourself

I wish more books were like this. Seriously. A lot of success books are all about “systems,” and are sanitary and sterile when you read them. There’s a ton of padding, and to slough through them to get to the nuggets of information is needlessly tedious. Maybe it’s because there is little market for 50 page books…but most 200 page books have 50 pages of information.

“I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.”

Attributed to Mark Twain, probably incorrectly. The point is: the publishing industry needs more books like this. Content rich, without being wordy. Easy to read without being the short home spun stuff that Ken Blanchard writes.

In 1998, Jeffrey Gitomer ditched pretense and wrote “Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless.” That book had BIG BOLD STUFF. You didn’t have to guess what the important information was, it was in IMPACT font with 10-13 words per page in some sections. The articles were all easily digestible…10 years later, the book stands out when you pick it up. Even now, you get the gist of the message in 15 minutes. Jeffrey must have sold enough because after that he came up with the “Little _________ book series…”

“Make a name for Yourself.” is in that tradition–it’s visually attractive, it’s short, it’s serious but not self important. It’s 240 pages, but only about 100 pages of writing. It’s a conversation with an expert. You get the privilege of engaging with someone in their 20′s who is authentic, honest, whip smart, and spot on. You can read this book in a couple of hours, easily, but there are great gems in there…

  • Be authentic. Man, this is great advice–and the best advice in the book.
  • Do what nobody is willing to do (hey, Tiger Woods is the first one on the practice greens every tournament).
  • Less TV. (Mine is in my basement except on Buckeye Saturdays).
  • Get up an hour earlier.
  • And he’s the first business writer to use “be nobody’s bitch,” in writing. Hopefully, he’ll stay under the radar long enough to keep the feminists away.

The only criticism I have is that the book isn’t really about personal branding–not directly. It’s about what you need to “BE,” in order to be qualified to make an authentic name for yourself. I was expecting a different book, more of a networking book, and less of a personal development book. That’s OK, my expectations aren’t Scott’s problem, and I am assuming I can buy his other books for that.

Anyway, read this book if you’re serious about personal development, want an example of what some of the stuff we all know we’re supposed to do (believe in yourself, affirmations, etc) can do, and want to make a name for yourself.

See you tomorrow.

Never Decide Anything Within the First 2 minute of Waking Up…”It’s Settled, Then.”

By Filed Under: Achieving Goals

Every morning, I wake up at 4:45. This gives me the time I need to get my brain engaged. To review my goals. To read.

And that habit has been going on for a couple of weeks, but it’s paid dividends:

  1. I’m already up to go to the gym again.
  2. I’m aware of what needs to be done.
  3. I’m already ready to kick some ass.

One of the lessons that led to this–is this: never decide anything in the first 10 seconds of waking up.

During that time, I almost always am not totally engaged. I almost always feel crappy. I am almost always ready–at that second–to go to bed. About 15 seconds later, I feel a little better, and then I’m ready to start my day, and I feel even better…and then I think of my goals…and I get really pumped.

But the first ten seconds? Man, sometimes you wanna hit the snooze. Sometimes it is more comfortable to go to bed.

I decide the NIGHT BEFORE that I’m waking up at 4:45, that I’m likely to feel like crap for a minute or two, and that it will pass, and i’ll get after all of my goals. I think about it, and in my mind I say, “It’s settled, them.” One phrase is all it takes. My mind stops resisting me, and I wake up and think, “man, I feel like crap….

…but it’s already settled that I’m gonna wake up early.” So I let the dog out, hit start on the coffee pot, grab my daily checklist…and I get moving. I come to the basement, write my goals, do my affirmations, and I’m already feeling better.

It wasn’t always like this–before I made this trick, I’d hit snooze…as much as not. “Well, feel like crap today.” I’m guessing now that I’ll do this on 2 or 3 hours sleep. And I’m guessing that i’ll feel good, and I won’t need much of a nap.

What tricks do you have for hitting your goals?

Lesson #1 from Joe Paterno: “Potential Ain’t Worth S#!t.”

By Filed Under: Achieving Goals, Start Here
joepa-sidebar

[Note: Joe Paterno wasn't a great example of whatever. I'm sorry I mentioned him, as he  was a cultural reference.]

Joe Paterno is credited with saying that about a linebacker he took a pass on….according to legend, JoePA didn’t see him as a worker. And, apparently, JoePa was right because the dude had physical skills but became a Juco washout. (Note: I originally heard that story at one of the Mike Ferry events I attended, and it seems to fit with the rest of the stuff I learned about Joe.  However, Mike has a habit of…well, not telling the truth.)

Joe’s right. Potential Ain’t Worth Shit.

Let’s take another example. Penny Hardaway and Michael Jordan were both supremely gifted athletes. Both could do AMAZING things with the basketball. Both had massive injuries… early in their career. One was a coach killer, one was “That rarest of all–the supremely talented over achiever.” Michael outworked absolutely everyone around him on his way to 6 championships. Penny blamed his coach, his teammates….and wound up pissing away more talent than 99.9997% of the people that have ever competed in game of basketball.

