Category Archives: Professional Development

Changing Views on Retirement

When I started out in my working career I’ve always thought very intentionally about retirement. You know, that mythical creature we’d all hope to reach by the ripe ole age of 65!! I might look something like the picture above (PS – Thx Snapchat Filter)

I began as most do, with an employer sponsored 401K and began socking away money for a day that “could be” 40+ years from when I started. Initial learnings of OPM (Other People’s Money) became apparent as my contribution was “matched” by my employer. I supplemented this work 401K plan with a ROTH IRA contribution. Post tax dollars invested for a similar “someday” but these dollars would not be taxed as they grew or when they would be redeemed. Decent start for someone early in their 20’s…or so I thought.

All that seemingly remained to accomplish my goal of retirement would be to:

  • Continue to grow earnings & investing with consistency over time
  • Reduce expenses and debt (this almost always makes sense)
  • Hope the market continued to grow as it had the last 90+ years
  • Don’t die…

Don’t Die?

Killer Strategy (no pun intended!). When saving for “Someday” the importance of don’t die took on a new light when I got into my 30’s and continued growing personal income. I began to question the ideals behind saving and investing (buy, hold, pray) during the best years of my life, so I could retire somewhere in Florida to ease my arthritis and work on my shuffleboard game in my 70’s at a measurably slower pace of life.

The goal isn’t to stash away money for 40-50 years so that some day when I’m 75 and have limited mobility I can be as free as a bird (from expenses). It takes too long!!! What if I wanted to retire 10 or even 20 years sooner? How could that happen?

Mindset Shift

Through an introduction of some terrific business friends, I read, listened to and re-listened to The 4-Hour Work Week, by Tim Ferriss. The “new rich” as he’d described saw retirement not as the end goal, but more a means of being throughout life. Scheduled “mini-retirements” were necessary to live life to the fullest now vs. saving it all for a future someday (the end). This began my learning journey of my 30’s.

Concepts like: Business Ownership, Monthly Cash Flow, Time Management and Target Monthly Income (TMI) became common place in my retirement planning while learning from the “new rich.”

The Rich Don’t Work for Money

I dove back into the classic Rich Dad Poor Dad and the classic teaching from Robert Kiyosaki. I started asking simple questions of the wealthy. How did they get there? What do they do? More importantly…what do they OWN?

Assets like a 401K, IRA, or Roth IRA weren’t accessible until 59 1/2 years old (without substantial early withdrawal penalty) and they’re subject to high tax. As I grew in my knowledge, I also became more aware of taxes on the impact of wealth creation and wealth preservation. Would taxes likely be higher 30 years from now….I’d venture a strong HELL YEAH, at this one!

I’m an incredibly visual person and so at 38I drafted this visual to unlock the answer to the question,

“What would it take to retire at 45?”

What would it take to require at 45?

Pretty simple answer. Produce monthly cash flow from investments that exceeds > current expenses. Period. End of story. Invest in assets which produce cash flow. [From: Rich Dad Poor Dad]

There’s a critically important point to make here. I’m 99% sure I won’t retire at 45 to a john boat, weekly fishing expeditions, morning coffee with the boys, and afternoon golf (daily). But, that doesn’t sound too shabby does it?

Back in 2013 I started what I call “Dream Bucket 2027” which is my plan to freedom at 45 years old. I sometimes interchangeably call this mission the “Freedom Fund” as I’m talking about it and investing in assets.

Familiar with the F.I.R.E. Movement?

Financial Independence Retire Early. If you’re not familiar with Mr. Money Mustache, this would be a good side track for you and another POV on early retirement if that’s the mission you’re on. His “mustachian” philosophy is that of aggressive saving and passive index fund investment and aggressively limiting and/or eliminating expenses for financial freedom. Different path, but similar destination in mind.

Where do we go from here?

