Q & A: Volleyball National Champion MVP Christal Engle

In this Master Your Mindset Q & A series, you’ll read interviews from top performers who have inspired me in various sports. I selected individuals who were able to maximize every ounce of talent to do the extraordinary. Their ability to overcome adversity, consistently compete at a high level, and be an outstanding teammate are why they were chosen. Use their answers and experiences to help take your game to a higher level, as well as to gain perspective.

Christal (Morrison) Engle

• Professional beach volleyball player

• 2005 NCAA National Champion, University of Washington

• 2005 NCAA National Championship MVP

• Four-time All-American

CH: What is your proudest accomplishment as an athlete?

CE: Winning the Division I Women's Volleyball NCAA 2005 National Championship was by far my proudest accomplishment as an athlete. It was such an amazing journey to get to that point, and the moment you realize that your team had just accomplished what we had set out to do is a feeling that very few can experience...it is indescribable.

CH: What's the most important lesson you learned as an athlete that you have carried over into life? Please explain.

CE: BALANCE. This is the main part of my personal philosophy. As an athlete there are so many things we are expected to do. The ONLY time that I felt like I was performing at my best in all of the areas I was expected to was because I was living a balanced life. I believe that performance is hindered when you are only focused on one area of your life, but if you find a healthy balance between spiritual, emotional, and physical things, you will become the best YOU!

CH: Who was your role model? What did they teach you?

CE: I really looked up to my head coach at UW, Jim McLaughlin. He was not only a coach, but a mentor and a teacher. He understood that not every athlete should be coached exactly the same. Some athletes react positively to getting yelled at, and some athletes react very poorly to getting yelled at. He knew exactly how to get the best out of every individual on the team. He was also extremely focused and dedicated to the ultimate goal (the national championship) and his approach and preparation every day ultimately got us to that point multiple times.

CH: What was your favorite failure? What did you learn, and how did you overcome?

CE: I think as I progressed in my career and decided to go play beach volleyball professionally, that entire decision made me feel like a failure. As soon as I stepped on the sand I felt like I had never played the game of volleyball before. The beach game is so incredibly different from the indoor game, and I went from being very successful at indoor, to being at the bottom of the pool with beach.

It took a few years before I was able to feel like I belonged, and it took all of my energy and time to get to that point. I learned that when you put yourself out there, move a few thousand miles away from home, and try to do something that very few can do…it is daunting and scary but it is so worth it. It is worth every up and down along the way.

CH: Describe a moment when you were in a flow state (a.k.a., “in the zone”). What did it feel like?

CE: I remember playing April Ross and Jen Kessy at the Salt Lake City AVP Open. Jen and April had just won the silver medal in the London Olympics and were the best team in the world. My partner and I had put together two big wins before reaching them in the quarter finals, and I remember feeling like I couldn't do anything wrong. I remember feeling like I was in the right place at the right time, every time and making the perfect "reads" on everything. It wasn't until after we had won the match that I realized I was in a flow state and it was so fun to feel that level of performance especially against the best team in the world.

CH: What routines did you consistently perform during the day of competition to get yourself ready to play?

CE: Routines, rituals or habits…whatever you want to call them are essential to success. I had routines throughout my entire day. From the order of how I did things in the morning, to what I ate for lunch, and how I put on my gear for practice. The most important routine I performed to prepare for competition was my warm-up. It was EXACTLY the same EVERY time. My warm-up routine calmed my thoughts, and made even the biggest games feel like it was just another match.

CH: How often would you feel pressure and stressed? Where there any triggers?

CE: I always got butterflies before a game, whether it was a pre-season game or the Pac-12 Championship. I think the biggest trigger for stress was unforced errors I made. I had to learn how to get my heart rate back down and focus ONLY on what I could control and nothing else around me (as strange as that sounds with a team sport).

CH: Explain what your self-talk and internal dialogue was like after you made a mistake.

CE: I always brought it back to a process of what needed to happen and only focus on the first thing. In volleyball you can't do anything unless you pass the ball first. I also hyper-focused on my mechanics. I think focusing on how your body is moving rather than the outcome ultimately helps in the long run. I would talk myself through my mechanics over and over and over.

CH: What would you do to increase your confidence?

CE: I hate to say this, but I would say things to myself like, "Serve me the ball again b---h, because I'm the mother f-----g best passer in this gym" (ha ha). I never let it be known or vocalized it, but I performed at my best when I thought I was the best. 

CH: What was your why? What drove you to be a top performer?

CE: For me it was all about improvement. How good could I be? With our system at UW, everything we did was quantitated, so I knew exactly what level I was performing at. It was so incredibly fun for me to try and improve my numbers every day and reach specific percentages in practice. Every facet of the game was in itself another game for me. I was addicted to getting better.

CH: If you could go back in time, what advice would you give your younger self?

CE: I would tell my younger self to enjoy the journey a little bit more. I don't think I understood "balance" until after I made the move to beach volleyball. Although it takes so much sacrifice and focused energy to become the best, I also think that living a balanced life is key for success.

Thank you for reading! To gain more insights and tools to win the inner-game, Master Your Mindset the book is launching on June 23. PRE-ORDER HERE and receive a free video on Self-Confidence 101 and an e-book for coaches and parents called Positive Parenting. 

