How-To Crush What Holds You Back

by on October 13, 2014

Happy Monday!

A few days ago I spent a day-plus in New York City with three icons of the entrepreneurial world:  Seth Godin, Dave Ramsey and Gary Vaynerchuk.

Some of you know them or one or two of them; or maybe you’ve never heard of any of them.

If you, like me, have a big dream and want to be better and do better in this world, each one of these inspiring men is worth knowing and listening to.

Each has gone through the fire – the fire of doubt, loss, embarrassment, mistakes, fear, failure, unknowing — and each one uniquely blazed a trail that transformed their own dreams into success.

After my colleague Sebastian Kaupert and I spent time with these men, I walked away from Business Is Personal remarkably filled and inspired and I couldn’t wait to share with you some of their wisdom.

The bottom line is that we allow so many things to stand in our way and hold us back from our success. If the lives of these men are proof, it’s time to “crush” what holds us back and get on with it!

But first, let me briefly introduce them…

Seth Godin is a world-class thought leader on marketing, and author of a popular and very useful blog as well as 17 books, many best-selling, including Tribes,Linchpin and All Marketers Are Liars (Story-Tellers). I’ve written about Seth in pastSparks!

Gary Vee, as he is nicknamed, is a 38-year-old entrepreneur and podcast host, best known for growing his parents’ wine business from $3 million to a $50 million enterprise. He’s authored several books including my favorite Why Now Is The Time To Crush It. Today he owns VaynerMedia with more than 400 employees in three locations.

I knew the least about Dave Ramsey and I ended up riveted by his life, work, warmth and wisdom.  He hosts the 3rd most popular radio show in the United States, on 546 stations, with 10 million listeners.

After becoming a millionaire from scratch and then going bankrupt, Dave applied new ideas to his life for getting and staying out of debt.

He then began to share what he learned with others who needed hope and strategies. Today his inspiring programs are responsible for helping millions of people to get out of debt and to become financially solvent.

“If you help enough people, you’ll never have to worry about money,” Dave told us.

I’d like to condense the time I was so fortunate to have with these men into a few nuggets that I think you might find helpful and enjoy as you pursue your own big dreams:

From Seth Godin:

  •  There are a lot of ups and downs on the path to making something.
  •  The point is not the ending; the point is the journey.
  •  If you’re not willing to not be perfect, you won’t make magic.
  •  There’s a reason you have toxic people in your life. If you’re willing to give up that thing you’re getting from them, you’ll do better.
  •  Human beings are good at connecting with other human beings. Connection is coming back!  Together, we are all smarter than any of us.
  •  There is a huge difference between being ready and being prepared. You’ll never be ready (for whatever endeavor you’re embarking upon) but you can be prepared (by being in the right mindset and learning).
  •  Is the work you’re doing worth living in the tension for a while? Most people cannot live with the tension.  But the tension is what gets you to the art.
  •  Show up with passion to make it work!

From Gary Vaynerchuk:

  • How do I get through tough times? Happily. When you stop caring about what other people think, it gets easier.
  •  Who do you want to be? The person who calls when there is a problem – or the person who is called to solve the problem?
  •  I stay in my own swim lane. I know what I’m good at and I know what I’m bad at.
  •  The second you’re looking backwards, you’re finished. Pick a focus and don’t look back.
  •  Invest in yourself — take every dollar you need to live and all other dollars to bet on yourself.
  •  I am so uninterested in spending time with negative people. I just don’t.
  •  White wine is better at room temperature!

From Dave Ramsey:

  • People matter.  You have to think and believe people matter.  When we have friends who are transactional, we run the other way.
  • Don’t ever treat your customers as units of revenue.  Vendors are people; treat them like family.
  •  I want to know how someone’s been crushed in life; not where someone went to college.
  • It’s said that your income is the average of your 10 closest friends.
  •  People are sick of people who are inauthentic. Be who you is! Don’t be the squirrel who can’t make up his mind.
  •  Be obsessively, compulsively pre-occupied with the needs of others. Money will come to those who serve.
  • Higher calling matters. Why you are doing the business you’re doing matters more than what you’re doing. Operate from your soul.
  •  Being generous is the hallmark of people who are successful.