Today I continue investing in cash flowing assets (primarily real estate) and I feel well positioned given the recent explosion of inflation. I’m also doing a great deal of learning about TAXES and how the wealthy navigate this space (legally)to keep more of what they earn. If you’re wondering why the wealthy don’t pay taxes, consult the IRS Tax code. The tax code is simply a series of “incentives” from the government. The wealthy understand how to use the code. Tom Wheelwright does a terrific job with his TAX FREE WEALTH books and content on this subject.

Nothing Happens without Income Growth

I’m certain there are differing opinions here, but I’ll make this very simple. The first step to any retirement or freedom journey is to MASSIVELY increase your income. A person can live very comfortably and with large steps forward with their income many options will become available. I recommend following Grant Cardone for income explosion inspiration and concepts. I’ve read a few of his books and they’ve been helpful on my journey.

As I move from my 30s to my 40s in 2022, I look back at all the learning I had in my 30’s and how different it was from the learnings of my 20’s. I’m looking forward to further mindset shifts in my journey and I look forward to updating the readers on my DREAM BUCKET journey.

How Will You Arrive?

Fresh off a 5K run. Drenched in sweat and about to text my buddy Steve.

As the sun rises and the sun sets, I step closer and closer to that milestone birthday I once dreaded and made fun of in my 20s. Now as this milestone quickly approaches, I’m hopeful to believe life is less than half complete. Yes I’ll confess my age. I’m on the doorstep of 40!

What inevitability awaits is marketed to us on the daily. Do gray hairs now populate my head and beard? Could the waistline be slightly expanding? Is my club head speed beginning to deteriorate?

A couple months back around the holidays I was texting with a good friend of mine after a workout. Sweaty, but feeling energized from my recent accomplishment pounding the treadmill for a few miles I reminded him of the impending doom on our horizon. Our 40th birthdays would both come calling in March of 2022.

The question wasn’t if we’d make it to the milestone. No. We were certainly on a crash course with a “mid-life” encounter. The question I posed to him was, “How will we arrive at 40?”

How would I arrive for my wife?

Would I have the vitality necessary to keep a 20-year relationship fun and strong? Would I be desirable in my life choices or is the beer gut winning out? Am I doing my best to balance being a provider, a parent and a partner?

How would we arrive for my kids?

Would we have the energy, or more than enough energy to keep up with them as they grow out of babies into their adolescent years? Do we own enough discipline to know when to put work away and pickup a ball or book with our kids?

How would we arrive for ourselves?

How is our physical, mental and spiritual health at a time when we’re pulled in so many directions? Are we continuing to take on new and curious challenges to keep growing as individuals? Do we also own a deep gratitude to know we are “enough” today?

How would we arrive for our friends?

Are we someone a friend can trust or count on in a time of need? Or are we the one who seldom returns a call or text? Instead choosing the lazy route of disappearing into the ether of a “busy” life void of the connections we truly cherish?

A decade ago…

I shared somewhat similar and more surface level thoughts about this topic as I was nearing 30 and trying (unsuccessfully at the time) to start a family. Was I the reason my wife and I were unable to conceive? Was it my lifestyle that needed an overhaul? If we were blessed with kids, how would I arrive as a parent?

Time is a wonderful teacher. Ten years and a lot of life in between offer more perspective and more thoughtful reflection as I continue on this journey called life.

I now understand life is consistently presenting us with milestones. Each milestone contains a mini finish line on the horizon. Each finish line provides an opportune time time to ask, “How will I arrive when I break the tape of _______________ life event?

If you currently find yourself addicted, overweight, out of shape, anxious, or simply less than your best self…look forward to your next milestone and leverage the journey ahead for meaningful progress.

I don’t care if you’re soon to be graduating college, turning 30, welcoming your first child, turning 50, or soon to be 80 years young. Life is giving us all the opportunity to pause and take stock. Not that we are perfect or in pursuit of perfection. But that we HAVE ARRIVED!

HOW WILL YOU ARRIVE?

Lessons from 5,500+ PULL-UPS

I’m writing this having surpassed my 2021 pull up goal by over 150%. But that in itself isn’t the lesson I’m hopeful to share here.