Pre-order Master Your Mindset and the Flow Journal today and take your mental game to the next level! Link HERE: MYM PRE-ORDER

MY 30 SECOND PHONE ADDICTION HACK

While walking through the airport the other day, I made a startling observation—whether I was standing in line to check my bags, walking to my terminal, waiting in line to get a bottled water, or sitting at my gate—nearly everyone was on their phone. I call these individuals phone zombies: walking or sitting with their head down, checked out, and senselessly in another world. I’m often guilty of being a phone zombie as well (just ask my wife). 

Does this scene look familiar?

I’m trying to change this. 

Over a decade has passed since the release of the smartphone. No doubt these devices have helped streamline our lives into one simple operating system: our calendar, search engine, camera, main source of email, texting, GPS, Uber, TV, Netflix, video games, radio, and finding food or finding a date—the world is literally at our fingertips 24/7. 

With the explosion of social media apps, every moment of down time it seems is filled with checking our likes, comments, views, and keeping up with the Joneses. 

The new “reality TV” is watching YouTube, SnapChat and Instagram stories all day long (you can still get your fix of the Kardashians on Snap and Insta as well). While all of these features make life easier— including desperate times like keeping your kids quiet while eating at the Cheesecake Factory—this frequent phone checking habit has been shown to be as addictive as alcohol or drugs. The happy chemical dopamine is released, and we crave this neurological sensation every time we search, swipe, and tap.

However, there is a blind spot within our internal Air Traffic Control.

A 1998 study found that the more time people spent on the Internet, the more stressed, depressed, and lonely they felt. Not much has changed in nearly 20 years. A recent New York Times study showed that college students who spend more time on the Internet/Social Media are more depressed and anxious versus those who spend less time.
How many times have you said, or heard your significant other say, “Please put your phone away.” 

I’m 100% guilty of this. 

I need to spend less time on my phone, and more time on this…oh and baby number 4 is coming soon!

The world could use less screen time and more of the original face time. You know, the one without your phone. 

I’ve been on a recent kick to increase my mindfulness muscle by studying the positive effects of mono-tasking. I’ve discovered the power of living in the NOW, through putting my phone down, focusing on my breath, and listening to my thoughts. These simple actions are just too powerful to not apply. From better relationships, sleep, less stress, improved memory, and a healthier mind, body, and spirit—I’ve seen positive results while practicing a new technique when I get seduced by the Apple (iPhone). 

If you are like me and trying to break the habit of constantly checking your phone, I offer a system that I created called BREATH. It’s based on the game-changing positive psychology finding of what Dr. Heidi Grant from Columbia University calls an “if-then plan.” Meaning, you create a predetermined plan to substitute a bad habit with a more productive one. For example, if X happens, then I’ll do Y. 

If-then plans have been proven to increase the likelihood of breaking a bad habit by nearly 300 percent!

Discover the power of NOW

When I get the urge to check my phone during the many idle moments throughout the day, I’ll practice the BREATH technique. Here it is:

B – Breathe
R – Release
E – Explore
A – Affirm
T – Thankful
H – Hope

BREATHE
When I have a break in the action—in my car, on the couch, or standing in a line, instead of checking my likes and emails, I’ll focus my attention on my breathing. I’ll take one to three deep breaths in through my nose, and out through my mouth. This simple act refocuses my energy, and changes my physiology (and urge open my phone). Trust me, the emails can wait. 

RELEASE
With each exhale, I release any tension or tightness in my body. I do a quick body scan, and relax my tense shoulders and tight butt cheeks (what can I say, I love leg days at the gym). As I continue to exhale, I release any negativity or unproductive thoughts that I’ve been stressing over. 

EXPLORE
In this relaxed state, I allow my mind to wander wherever it wants to go. I try to let my subconscious brain take over. The goal is to explore how I can make the day better for myself and for others. 

AFFIRM
You don’t need permission from anyone to be great. Instead of relying on likes, comments, or views to improve my self confidence, I give myself a few words of affirmation. Plato once said, “The first and greatest victory is over self.” Self love is sometimes the hardest one to give. By practicing positive self talk, I use this time to focus on my strengths, and get less consumed by my blemishes and shortcomings (which is an easy trap to fall into using social media—even for a husband and father of three like me).

THANKFUL
I’ll use this time of mindfulness to run through my gratitude checklist. I’ll visualize and feel the many blessings in my life that I’m thankful for—my wife, my kids, my health, and my career. This act of gratitude might be the most powerful step of all. 

HOPE
1 Corinthians offers the trinity of transformation: faith, HOPE, and love. I conclude my quiet me-time with a quick prayer of hope for my goals and for those I love. I see my goals as if they’re already done. I often leave this meditative state in a place of flow: completely present in the now—with myself and a larger force more powerful than me. 

View fullsize

When I complete my BREATH exercise, I end up feeling more satisfaction exploring my subconscious and soul than I ever would exploring all my iPhone apps. 

Let me clarify, I’m not against smartphones. Due to work, being married, having kids, and having loving social relationships, my iPhone allows me to see and do things with much more convenience. However, I’m just trying to practice more self-care and invest more into my mental health than I am in my profile…which often times it is hard while producing a lot of creative content.

