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Authenticity, Radically Different…

December 16, 2007 By

Tim Ferris.

Bill Phillips.

Mike Ferry.

Scott Adams

Warren Buffett.

Mark Cuban.

Seth Godin

Phil Jackson

And Yes, Tiger Woods.

I have a long list of heroes. Of course, not everyone up there has totally defensible positions on everything, or perfect moral clarity. But, all of them–to a man–are radically different than the people around them. Tim Ferris works for 4 hours. Mike Ferry wants his people to work an honest schedule. Scott Adams writes goals 10x daily. Warren Buffet shops at JC Penny. Mark Cuban sells companies. The dissonance in that list is astonishing.

The Same Behaviors Yield the Same Results.

I’ve got some things I want to accomplish in a relatively short period of time. And right now? I’m doing the same shit ad infinitum. The pull of this society to become mediocre and to conform is the biggest obstacle to progress–which is made by the efforts of individuals. Your peers are probably listless losers. Why emulate them?

I’m not saying to be cruel, but why have more involvement than is necessary with people that are stuck in this world? If you want to make incremental change, people will push you into the hole that they see you in with sarcasm, rejection of the goal (why would anyone want to do that), and all sorts of ad hominem attacks on you (you’ve never done this, why is this time different). People are risk adverse mealy mouthed pack animals, and to be like them is to short change the life you can create.

Don’t Let Anyone Vomit On Your Soul.

Being alone isn’t necessary the lot, but it’s gotta be an acceptable outcome. Needing people to praise you is an insidious control that allows us all to self censor our best contributions. Ryan Holiday recently mused that if his parents were an obstacle to his progress, then even they won’t be permitted to screw with your head. I agree. Bo Jackson said you can’t be a man if you allow other men to tell you how to think.

I had my Damascus experience. I am marginally different than everyone around me. I stand at my desk at work (because I get more done). I blog. But those things? They don’t get me closer to my big damn goals. I’ve got a lifestyle that consumes income, I’m working in an industry that’s imploding.

To be radically different and to seperate yourself from the pack, you gotta commit to radical change. And to hell with anyone that doesn’t agree. My guess is that you’ll attract people that are in sync, and that are making their own pack.

More tomorrow. My mind is full….and I need to see if I can sleep for a few hours.

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

September 27, 2007 By

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.