Wrapping up 2020 I knew I needed to do something different. Something challenging with my body and something different with my mind.

Starting the year I filled out Tony Robbins’ Rapid Planning Method worksheet (Follow the Link – I encourage you to use it!). The Rapid Planning Method is one part goal setting, one part reason for having the goal in the first place. I listed three goals. One of my goals was to complete 3,650 pull ups. Pretty simple math behind this one. Ten per day, every day, for an entire year. But achieving my goal was going to take consistency and time.

Easy to do. Easy NOT to do.

Slight Edge Principles. The time required to complete 10 pull ups is about 15 seconds (Maybe less). Let that sink in. A total of 15 seconds of output per day was my target. But, that wasn’t going to be the real challenge…the EVERY DAY part was! This wasn’t a goal for my biceps and back. It was a goal to flex my discipline muscle.

I Struggle with Discipline

Short term discipline I’m ok with. But the staying power required to complete looooong tasks is not a talent of mine. I become bored and typically move on to something else. I experience this finishing a book I’m less than interested in or staying with diet/lifestyle choices for long periods of time. This behavior has not proven to be detrimental, but I had a feeling I could do so much better if I pushed through the boredom.

So What Happened in 2021?

  1. In 2020 I had the exact same pull up goal – But I quit shy of 1,500 (insert bummer emoji). Not sure why, other than what I mentioned in the paragraph above. I simply quit showing up to the bar. I got bored I guess because if you think about it, a pandemic is a PERFECT opportunity to knock out home workouts.
  2. 2021 HOT START – As with my addictive personality, I was off and running in January 2021 and feeling pretty good. Ahead of pace with few “missed days” in the process. The early goal was consistency and not try and overdo it.
  3. Feb/March/April – I fell off the face of the earth as my Ulcerative Colitis flared up and my energy level was entirely zapped with work and parenting duties. I’d fallen behind…well behind and I was weak to boot! Signal – – – – > quitting time!
  4. QUITTING TIME – Goal: 3,650. I’d done a little over 400. I had 3,250 left to complete and 7 months to do so. Given my situation I could’ve easily thrown in the towel. No one would fault me…except myself. Realistically all that changed was my 10/day target, moved north to 15+. Still 100% achievable if I’d commit.
  5. MAY 2021 – Sometime after another colonoscopy, some helpful steroids and my body beginning to heal itself, I got back on the bar. I had work to. I was nearly 1,000 reps behind pace for where I “should have been” if I’d stuck to my 10/day/everyday commitment.
  6. MOMENTUM – Sometime in the summer/fall I hit my stride and momentum kicked in. There were days I was completing 50, 70, or 100+ reps. I was chasing down my goal like a hungry dog chasing a meat truck and I had the calluses to prove it.
  7. 11/3/2021 – I hit target and damn it FELT GOOD!! This also meant I had nearly 60 days left in 2021 to create separation from my goal. I even started adding weight of 10-20 lbs. between my legs on sets.

Thus a new and good habit is born, for when an act becomes easy through constant repetition it becomes a pleasure to perform and if it is a pleasure to perform it is a man’s nature to perform it often. When I perform it often it becomes a habit and I become its slave and since it is a good habit this is my will

The Greatest Salesman in the World (The Scroll Marked I)

In reality, the annual pull up target isn’t really impressive. After all, David Goggins once did just over 4,000 pull ups in 24 hrs. One day! That said, my goal achievement did give me the momentum needed to see what’s possible. I’m thinking next year the target is 10,000 (after all…it isn’t even 30/day).

Like many others, I can be impatient in the pursuit of a BIG goal or target. Sprinting when I should be jogging and also resting when I should also be walking. This duel edged sword can be both good and prove incredibly challenging for someone like me when pursuing a lengthy goal. What helped me the most in 2021 was breaking the annual target into daily achievable numbers and staying the course. Small efforts magnified by time.

Don’t Eat the Whole Elephant

Those who work with me know I frequently use the saying, “Don’t eat the whole elephant, but instead…keep taking bites!” Small, intentional bites in pursuit of accomplishing the target!” Progress > Perfection.

