2012 Goals

Start the MBA program at the University of Notre Dame (check)

Vacation two weeks in Europe (check)

Invest in a new rental property (check)

Help grow the business to over $34M (check)

Build a home for less privileged in Mexico (check)

When you set goals, write the list down where you can view it often. Have your spouse, partner, or mentor hold you accountable. Build out categories and take time to reflect on the outcomes. Most importantly thank God for the platform HE's given you.

Repeat and do over again.

A Smarter Way To Network

I'm back after a two month hiatus from graduate school at Notre Dame. Homework and exams have consumed much of my time, but its all worth the effort in the end. 

I recently read an article in the HBR (Harvard Business Review) that mentions successful executives connect with select people and get more out of them. Obviously this caught my attention, since I base much of my business activities around networking. Below are a few excerpts that are worth reading.

We all know the old adage, "it's not what you know, it's who you know" is true. But it's more nuanced than that. In spite of what most self-help books say, network size doesn't usually matter. In fact, they've found that individuals who simply know a lot of people are less likely to achieve standout performance because they're spread too thin.  

Yes, it’s important 

to know powerful people, but if they 

account for too much of your network, 

your peers and subordinates often perceive 

you to be overly self-interested, and 

you may lose support as a result.

The data collected pointed to a different 

model for networking. The executives 

who consistently rank in the top 20% 

of their companies in both performance 

and well-being have diverse but select networks 

made up of high-quality 

relationships with people who come from several different spheres and from up and down the corporate hierarchy.

Finally here's four important steps that came about from this article to implement inside your networking strategy;

1. Analyze - Identify the people in your network and what you get out of interacting with them.

2. De-layer - Make some hard decisions to back away from redundant and energy-sapping relationships.

3. Diversify - Build your network out with the right know of people, energizers who will help you achieve your goals.

4. Capitalize - Make sure you're using your contacts as effectively as you can.

Same Game New Rules

Last month I was standing in the middle of St. Peter's Square ready to enter the Vatican in Rome and I received a phone call from Notre Dame University. The Director of Admissions called to inform me of my acceptance into the MBA program. What a fantastic memory as my wife and I finished a two week vacation in Europe.

I'm excited about the challenge that lays ahead and the opportunity to prove myself again in South Bend. Over ten years ago I left Notre Dame with a terrible sense of disappointment when we lost to the Irish in a last minute football game. For those of you who don't know, I had a pass thrown to me while I was running a crossing route, which tipped off my hands and landed in the lap of Vontez Duff, who took the interception back for a touchdown. Game over, senior year over, and dreams of playing pro football over. Sadly enough I couldn't seem to recover and ever regain my mental edge to play at a high level.

The day after the game my picture was on the front cover of the NY Times sports page, and the highlight was shown in slow motion on CNN Headline News. I had been through disappointment in my sports career, but nothing had an impact quite like this moment.

As I look back on this experience, I realized how valuable a lesson this set back had on my life. Although I feel like I've left something on the table back at Notre Dame, I rest assure that God had this plan already in place, waiting to build my character. When I played college football ten years ago, I was immature and full of a big ego. What a blessing in disguise despite the temporary pain that ruined my senior year of college football because I grew more in my faith for God and changed the way I lived as a man.

Uncomfortable vs. Exhaustion

I believe the single most significant decision you can make on a day-to-day basis is your choice of attitude. Attitude is that one thing that keeps you going or cripples your progress. It alone fuels your fire or assaults your hope. (Acts 16:25)

It's not talent, it's not innate ability, it simply comes down to how hungry you are to improve. What's the difference between you and them. The professionals are willing to knock on the doors of complete exhaustion every single day.

Ask yourself this, are you moving closer towards your goals, or are you moving further away them? Are you knocking of those doors of exhaustion, or are you just uncomfortable? Being uncomfortable is not exhaustion. Being uncomfortable is your mind quitting before your body.

It's easier to buy the ticket to see the game, than the one to prepare for it. It's easier watch athletes from the couch than it is to be the one hoisting the trophy.

It's a lot easier to look back on your life and know you gave it your all than it is to live with regrets. Not living up to your potential, well that weighs on your shoulders for a lifetime.