So the next time you get the urge to grab your phone while stuck in traffic, at Starbucks, having down time at home, or are at the airport, try to check-out, by checking-in to your BREATH. 

If you use this technique just three times a day, you’ll boost your inner battery, which needs a recharge, just as much as your smartphone. 

I created a free iPhone background as a visual queue for you guys – a way to remind yourself to follow these steps when you naturally would unlock your phone. 

You can download the background HERE. 

How to make this your background if you’re not familiar: Open this image, save to your phone by holding your finger down on the image until a menu pops up. Select “Save Image” – the image will now be saved in your photo album. From there, you can set as your wallpaper by selecting the image, tapping the lower left hand box with the arrow in it, and choosing the “Use as Wallpaper” option. 

Collin Henderson founded Project Rise to inspire individuals and teams to be the best version of themselves.

THE BANNISTER EFFECT

People said it couldn’t be done. It wasn’t possible. The closest any human had ever come to running under a 4 minute mile was in the 1940’s, with a time of 4:01. Track athletes and experts believed the human body just wasn’t built to beat the 4 minute mile barrier. 

After a subpar showing at the 1952 Olympics, medical student and Britain’s best mile runner, Roger Bannister, had a clear goal – to be the first athlete to run a mile under 4 minutes. 

Mind over matter legend, Roger Bannister

Due to his rigorous scholastic schedule studying to be a neurologist, Bannister would train his body physically running sparingly – a simple 30 minute daily interval routine was all he needed to prepare his body. While training physically was important, his self belief and vision made all the difference. 

With a clear stretch goal (his best previous mile time was 4:03), the Harrow, England native would often close his eyes and visualize every step of the race. While creating this image mentally before it happened, Bannister would see the finish line, hear the roar of the crowd, and feel the excitement of making history. 

What separated Bannister from the others who had tried and failed, was that he believed with all of his might that he could do it. He even would place a little piece of paper in his shoe while he ran that read 3:58. 

This belief, clear vision, and determined practice paid off. 

On May 6, 1954, the world of track and field was forever altered. Once was thought as impossible, was now possible. On an overcast and windy day (which finally died down), medical student Roger Bannister defied the odds and ran a world record, 3:59.4 second mile. The 3,000 plus crowd went wild. He had done it. Bannister defied what even physicians said couldn’t be done. What began first in his mind and felt in his heart, later became a reality in the record books. Bannister inspired millions that day – including his rival – Australia’s John Landry. 

Just 46 days after Bannister shocked the world, Landy beat Bannister’s record.  Not to be out done, the two paired off in what was dubbed as The Miracle Mile in August later that year. While trailing most of the race, Bannister beat Landy on the final turn.

In heroic fashion, Bannister passed Landy running down the final stretch. Landy made the mistake of looking back to his left, while Bannister passed him on the outside.

Bannister defied the odds again. What seemed like a raced he couldn’t win (he trailed nearly the entire race), Bannister battled back and won more from his faith than from his feet.

Bannister’s goal that was written in his shoe came true. He posted a time of 3:58.8, while Landy finished just behind him with a time of 3:59.6. At that point in history, both runners had posted the top four mile times in the world. 

For decades, people thought that breaking the 4 minute mile was unbeatable, but because of Bannister’s accomplishment, he inspired nearly a dozen runners to beat the 4 mile barrier within two years of his record.

KEY LEARNINGS:

• Bannister turned his 1952 Olympics failure of not medaling into fuel to improve
• He started his training with a clear goal, and visualized it occurring daily
• Bannister broke his goal down into smaller goals including shaving each lap by a specific time
• He carried over his discipline as an athlete into a successful career as a doctor of neurology
• After decades of believing something couldn’t be done, Bannister inspired hundreds of track athletes to BELIEVE and BEAT the 4 minute mile

Look at your life right now. What do you or others around you think to be impossible? Use Roger Bannister’s story as inspiration and as an example: With a clear vision, belief, and practice… you can create the Bannister Effect and turn the impossible into possible… and inspire others to do the same.

Aside from needing to learn how to iron his pants, Collin Henderson founded Project Rise to be used as a platform to inspire others and teams to master their mindset, and be the best version of themselves.

4 TRADITIONS WE DO TO IMPROVE OUR KID’S MANNERS AND CONFIDENCE

If you are a parent and have young children, here are two concepts to consider.

“Some habits are more important than others – the right habits have the power to transform your life.”

— Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit 

“The type of emotional support that a child receives during the first three and a half years has an effect on education, social life and romantic relationships even 20 or 30 years later.”

— K. Lee Raby, Lead author of a study published in the journal: Child Development

Being a student of positive psychology, having a deep curiosity in human performance, and being a devoted father of three children 5 years and under, I’d like to share four simple activities that we do as a family in the attempt to shape their confidence, manners, and well being.

Baylor (5), Winnie (1), Bellamy (3)

By no means do Kendra and I have everything figured out as parents – trust me, we fail a lot (is Mickey Mouse a legal babysitter?). Nor are our children perfect angels. We have our fair share of tantrums and timeouts. However, with the aim to guide our kids to be their best self, I’m going to share a few family rituals centered around what are called keystone habits. 