As we step forward into another year the word RESOLUTION will be thrown around wildly in the coming days and weeks. My advice would be, RESOLVE to set daily or weekly targets and PUNT the New Year’s Resolution nonsense. Let the daily work and accumulation take care of itself. You can accomplish a WHOLE LOT of anything x 365!

I’ll leave you with the image on the right. Every rep accounted for on the backside of the drywall in my basement (sorry honey!).

Top 5 Posts of 2021

Reflecting back on 2021, I see a year of challenge, renewal and momentum.

Incase you’re not a subscriber (subscribe below), or even if you are, you might have missed out on one of these gems. This is a quick recap of my top 5 blog posts of 2021 based on readership and engagement. Selfishly speaking, it was a fun exercise pulling together this content. I hope you enjoy this curated list this holiday season.

TOP 5 POSTS of 2021:

  1. Earn Your Comfort – Happiness is NOT purchased through luxury, comfort and general ease. It’s purchased through progress and effort. Comfort is to be earned!
  2. Starting Over. Week 1. Day 1. – Habits win out over time. This post is a reflection on where my bad habits left me earlier in 2021 (in a bad place) and the consequent journey out of a challenging time in my life.
  3. The Four Pillars of Progress – This post unlocks my pillars to vitality. If I got only these four efforts right, the rest of life falls in line because my energy, output and sleep are aligned accordingly. The older I get, the more I’m focused on these efforts.
  4. Greenlights and Havard Business Review Collide – Life is undoubtably a journey of managing the +/- being thrown at us. At times, momentum is effortless and we “find our frequency” and flow in the journey. This post will help you pay attention to times when it is all clicking. Pay attention to what you’re doing, who you’re with and how you feel. Be on the lookout for your own Greenlights.
  5. Career Advice: Leave a Dent! – I made a large career change late in 2021. This change left me reflecting back on all the connections I’d made and the impactful moments I’d shared along the way. Business comes and goes, but we can always make sure to leave people with a lasting impact!

Looking forward into 2022 I will use the momentum generated from these posts to continue delivering my unique (Keen) perspective to the readers out there.

~Cheers to a healthy, wealthy and fulfilled new year!

Career Advice: Leave a DENT!

I find myself writing this on the heels of making a big career move. In nearly 20 years, it’s really only the second one of my career and I find myself reflecting on the last seven years spent with my team.

The advice I give teammates about departing talent is always the same. “When a person departs…I hope they left a dent,” I’d say. Why would I say that?

Here’s why a person needs to leave a DENT:

  • It shows the work they were contributing really mattered
  • It shows other people counted on them for: insight, or advice, or thoughtfulness in a tough time
  • If their work didn’t matter…why were they there in the first place?
  • If their work didn’t matter, what do you think it was like going home for them? Or, what do you think a Monday morning felt like? Pretty flat.
  • A dent is a noticeable blemish. Yet, it isn’t catastrophic in nature like a wheel was removed from the bike in departure. Leave an impact…not a mess. The work will go on and you hope the team prospers in their endeavors!
  • Imagine a teammate leaving, and the following day someone says, “Where did Mike go?” The answer is met with some vague shrug of the shoulders description and everyone goes right back to what they were doing. What an empty feeling for Mike and the team!! You think he didn’t know that in the days or weeks leading up to him leaving?
  • Leaving a dent means you’ll miss things about your coworkers and company.

Leaving a DENT isn’t about deals or money

I’m incredibly fortunate to have team members reach out and say some VERY kind words in my departure. Not a single one of them was about a piece of business won, or revenue generated, or a P&L. They’re all about making an impact in each others lives. As proof, I’m posting a few of them below. Selfish as it may seem, I’d like to come back to them in the future and this will be a great place to do just that.

Almost everyone will eventually depart. When you do, LEAVE A DENT!

To my colleagues who took the time to put your words in writing. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!