Potential Ain’t Worth Shit.

I have always been–everywhere–earmarked for great things. From kindergarten on, it’s been expected of me that I’d climb/rise. until now–I’ve never really been on the path to do much with my life. Mostly because I’ve been committed to being uncommitted. I’ve fed my ego with the idea that if it’s not this…it’d be something else that I could do.

When I was a Realtor, I was “too good” to be a Realtor. I was not one of them. I was above them, and I won awards, but it was an easy job “a monkey could do.” Yes, I had a built in excuse not to sell out for my job. I was in the top 5%, making an easy six figures every full year I was in it–but everyone was shocked that I didn’t get into that top 1% area (which makes fringe pro athlete dough), and further shocked when I limped out of the business, fatter and burnt out.

Now I sell mortgages, my job has been a “stepping stone” merely for me to coach, to train, to start my own company. I never fully engaged myself in what I was doing…so I’ve had a built in out any time I wanted one. I’m not just “some lame-o mortgage broker…” I’m a future business owner, and why should I engage my considerable talents on this business?

When I was at GW, I was graduating in a year, regardless, so I never applied myself.

When I was at Otterbein , I was getting ready to transfer to GW, so I didn’t have to work that hard.

When I was in the Army Reserve, that wasn’t going to be my career.

Now that I’m fat, I comfort myself with the fact that I’ve been here before, taken the weight off before, and any time I really want to, things will be OK.

We all have built in excuses to fail, to screw up. Our parents to and peers were let us off the hook. In our culture, nothing is ever “our fault.” Now, I’m 31, and I’ve never t hit on all cylinders for very long. I’ve had myself committed to being uncommitted. That way, I never measure myself against anyone.

Most people are Just resting on Imaginary Laurels!
That’s all it is, man, and people do it all the time. You have to earn the position you’re in day by day, moment by moment. You’ve gotta engage yourself, to see how far you can go. Accept the fact that you’re always gonna have people left that are luckier, smarter, richer, more equipped than you. Get over that–let your ego go, and then spend the time maimizing YOUR talent.

“And to whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required” Luke 12:48

If you’re reading this, you’re in the “much is given category.” You’ve got intellect, you understand a lot. You’re going to either make ultimate use of your talents…or you’re going to waste them. Your ego can be a bitch. It’s easier–mentally–to be disengaged from your life, to wear the “gen-x” slacker/underachiever mantle. It’s easier to scoff at people.

When I was a Realtor, I heard the most astonishing comment as I was separating myself from the people in the Bullpen by having results…”If all I did was sell houses all day, I’d have 4 listings, too.” All that she did was order pizza, and that’s why she beat me to 250 pounds…

I’m not saying be a workaholic. What I’m saying is that in your job, when you work 40 hours, put a passionate 40 hours in. Be engaged in–and committed to–what you’re doing. When you’re with your family, ENGAGE. If you’re going to do something, do it balls out…to the best of your ability.

Don’t Scoff, Don’t Pretend important things don’t matter.

It’s the way of our world to scoff and sneer. It’s WAY easier than it is to really get after it. It’s way easier mentally to make excuses, but it’s never the right way to do things.

My life is my fault, and my creation. I’ve been given a certain amount of ability, but why blame others for the things that are wrong?

It’s my fault that I’m fat.

It’s my fault I’ve never had a book published.

It’s my fault that I’m not a millionaire.

It’s my fault that I’ve never accumulated wealth (or given any money to any noble pursuits).

It’s also…

It’s my fault that I don’t live in a trailer park.

It’s my fault that I have the skills and ethos…needed to earn 6 figures instantly and in any city in America.

We have been given an awesome freedom to create an awesome life for ourselves. To let our ego con us into thinking that we “could have what they have” if we don’t “do what they do,” is vain delusion. It’s easier to scoff at the successes of others than it is to succeed yourself. That’s ego, too.

SO….

  1. What areas in your life do you let yourself off the hook in?
  2. What mental crutches are holding you back?
  3. What is your best?
  4. How often do you get the adrenaline that comes from having done a GREAT job?
  5. Are you working in your dream field? Working towards working in your dream field?
  6. Or working on excuses to let yourself off the hook?

Undervaluing personal relationships.

By Filed Under: Achieving Goals, Start Here

I’m not going to begrudge myself my natural bias towards numbers, and towards reality.  Numbers help, they tell the story.  Goals are made up of numbers, and a lot of goals are measurable.  If something matters to you–really matters–you’ll wind up doing more of it.   If going to church is important to you, go to church, if exercise is important to you, do more.   It makes sense–to break a lot of life down into measurable chuncks, and work with it that way.

Goals, I believe in, and will continue to believe in.

But–for my entire life–I’ve gravely undervalued friendships and relationships.  I’ve undervalued how it is to be able to have conversations with people.

I think it’s true–nobody wants to see their academic rewards on their deathbed.  They want their kids and grandkids to be around them.

So, moving forward, I’m going to have relationship goals, and try and build my life more around those ideas…helping benefit people.