A keystone habit can spark chain reactions that help other good habits take hold. 

Below are four keystone habits that Kendra and I hope will set off a cascade of more good for Baylor, Bellamy, Winnie, and baby number four coming next month (prayers for sanity and sleep are welcome!).

1. Eat Meals Together As a Family

Eating together as a family around the table – especially dinner – may seem small, but has a huge impact.

As Duhigg writes in his book The Power of Habit, “Families who habitually eat dinner together seem to raise children with better homework skills, higher grades, greater emotional control, and more confidence.”

We make it a point to sit down together, put our phones away, turn the TV off, and pretend like it’s the 1950’s and talk. We 100% make this a consistent routine. Kendra cooks one meal for everyone – even our 1.5 year old Winnie is expected to eat what is served. No one can leave the table without asking permission to be excused.

This nightly habit helps our kids to learn patience, discipline, and to expand their palate. These skills will serve them as they are older and this definitely pays off when we eat outside our house or at a dinner date (packing different food for the kids is too much work for us!). 

2. Thank You Cheer

One of Kendra and my non-negotiables as parents is to raise our little Hens with manners. The two pillars of having sound manners are these two phrases: Please and Thank You. 
A fun way we model and encourage this behavior is what we call the Thank You Cheer. While we are sitting down together as a family and our meal is served, whichever parent didn’t prepare the food (which 95% of the time is me) leads this group activity of thankfulness. 

This cheer was inspired by the “team breaks” I used to do as an athlete. After practice, we used to all put our hands in the middle of the huddle and all yell out the same word or phrase in unison.

When we are all sitting around the table as a family, we can’t put our hands together as a group (#shortarms #can’treach). Thus, each person puts one hand on top of their other hand – which signals they are ready to begin the cheer. Once all hands are in the correct position, on the count of three, we all lift our hands in the air and yell, “Thanks Mom (or Dad)!” 

This is a simple and fun interactive game that uses movement to practice the winning habit of simply saying, “thank you.” Often times if I forget, either Baylor or Bellamy will put their hands on top of each other to signal the Thank You Cheer. Gotta love the accountability! 

This is a fact that I know to be true: manners go a long way…especially saying these powerful words daily, “Thank you.”

3. Praying Out Loud Before We Eat

Bella is our resident prayer expert. She starts every prayer with, “Dear Jesus, we pray for our life…”

Public speaking was a big fear of mine in my teens and as a young adult. I wasn’t alone with this trepidation. National surveys show that more people fear giving a formal speech then death. 

Knowing this, we’ve tried to help our kids practice public speaking at a young age – even as simple as praying out loud. 

I usually lead our family in prayer, but several times a week (and now it seems almost daily) we let Baylor and Bellamy take turns praying out loud before we eat. We’ve noticed over time that both have improved in choosing their words and speaking with more confidence. Bellamy is more of a natural and will even volunteer to pray when we have guests over (this makes me a proud daddy), but Baylor has made great strides as well. Months before, he wouldn’t even participate, but after much practice, he now volunteers. 

This routine serves three purposes: 

• It helps our kids establish a pattern of giving thanks
• They get a microdose of public speaking practice
• This encourages them to connect spiritually

We believe these are all great habits that one can’t enough of. 

4. Happy Breakfast/Super Excited Dinner

Henderson baby #4 coming soon!

One weekend this winter, our entire house got hit with the Black Plague. It started with me and I passed this gift of death to our whole family. It was nasty. I mean, stuff was coming out of every orifice. 

This was Baylor’s first time throwing up and it really triggered what we call “Mr. Worry.” That experience was quite traumatic for him and he often would worry that it would come back again. 

The fear of getting sick even impacted his confidence and desire of going to school.  Because of this we had several tearful dropoffs. Especially when he overheard his teacher discussing with a parent about a student being sick. On this day, Kendra even had to come pick him up. 
Recognizing this pattern, Kendra and I have developed several strategies to quiet Mr. Worry. One of these techniques is called Happy Breakfast and Super Excited Dinner. Understanding the powerful effects that starting your day off with gratitude can have (ex: writing in a gratitude journal, saying prayers, etc), I created a game that the kids love. In the end, you can’t be grateful and fearful in the same time. 

How can you trick your kids into being grateful?….Make a game out of it. 

We all take turns going around the table sharing one thing that makes us happy. After each person shares, we count to three and all at once pound our clinched hands into the table and say together, “Happy!” 

This act helps us focus on positive things and gets the day started on the right foot – especially for Baylor. This helps him, and our entire family begin the day with a smile. 
Once we circle back as a family at dinner, we go around the table and share what made us super excited from the day – it could be an activity, a game, a toy, or even a person. After each person’s turn, we point our fingers in the air, twirl them around, then touch the table in a quiet almost whisper like voice and say, “Ssssssssuuuper excited.” (With a big emphasis on the “S”).
These exercises foster communication, dialogue, and tend to quiet Mr Worry. Winnie usually says she is either happy or excited about Moana, but I love to hear what B and B come up with each day. 