Man I hate to see you go. I’m sure you will fill us all in on your new adventure in due time. I certainly wish you nothing but the best of luck. I will miss you my friend – and I thank you for the opportunity and pleasure to work with you. I’m excited for you Zac. Thank you for everything. 

I was saddened to hear you’re leaving Mindstream but completely understand wanting to do something new! It’s been a pleasure working with you the past 5 years and I’ve always appreciated your positivity in any scenario. I’m so grateful for all the support you’ve shown me and just wanted to say thank you! I wish you all the best and hope our paths cross again.

Morning! Long time no chat : ) A lot has changed since the 2019, pre covid, good ole days ha. Saw the Friday vid and wanted to make sure I got a good luck in prior to you leaving. You are overall just a solid guy and a good leader – best of luck in what comes next. I know you will be great and an asset! Cheers to your next adventure!

Good morning and THANK YOU! Hi Zac, sad to hear you are leaving… I just wanted to say I appreciate all your contributions to my personal growth. All the best to you and your family!

Hey Zac. Good Luck to you!! Hate to see you go. By the way, (I know you don’t want to hear it since you are a Hawkeyes fan) but did you see that Cyclone win this weekend? I was at the game. It was so good!!! My nephew graduated from Iowa State in 2020, so we went back for the homecoming game. Have a good last week. I wish you the best.

Good luck on where you are going and thanks for all the support these past few years. I feel like I have learned a lot just from being part of the conversations that you led. Wish you the best in your next leadership role!

Zac, it’s been an honor to work alongside you! I wish you luck in the future and I hope we cross paths again. Thanks for everything!

I am heading to the airport soon but just wanted to say I have really enjoyed working with you the last couple years. You taught me a lot and I always appreciated your positivity and upbeat energy you bring. New business will definitely have a void without you but wanted to wish you well on your next endeavor

I was OOO Friday and just now learned of your departure. That makes me sad, but sincerely happy you have the opportunity to follow a new path in life. I wanted to thank you for the coaching, assistance and partnership as we’ve worked to together over the past couple of years. I’ve learned a lot from you. Thanks for for everything! It’s been a true pleasure working with you. Wishing you much success with your new gig.

I am sad to hear about your departure, but excited for you and your new opportunity. You will be greatly missed! I have enjoyed getting to know you and working with you over these past few years. I remember meeting you at Meso Maya when merger talks were in progress when we hung out in that upstairs room eating great Mexican food. I have always been impressed with your enthusiasm and passion for our business! I always learn something when we talk. I just wish there had more opportunities for us to get to know each other better/work more together. 

Know this! I’m faaaaaarr from perfect. I don’t think everyone had the same feeling. I made a boatload of mistakes along the way. I also leave with confidence knowing…I left a DENT!

Earn Your Comfort

I used to think the goal of life was to seek or retire into comfort. Some would do this at 45, others maybe 75…but retire nonetheless. Comfortable. In the meantime during the pursuit, I’d take some time out of every week to be…comfortable.

I’m now convinced this couldn’t be further from the truth.
The goal of life is continued progress. Working through hard things, for the benefit of personal growth and progress.

Someday when I do retire, I want to arrive there knowing it was EARNED.

“We must all either wear out or rust out, every one of us. My choice is to wear out.” — Theodore Roosevelt

Unearned or continued comfort is called laziness. Reminds me of the Seven Deadly Sins and the sin of Sloth.
But sloth isn’t only laziness, it is also carelessness, unwillingness to act, half-hearted effort, or becoming easily discouraged by possible difficulty.

When Everything is Satisfaction

Too much of a good thing, connects my thoughts to the often used analogy of the “rich kid, with a cocaine habit!” Everything given to him, such that he works for nothing, appreciates nothing, is motivated by nothing because there was no struggle to achieve what was gifted (in this instance, money and time). Instead of work and progress toward a goal, he focuses his efforts and energy on a substance that gives him that lonely “high” he’s searching for. That comfort and release he’s been so desperately looking for. When everything is satisfaction and easy, satisfaction is unearned and empty.