I hope you found even just one piece of gold in their wisdom to guide your week!  Have a great one.

I’ll see Women on Fire monthly members on Tuesday night for our Live Chat!  The topic will be “Understanding Conflict — And Ways To Resolve It To Live in Peace and Harmony.”

If you’re not yet a member, it’s never too late to join our ever-growing circle of inspiration, strategies and support.  Thank you for being here!

Love,

Debbie Signature

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Pick yourself!

by on May 21, 2012

I’m writing to you from my coziest chair on Martha’s Vineyard!

We just arrived here after my husband Rob and I, along with Wilber, our 17-pound cat, spent the winter in Florida.

Wilber has made the Great Migration South and then back North so often that he receives JetPaws frequent flyer points.  And, he is apparently so excited to be home that he is on my lap right now trying to take over the keyboard!

It feels great to be home and to now get ready for a number of you coming to the Vineyard in the next few months for vacation and your Vision Days!

Before I share highlights from my inspiring time with best-selling author, marketing guru and business/life strategist Seth Godin last week, I want mention a sadness within our Women on Fire community.

And, to express my deepest sorrow to at least two Women on Fire who were close friends with Mary Richardson Kennedy.

Mary was the wife of Robert Kennedy Jr. and the mom of four children, ages 11-17, who died tragically last week.  It is a horrible to hear about … let alone experience when you are friends or family of someone who takes his or her own life.

Friends and family survivors of suicide are often plagued with unrelenting  thoughts of  “Why?” and feelings of anger and guilt.

For any of you who are survivors of a loved one’s suicide and struggling, I highly recommend Alan Wolfelt’s Understanding Your Suicide Grief: 10 Essential Touchstones for Finding Hope and Healing Your Heart.

For you who were directly affected by Mary’s terrible death, on behalf of all of us, may you be surrounded with love and understanding and comfort in grieving this loss.  We are with you.

So now I have a question…

Who or what do you turn to when you need a jolt of inspiration for new ideas and learning?

I have a number of go-to people, as you know.  They range from spiritual leaders — Marianne Williamson, Deepak Chopra, Thich Nhat Hahn and Edward Beck — to thought leaders — Gloria Steinem, Warren Bennis, Barbara Sher and Seth Godin.

Some of you may know of Seth, famous for his Purple Cow theory.  To be successful, he urges us all to find ways to be REMARKABLE … like a purple cow would be!

Last week Rob and I spent the day with Seth in New York at his conference creatively titled “Pick Yourself.”

Rob has worked with Seth in the past.  And, the night before the conference we attended a very fun, private dinner with him.


Seth is such a good sport. I’ve been told by my friend Mark Henson that stroking Seth’s head is worth seven years of good luck!

Here are seven gems of wisdom I learned or heard in a fresh way by being with Seth:

1) Technology is evolving and it is destroying the Industrial Age. The new economy is about CONNECTION. What do you have to offer that a certain group of people (your tribe) will absolutely love?  Keep in mind most people won’t care what you have to offer; some will even hate it; but your tribe will not be able to get enough of it!

2) Three skills necessary to possess in the Connection Economy:  fundamental skills; understanding strategy and the big picture; being willing to get knocked down and get back up again.

3) Are you doing work you are so passionate about that you are willing to fail at it … or be arrested for it?

4) To succeed, you must dance on the edge. Ask yourself what scares you? What are you afraid of?  And, go dance on the edge of that. Because once you do, then you put your fear behind you and you make leaps forward.  Know what it is that holds you back, because it is your growth opportunity.

5) Be extreme in your dedication to yourself and your work and your organization. Travel lightly.  Carry little in your backpack in order to run faster.

6) Forget mentors. Instead find heroes and emulate them. If you need support or to learn particular skills and strategies, hire a coach.

7) Do not wait for someone to select you to do the thing you want to do. You must pick yourself!

I’d love to hear how you stay current with your own learning and inspiration!

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