After doing this for several months now, the older kids usually lead this breakfast and dinner tradition. I’m proud to say that Baylor closed out the school year without any nerves being dropped off at preschool. A lot of this growth was his own doing, but I believe this daily habit played a significant role as well. 

Great read for parents with kids of all ages

What are you doing to improve your child’s well being?

Kendra and I are still learning each day as parents. We have our fair share of ups and downs. But, we believe that investing in our children’s development is like compound interest – the earlier and more we invest – the greater the return for them in the future. 

I hope these four rituals spark some fun and new habits for you and your family. Taking the time to love, model manners, and have fun as a family, are the greatest investments of all. 

Collin Henderson is the creator of Project Rise, which is a platform to help individuals be the best version of themselves.

RISE AND GRIND: 4 BASIC METHODS TO MAXIMIZE YOUR TIME AWAKE

TO SLEEP OR NOT TO SLEEP – THAT IS THE QUESTION… 

I’m a little confused. Being an athlete and devoted student, I’ve been told for years to get at least 8 hours of sleep. Sleep is where you recover, recharge, and heal. We spend one third of our life sleeping, snoring, dreaming, and drooling. 

However, being on this Project Rise journey, I’ve studied entrepreneurs, innovators, and many game changing people who have shaped our world.  During my quest of understanding success, I’ve found a common pattern with these titans – they don’t sleep very much. 

Thomas Edison bragged about how little sleep he allowed himself. He saw sleep as a roadblock to his progress in many of his inventions – including the light bulb. T. Ed only hired people who required little sleep and could match his 18 hour work days. 

YouTube celebrity and creative juggernaut Casey Neistat often gets just a handful of hours of sleep due the demand of his successful Vlog. He stays up most hours of the night editing his daily videos for his over 7 million YouTube channel subscribers…see one of his short movies below. 

This grind mode lack of sleep approach might earn you a badge of honor (and possibly more followers or money), but it isn’t for everyone. Athletes and especially young people need ample time to recover, recoup, and build their bodies to health. One of the most dominant defensive players in NFL history, JJ Watt, says sleep is one of his formulas for success. He gets over ten hours of sleep per night – especially during the rigors of training camp. 

So which is it? 

Rise and Grind or Stay and Sleep?

Consider this sleep scenario looking at two brothers – Adam and Ben. Both have similar DNA, but both have very different nightly patterns. Adam sleeps 5 hours every night. Ben sleeps 10 hours per night. Based off of this example, Adam will live 21% longer than Ben. How is this? Because he will be a awake for more hours each day. 

Who wouldn’t want to live longer? Well, in this silly scenario, Adam isn’t living longer, he’s just sucking more out of each day, week, and month.

On the contrary though, what is a life when you are walking around like a tired sloth all the time because of lack of sleep? If this is you and you crave caffeine the same way vampires fien for fresh blood, then you, like millions of Americans, more closely resemble the zombies in the Michael Jackson video Thriller, than MJ in his prime. 

Let me expose you to a happy medium to this sleep debate. Its called L.E.D. or Lowest Effective Dose. NY Times best selling author, top rated podcaster, angel investor, and entrepreneur, Tim Farriss, uses this philosophy to optimize many other areas of life, not just sleep – except he calls it the Minimal Effective Dose or M.E.D. (Check out his book the 4 Hour Body…it’s full of gems).

I’ve kept this approach in mind when dealing with my sleep. I’ve studied myself and reflected on my H.E.Q. or Hours/Energy Quotient, by trying to answer this question: 

What’s the lowest minimal amount of sleep I need to be fully functional, engaged, and have enough energy to win the day?

I’ve found that my L.E.D. sweet spot is 6 hours. I can get by with 5 hours (but not ideal), and 7 hours is the most optimal. I’ve discovered that anything over 8 hours actually makes me more tired. 

What is your Lowest Effective Dose for sleep?

Accompanied by my L.E.D., below are 4 strategies I’ve found to help me feel more rested and filled with energy to maximize my hours awake.

Meditation

I’ve been tinkering with practicing mindfulness for years, and recently have gone all-in with this practice. The research is just too powerful. Over 150 studies suggest that a daily meditation practice (even for 10 minutes a day) reduces stress and anxiety – while helping one feel more rested and peaceful. 

Last week I did a guided meditation/visualization session with several student-athletes, and after we finished, one player said, “I feel like I just woke up from a two hour nap!”

Give your body the benefit of daily mindfulness. Here’s a link to help you practice: Headspace

Here’s a recent shot of me doing sensory deprivation therapy and meditation at Float Seattle/Bellevue. Shout out to Sean Mac and B. Hop!

Cold shower

Want to reduce inflammation? Want to boost your metabolism? Want to improve your blood circulation and support your immune system? Need a way to wake yourself up besides coffee? Try mixing in a cold shower as part of your morning routine. 

I’ve been taking a cold shower for several minutes each day for the past 6 months. I’m someone who loves a long hot shower, so this energy hack was a little challenging to adopt. To help with the transition, I usually start my showers off really hot, and while I brush my teeth, I gradually turn the temperature to as cold as it gets (I have an electric toothbrush which helps me keep track of time – it shuts off after 2 minutes). 