Friday Feels

There is something really wonderful about a Friday evening after you’ve made the most of a week kicking ass Monday through Friday. Earning the opportunity to have a great dinner, or a cocktail, or simply to put your feet up, feels infinitely better when reflecting on progress of a week vs. just moving through the motions.

Challenge Comfort with Progress

Tony Robbins says, “Progress equals Happiness!” This is exactly what I think “earning comfort” looks like. Progress, reward. Progress, reward. Progress, reward. Say it out loud. It FEELS DAMN GOOD! It feels like momentum. This is exactly why successful people continue to be successful oftentimes in greater magnitudes. They’ve generated tremendous momentum and they literally can’t be stopped. Successful people generate too much momentum and have reservoirs of progress to tap into when they hit a lull.

Rich Roll Said it Best

I shared this in my last post, and I think it’s worth sharing here again. Rich Roll on happiness.

Rich Roll says the following: “We’re in a culture that is driving everybody toward this idea that happiness is purchased through luxury, comfort and ease. And the truth could not be more different from that reality. If you want to find peace with yourself, self understanding, self knowledge, self esteem, all of these things are going to be found through: sacrifice, getting uncomfortable, re-evaulating what your normal is and putting yourself in situations you don’t want to f*cking do” “RICH ROLL PODCAST – EPISODE 413”


The Answer in Children’s Eyes

I’ll leave you with this. My son is currently learning how to read real books and it’s an exciting engagement every night we dive into a book (< – – – insert challenge). We work with him every week on learning new words from school, but this isn’t about learning “level 3 words” as much as it is about feels to me. The reaction a child produces when they learn something new is astounding. You can literally see the spark in their eyes, and their physiology changes in an instant due to the challenge just conquered. The world is theirs for a moment! More importantly, momentum is earned and stored to tackle the next phase of learning and the next challenge.

We’re all evolved children. You need that spark. I need that spark. We must combat boredom with progress and earn our comfort.

The Four Pillars of Progress

4 Pillars of Progress

I’m going to share with you a secret. I’ve been using this secret to unlock my happiness and momentum in 2021, coming off what was a challenging 2020 and 1st quarter of 2021.

The four pillars I’m going to share with you are helping to unlock my happiness, reduce tension and simply move through life with more ease, creating effortless momentum.

The Four Pillars:

  • Exercise
  • Sleep
  • Hydration
  • Meditation

I really hope at this point there is some eye-rolling happening…because of the simplicity of what was just shared.

Speaking on the note of simplicity for a moment, I find myself more in the pursuit of simplicity the older I get. I see it everywhere and when done well…it’s beautiful, its poetic and simplicity also produces power.

I look for simplicity in sports because of the rhythmic movement needed to produce a repeatable outcome. Here are a few of my favorites.

  • Ray Allen’s Jump Shot – Simple. Beautiful. No wasted movement. Poetic. SPLASH!
  • Louis Oosthuizen’s Golf Swing. Simple. Compact. Powerful.
  • Barry Bonds Swing – (yes he was juiced on horse steroids), but even prior to those record setting years his swing was simple. Compact. Extremely effective.
  • Aaron Rodgers Passing Motion – Yes his god-given talent is likely off the charts, but the ease in which he flicks the ball is so fun to watch (and I’m a Bears fan).

In 2020 I found myself lacking in the simple execution of paying my daily debt to the four pillars, leaving me feeling less than my best self, and (I believe) setting flare to my autoimmune disease. A loss of momentum can snowball.

It’s pretty easy to figure out really. Too much stress, too little exercise, poor sleep, and under hydrating myself lead to a lifestyle I personally can’t sustain. Neither can you I’d argue. I’m also thinking more and more about health and general well-being coming off a year when many of us saw life through a very different lens. I don’t want to be that guy that waits til he’s 60 and their cardiologist says, “you gotta make some lifestyle changes Zac, or else…”

Why not start now?

I’ve adopted the thinking that I’d like to feel 20 again, but think like I’m 60. Interestingly, or ironically I’m about in the middle of those two numbers anyway, so maybe it’s just a realignment. Amazing what that does to a person’s perspective. Feel like you’re 20, think like you’re 60. What does that mean?