Productivity

It's really not about genetics. It's about the effort. It's about doing the activity right. And this transfers throughout all facets in life. Whether its working on your school work, or working on that business proposal at your job. It's even the small things in life, like cleaning dishes or cleaning the house because if you can't clean the house right, how are you expected to run a fortune 500 company right. And all successful people understand that, that they're gonna give it there all throughout every single task that they have to do because time is so precious, and that they're going to do it right. So I hope you understand this concept of productivity a little bit better, and you need to ask yourself what are gonna do today, but more importantly you need to ask yourself how you're going to do it?

How Bad Do You Want It? (Success)

A lot of people in this world search endlessly for some complex magical formula to understand why some people are successful and why others are not.

But it really just boils down to this concept of productivity. That you're going to apply the most amount of effort to the best of your ability in the allotted time that you have.

And all successful people realize that time is the most precious commodity out there, its the one thing you can't buy or ever buy back.

So these successful people realize that they have an allotted time to perform a given task so that they have to give it there absolute all to doing that task. Because going through the motions is the most dis-advantgeous thing you can do.

An Appeal That Everybody Likes

I had breakfast with Congressman Mike Pence this past weekend. As we began the conversation, Congressman Pence went out of his way to make a personal introduction since we didn't initially get a chance to greet. This blew me away! I understand that politicians need to be on point when it comes to making others feel important, but Mike Pence did this with sincerity.

With that said I'm making a prediction that Congressman Pence will be the next Governor of Indiana.

Here's why - -

1. Genuinely interested in other people.

2. Encourage others to talk about themselves while listening well.

3. Talk in terms of the other person's interests.

4. Make the other person feel important - and does it sincerely.

Same Game New Rules

The basics are over. They are dead and gone. No more cold calling, no more overcoming objections, no more tie-down questions, no more closing the sale, and no more finding the pain. Those days are over. They left somewhere between 1972 and 1992.


Excerpt taken from Jeffrey Gitomer

Rework

Why the Staffing Industry?

Number one, I want a concept that's been around for one hundred years or more.

Why, because it takes time and money to educate the market. Having an established concept, one that everybody understands helps bridge this gap.

Number two, I love the staffing industry because its fairly antiquated.

Why, because staffing agencies haven't realized that the customer's needs have changed. Delivering doughnuts and slanging bodies just doesn't cut it anymore. The hourly model is flawed and technology isn't at the forefront of this industry.

Number three, the staffing industry is full of specific market niches.

Why, because I am able to distinguish myself from the competition by designing a new workforce management model that transfers risk, address the new customer needs, and use the latest technology.

Build Your People

One of my all time favorite coaches is Kevin Sumlin, who is currently the head football coach at Texas A&M University. I love Kevin dearly, he gave me a chance as a walk-on to play and start at Purdue. And I certainly enjoyed giving my best for coach Sumlin as a player.

Kevin often made a point to get out of the way of his talent, and lead by giving us the latitude to help create in our own style a more prolific offense along side Drew Brees. (Side note - - anytime the all time leader in NFL passing yards in a season is your quarterback, humbly give credit where credit is due.)

As Patton once said, "don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results." Kevin Sumlin led this way, and he certainly got the most of my ability. Applying this to business, I would recommend the following concepts to exude when leading this way;

Lead from the heart
Give people something good to live up to - - something great - - and they usually will.
The more you yield, the more power you have.
The substance of influence is pull...not push.
Tact is the language of strength.
And don't react - - respond.

Thanks coach for the life lesson...

Being Muddy

Leaders shouldn't expect anyone else to do anything they haven't done themselves. They get dirt under their nails and mud on their boots.

Being humble means being aware of your connections with the dust of the earth. The soil is the source of everything we have. Remember your muddy beginnings, and you can accomplish anything.

For example as a boy, Sam Walton milked the family cow and sold the surplus milk to neighbors. And Bill Gates spent thousands of hours as a teenager programming computers at Washington University.

Do the work.

Lead from your gut.

Stay hugely humble.

Stay grounded.

Get mud on your boots.

And trust yourself.

(excerpt taken from It's Not About You, written by Bob Burg and John David Mann)