I do one minute of cold water on my lower back, glutes, and hamstrings. I finish with 30 seconds to a minute on each quadricep and knee. Having both of my knees scoped, I used to have tendinitis (especially in my left one). After making cold showers a daily routine, I’ve felt zero pain or irritation in my knees! 

Just like when I used to sit in cold tubs during my playing days, daily cold showers have helped me feel more refreshed, healthier, and full of energy. Give it a try!

Here’s an article to learn more about the power of cold showers. 

Power Nap

Taking a nap has gotten a bad wrap in America. Many look at this technique as a sign of laziness. I look at taking a 10-15 minute power nap as a strategy to recharge my body and mind. Many European countries see the value in taking a daily ciesta. They even build this daily practice into their work schedule. Companies like Google and Uber also see the benefit of shutting your eyes for a few minutes a day. They’ve even built nap rooms or spaces for their employees to get a quick rest in. 

Who wouldn’t love to have a nap pod in the old office?

Being in outside sales, I’m lucky enough to be able to control my schedule. A few times a month, during lunch time, I’ll take a 10-15 minute power nap in my car – especially if I was up late the night before writing a blog post like this! I’ll also sneak in a quick nap on most weekends (my favorite napping spot is in the car…I have the best wife…she’s driving of course!). 

Research shows that anything over 40 minutes will actually make you more tired and may be unhealthy (see article here). Remember to keep them short and sweet, and feel the benefit of this healthy restful practice. 

To learn more about the benefit of taking a power nap and the well-known companies that support it, click here. 

Passion

I saved the best for last. Unequivocally, the number one source that fuels energy is doing something that you love. How do you spell the word love? T – I – M – E. Passion and purpose are what fuels action and persistence. Whether you are Michael Jordan, Bill Gates, or Warren Buffet, doing what you love and excel in just flat out gives you energy.  It helps you bounce back from failure, and stay committed for the long haul. 

At this stage of my life I feel like I am able to wake up and feel ready to go because I’m doing what I love: whether its spending time with my family, crushing my medical sales job, coaching, or leaving a legacy and helping others through Project Rise. If your career is taking away your energy, it might be time to discover your calling. Doing what you love will give you the energy needed to live a juiceful life (yup, just made up a word)…if you wanna be useful, you gotta be juiceful! 

If your current career isn’t your life calling, then find something else you can do when you are not working that fills you up. You owe it to yourself to be intentional about doing activities that you love and that give you energy.Purpose is the ultimate passion and energy hack!

Make the Big Time Where You Are.

Now it’s your turn! 

If you use 1 or more of the 4 energy strategies I listed above and give yourself 1 extra hour of being awake per day, here’s the breakdown of how much extra time you’ll get:

• One month: 30 hours or over 1 extra day a month…what could you do with an extra day per month?

• One year: 360 hours or 2 extra weeks a year…that’s like a long vacation!

• Five years: 1,800 hours or 2.5 extra months every 5 years…that’s like getting an extra summer break!

What would you do with extra time? Would you read more? Develop a new skill? Exercise? Finally turn your side project into your main project? Spend more QT with your soul mate?

Whatever it is you chose to do, my goal for writing this post is that you find your L.E.D. for sleep; you try an energy hack that I listed; and you get the most out of each 24 hours you’re alive. The reality is, the most successful people are able to do more with their time. 

No one ever looks back on their life and says, “Damn, I wish I would have slept more.”

I don’t know about you, but I’m trying to squeeze out as many hours and days from Father Time as I can. Why?…

Because he’s a stingy bastard. 

Collin Henderson is the creator and founder of Project Rise.  Project Rise is a platform to uplift and inspire people to be the best version of themselves.

BACK TO THE FUTURE: USE YOUR PAST TO BUILD A BETTER NOW

I recently had a coach from my high school football team hit me up with a request. He wanted me to send him a photo from my playing days as a Puyallup Viking. He was working on a project highlighting former players.

I hit him back with a text that read, “No prob Coach. I’m on it!”

While I sent the text, I began to ponder if I even had any old football photos of me donning the mighty purple and gold (ironic thing to say coming from a Coug).

I tend to not be very nostalgic. I love spring cleaning. I get a mini rush of dopamine when I purge my closet. I don’t need to hold on to old things. – even my old sports stuff.

Realizing this, I started to get a little nervous.

While I was rummaging around our storage shelves in our garage, I couldn’t find any old pictures. “I must have either given them away or threw them out in the trash,” I thought.

While looking through some hidden boxes in the corner, I finally found what I was looking for – my high school yearbooks!

“There had to be a football photo of me in here,” I said to myself while feeling like I just found a needle in a haystack.

So there I was on an early Saturday spring morning, thumbing through yearbooks that I hadn’t opened in over at least a decade. What a blast from the past. Memories started flushing in. I saw faces I hadn’t seen in many years. I even texted some of these photos to my friends. It was hilarious…cargo pants and frosted tips; baggy jeans and polo shirts; Caesar cuts for the guys and shoulder length bobs for the girls.

I could fit another human in those huge pants…sup Gator?