  • Feel like 20 – To me this is about energy and enthusiasm. A playful and youthful exuberance to play offense in life and let the chips fall where they may.
  • Think like 60 – This is about perspective. Cutting out petty annoyances and relationships. Barring anything tragic, life is a long game to be played. Think about it this way.

The daily practice of following my scorecard (exercise and meditation) along with staying hydrated get the last and most important piece – – – – – – > A good night of sleep.

I’d ask you to think deeply about the last time you had a great night of sleep? How did you feel the next day? What was your energy level like? How about your overall zest for life and creativity?

The question I started asking myself is what leads to a terrific night of sleep? It can’t really be 20 things. I kept coming back to four.

Exercise. Hydration. Meditation. Sleep.

GREENLIGHTS and Harvard Business Review Collide

I recently read Matthew McConaughey’s book, “Greenlights” and I loved it. The whimsical storytelling was easy to read and found myself laughing out loud numerous times. At some points, I was left shaking my head asking myself, “Is this true? Can’t be! Did he really do that??!”

More importantly, I found the exercise of Matthew finding his “greenlights” incredibly enlightening and took it as a personal challenge. Matthew went on many journey’s in his life, looking to “find his frequency” when he was lost personally. I got to thinking…why don’t I do the same?

I dove back into old notebooks. Notebooks I’d been keeping for years…in search of my own Green Lights. I began pouring through old sketches, business plans, ideas, notes to myself and challenging questions. Here’s a 10-year snapshot of the notebooks and journals kept.

I was in search search of finding my frequency

  • Where was I having the MOST fun in my career?
  • Who was I working with? What did they have in common?
  • What projects did I effortlessly dive into?
  • Where did I lose track of time because I was so deep in work?
  • Where did ample challenge, best meet energy to tackle it?
  • Where were the BIGGEST WINNERS? What projects, campaigns, or teams produced exponential output?

Success leaves clues. Follow the breadcrumbs of history and you’ll find them!

Consequently, and almost simultaneously I read the following post from the Harvard Business Review: 5 Questions to Help Your Employees Find Their Inner Purpose. What a WONDERFUL intersection of chance and insightfulness. I

I challenge you to pause here. Did you click the HBR link above? You really need to. You owe it to yourself and your team. It’s more important now than ever. COVID set people off their frequency. Everyone is trying to relearn, reimagine and recalibrate their life.

This is the exercise for exactly that!

Here is the kicker. Your responses to “The 5 Questions” from HBR, have to be in writing. Your writing, not someone else’s. This could be either hand written or typed out on a keyboard, but you have to put them in writing because the exercise will challenge you to truly think about your answers. Your mind will know if you’re writing bullshit, and you’ll rewrite it.

The feeling this produces is fulfilling. A feeling of self-awareness meeting satisfaction of the truth. Like stepping out of a dark room and the sunshine hits you in the face feeling. Step into it!

Final step of the journey…Share unapologetically! There is no fear in showcasing your best self.

Best of luck in the journey of recalibration and finding your frequency!

If Unsure, Connect

Last year, I labeled the Coronavirus pandemic, “The Great Accelerator” for the immediate changes expedited within our lives, businesses, travel, education and all things day to day life. Change which seemingly felt on the five year horizon, was brought to our doorstep in light speed. In turn, behaviors changed over night.

The pandemic also brought with it a tremendous amount of uncertainty. Our health. Our financial futures. Our careers. What would be left when it ended?

I promise you large amounts of uncertainty are alive and well within many individuals. Fear hangs around long enough and it starts to feel normal. This isn’t right.

What I’d like to tell all the readers is fear lives in everyone. Uncertainty, lives in everyone. Sure, some are better at hiding it than others…but it’s there.

I’ll also tell you I’ve personally become very comfortable with the idea that NO ONE has it all figured out. No one is operating a master playbook whereas every page plays out like the acts of a master play.