I even started to read some of the comments and notes people wrote me in my yearbook. Instead of cleaning out my garage, I was reminiscing on my life as a teenager in high school. This exercise helped me reflect on my life during that time – the good and the bad.

I truly had a storybook run in high school. I was Homecoming King, voted “Dream Date,” was an excellent student, and won many awards as an athlete. However, like many young people, I often times was caught up in the lie of perfection. I was insecure and worried too much about what others thought of me.

Reliving some of those emotions again, I played the game of “What would I have done differently?” If I could go back in time, what would my relationships look like? Would I have trained differently? How would I have addressed some of my fears?

I felt a little like Uncle Rico from the classic film Napoleon Dynamite. “If I could just go back…”

Let me preface that I had an amazing time in high school. I had many awesome friends and experiences. I had outstanding support from my family and loved ones. But looking through these yearbooks reminded me of how much I didn’t know.

Upon reflection, I would’ve been more grateful. I would’ve served more people.Iwould’ve worried less and laughed more. Instead of trying to be cool and liked by everyone, I would have focused more energy on defining my core values and just loving me for me. I would’ve been more bold.

Taking it to the HOUSE!

I wouldn’t have WASTED a single hour or day on doing tasks that didn’t help me reach my goals.

Without even knowing it, this exercise change my emotional state. If you have ever listened to or watched the best business and life coach on the planet, Tony Robbins, you know that he’s all about getting people to change their state. When you’re in a heightened emotional state, you’re ready to take action.

While in this zone of reflection and reminiscing on my mindset and some of the things I would’ve done differently, it helped me create an exercise that I want you to do.

While going on a walk that evening, I pictured myself 10 to 20 years in the future. I imagined,

“How would my future self in 2037 assess my life right now, today, at this moment in 2017?”

What would a 57 year old Collin say to a 37 year old Collin? What advice would I give myself? What would I have done differently? What should I focus on? What is really important in life? Am I getting everything out of every single day, every single hour, every single minute?

I can’t get those years in high school back, and I can’t get these years back either.

I looked at this sign every day in the WSU weight room and believe this this to be so true.

I don’t believe in living in the past. I due believe in learning from our past to improve our future.

Coming to that conclusion and by feeling the emotions and memories looking through my old yearbooks, I did a self scout on myself and how I’m living RIGHT NOW:

●     What am I doing well and what areas can I improve?

●     What areas in my life am I avoiding?

●     What relationships do I need to fix?

●     What legacy am I leaving?

●     Am I playing to my strengths and going all in on my gifts?

●     Am I maximizing every second with my wife and my children?

●     Am I helping enough people?

●     Am I checking things off my bucket list?

AM I LIVING MY LIFE AS MY BEST SELF?

Knowing what I know now, and thinking about myself 20 years ago, this exercise got me really really excited. I almost had an out of body experience feeling like this is not my real life…this is just a dream.

I can start over right now and do anything that I want.

This exercise helped diminish some of my fears. This process help me get excited for living in the moment and for what’s to come. I had a huge sense of gratitude flow over me…even in the simple and small things. I left that mental exercise truly believing that I can write any story I want and live out my dreams.

I see you B. Rip. What’s up Coach W! Javon Deuce-Tray!

By reflecting on what I used to worry and obsess over in my past…I realized those were actually somewhat small things. It’s amazing what a few years away gives you in terms of perspective. I would tell my younger self to stop majoring in minor things…people’s opinions are just that – opinions – not facts. Your only competition is just you, and no one else. And here’s a key piece of advice: don’t be afraid to have crucial conversations with the people you love and who love you.

Why can’t we hack our brain and do that same exercise now?

My 57-year-old self would probably give me similar advice and tell me to chill the F out. Everything’s gonna be OK. Trust in yourself and trust in God. Just go for it!

This is my task for you. Here are 5 steps to go Back to the Future and Use Your Past to Build a Better Now:

1.    REFLECT: Help change your emotional state by looking at old yearbooks, pictures or videos of you in your youth, or 10 to 20 years ago.

2.    SELF-ASSESS: Reflect on if there is anything you would’ve done differently – not in a negative way, but with the approach of self scouting.

3.    EVALUATE: Decipher if some of the same fears, worries, or internal stories are holding you back today.

4.    FUTURE WISDOM: With this refreshed lens and perspective, pretend you are yourself 10 to 20 years in the future looking back on your life right now. What would you do different? Reference my list of questions above.

5.    TAKE ACTION: Decide to take action and do not waste a single day. Do things that you’ve been putting off. Mend relationships that have been broken. Attack your fears. Follow your heart. Live your dream. Reassess how you look at failure, and learn from it.

The time is now! We only get one at bat in life. Please don’t waste it.

That’s me on the left and my buddy since we were 6 years old, Brett the “Beast” Beetham on the right. We were later teammates again at WSU.

I eventually was able to find some old pictures of me at my parent’s house, and I sent them to the Puyallup football coach. I’m looking forward to seeing how this project turns out. After this experience of looking back at my younger self, I’m even more excited to create new pictures and memories living life like there’s no tomorrow.

My hope is that you do the same.

Collin Henderson is the creator and founder of Project Rise. Project Rise is a platform to uplift and inspire people to be the best version of themselves.