So what does one do with lingering or consistent uncertainty?
Connect.

Resist the urge of pushing away, into isolation where 2020 led us…and pull instead.

Let your uncertainties, or fears or anxieties hit oxygen via the most basic of human needs. Communication. The rest will melt away. I could use this advice probably more than most.

I know whenever I’m stuck with a problem, or I’m anxious about uncertainty, the ONLY thing that really brings me out of it is the connecting through others.

I’m very hopeful to say we’re nearing the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. What we’re just getting started with…is the all important restart. Think about rebooting your computer. It’s not a singular button and seconds later things are refreshed anew.

No. It takes a reset and time. It takes a reboot and the machine needs to recalibrate for a fresh start. I think we’re in the year of recalibration. We all heard “the new normal” enough in 2020 to throw up. At least I did. But some of the newly found normalcy of it all stuck.

As we move deeper into this recalibration, start with human to human connection. This is a wonderful example where “more for the sake of more” is TRULY, a good thing!

Connection. We’ve all been missing it in a MAJOR way.

State Your Intentions

I believe this is one of the most powerful pieces of advice I can give anyone on tribe following this content.

STATE. YOUR. INTENTIONS.

I’ve been fortunate enough to follow some really solid advice in my life, and for the most part I can’t really tell you where it came from. I can only tell you what it’s given back to me…which is everything.

  • When I was 21 interning at a job (unpaid as an intern) I stated my goal (and wrote it down) to be the youngest Account Executive the company had seen to date. Less than two years later it happened. It was just before I turned 24. A year or two later I was managing the largest piece of business we had. 
  • Just prior to 30, I stated the need to expand our company’s offering at the time and the need to acquire talent in the digital field. I wrote that message to an old friend on 2/27/2012. I still have the email saved. Less than a year later, the acquisition of this company was complete and we were off and running with an entirely new product line. Looking back, this was one of the most fun times of my career. ~Cheers TargetClick.  
  • After the previous accomplishment, I felt the burning desire to own something. My eyes were opened.I wasn’t going to continue on working my tail off for only what was left over. I needed to be on the other side of the deal. I needed a seat at the table and began my search. It was mid 2014. In 2015 I made the transition and after putting in a year of solid growth, my intentions were rewarded. I owned a piece…and a piece is more than zero. As luck would have it, almost a year after this, we sold our business to a much larger firm in the space. Something I couldn’t have imagined only a few years prior. Until I stated my intentions to OWN. 
  • My newest intentional ask revolved around relationships and the real estate space. I’d been devouring books, audio, and lessons on real estate ownership but I had one big problem…I still didn’t own or operate anything. So, what did I do? I called my banker. Stated what I was looking to do, and ask that they connect me with another customer of the bank, one who was already operating in the space. Preferably someone my age. Fast-forward to today, we own and invest in multiple pieces of real estate with a few more deals in the works. Each producing monthly cashflow. Reading another book wasn’t going to get me across this threshold.  

In each of these examples, I stated my intentions clearly, and was committed to their outcomes. This is vitally important. I was committed to their outcomes and was prepared to take LARGE action. 

Here’s what won’t work.

  1. Who you tell matters. “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear”~Buddha. Try telling a bum on the street your intentions to become wealthy…can he help you? Not likely. Who you tell matters what resources will present themselves. My advice, tell someone who has what you want, or is doing what you’re doing! 
  2. Lack of Commitment. Running around flapping your gums about what you want to do is wasteful if you aren’t 100% committed. These people are a blow hard. Big hat, no cattle. People do pay attention and they’ll know it’s fake. To note each of the examples above, I was ALL IN on bursting through the door once the opportunity presented itself. No going back. State intent, find guidance, and act! 

I continue to use and coach this strategy today as I go about mapping out the journey that is life. 

ACTION ITEM: You have to get insanely intentional about your life. Know exactly what you want. For you. Not anyone else. You don’t have to know exactly where to find it. In my experience, the world has a funny way of presenting itself once you know what it is you want and are committed to the pursuit!