6 SIMPLE WAYS TO FIND INSPIRATION & CREATIVITY

Where does creativity come from? What do you do when you need answers to tough questions or are tasked to create?

I’ve taken notice where most of my inspiration and ideas come from. What’s interesting is that they come from the same handful of common places that you and I operate in everyday.

If you are an artist, stay at home mom, student, or climbing the corporate ladder – we all sometimes find ourselves looking for outlets to get our creative juices flowing. Whether you are facing a creative roadblock or have a tough decision to make, let me offer you a few strategies that will create clarity and calm. I hope these techniques and tips will help channel your subconscious and open up an army of ideas, and an arsenal of answers to the challenges that lie in front of you.

The key is to put yourself in positions to unlock your subconscious to be able to receive information. The best way to do this is to change your “state” by altering your physiology or biochemistry by some type of stimulus. 

Your brain is so powerful.  Are you using it to it’s full potential?

Through my experiences of taking note where my creativity comes from, I have discovered that there are 6 main Mediums where I find myself channeling creative thoughts and ideas unified synergistically by what I call a State Shifter.

Ever see the film Limitlesswith Bradley Cooper? They say the human brain only utilizes 10% of it’s capacity. Utilizing one of the 6 mediums combined with a state shifter attempts to tap into the other 90%. 

Use these 6 simple strategies and tap into your entire brain power, like Bradley Cooper’s character in Limitless.

Below are 6 simple ways to find inspiration and creativity:

1. Taking a nap

Medium: A quiet comfortable place to rest

State Shifter: Sleep

Ever see the movie Inception with Leonardo DiCaprio? I love the concept of “a dream within a dream.” DiCaprio and his partner in crime, played by Gordon Joseph-Levett, where tasked to extract or implant a thought or idea into a victim’s mind while they were sleeping. Why can’t we do the same to our own subconscious? 

The reason why I prefer naps to extract creativity is because naps support being in a Free State. You take naps when your body feels like it. You go to sleep at night because you have to. 

Try this, when you feel like you need an answer or creative inspiration, listen to your body when it feels tired. Don’t fight this urge, but go with it. Even if it’s just for 10 minutes. Find a comfy place and shut your eyes. Here’s the Inception twist – at the beginning of your decent, ask your inner Leo for inspiration in the area you are stuck. Let your subconscious go to work. What you’ll find is that the idea doesn’t come from the dream, put from what I call the “nap residue”…the peaceful time in-between when you are not asleep and not fully awake. This is where Inception Creation takes place. 

You will be in a complete relaxed state and your conscious and subconscious mind will begin to make-out like Leo and Kate on the Titanic. When you fully wake up, you’ll have your new idea, and will jump up, with your arms stretched out screaming, “I’m the king of the world!” Don’t just take my word for it. Ask multi-millionaire creatives Christopher Nolan and James Cameron. They’ll tell ya. 

The concept for my first book (coming soon), came from this place. I had just woken up after snuggling and taking an afternoon nap with my daughter Bellamy. During the nap residue, the vision flashed at me like a neon sign in Times Square. 

Give this technique a try…just make sure you are like Leo in Inception, and have a metal top handy when you wake up. 

2. Going for a drive

Medium: Car

State Shifter: Sound

One of my favorite of all movies without question is Rocky IV. Sly Stallone was in his prime. The Cold War was at its climax, and what 5 year old didn’t want a talking robot? I know I did. 

When the 7 foot Russian, Ivan Drago, defeated and killed Rocky’s best friend Apollo, Rocky needed to clear his head. What did the World Champion and Italian Stallion do when he was faced with an insurmountable challenge? He jumped in his sports car and went on a drive bumping the classic, “There’s no easy way out,” by Robert Topper. Fitting title wouldn’t you say? 

Rocky getting his mind right in his 1985 Lamborghini Jalpa

Through this process, Rocky was able to reflect, clear his mind, and walk away with a plan and a purpose. There’s something just therapeutic about going on a drive, the freeness of being on the open road, and feeling the emotion of your favorite song. 

Music is a universal language that stirs memory, emotion, and inspiration. Steve Jobs has been quoted by saying that his biggest inspiration and influence was not some tech nerd, but Bob Dylan. 

Another “sound” strategy I use while driving is listening to thought leaders through audiobooks, podcasts, or YouTube videos. I have my go-to’s that I seek for wisdom and inspiration. This is similar to what Superman would do when he was perplexed. He would go to his home ice-layer, insert a few crystals, and gain wisdom from his hologram father. 

Often times just one word or one phrase from a thought leader that I admire will spark an idea that leads to a solution or endless creativity. 

Just like how your car can transport you from place to place, this process will transform your mind to a new destination. Give this medium a try. You might discover Rocky-like underdog ideas and super human strategies inside of you.

3. Working out at the gym

Medium: Fitness center

State Shifter: Movement

I love to workout. The gym is my happy place. I’ve committed to myself and my health by making fitness a frequent weekly ritual. There are so many physical benefits that working out creates. My gym time helps me increase my energy, improve strength, and reduce the risk of injuries. 

The physical effects of exercising are clear, but what about the mental effects? For me, working out reduces stress, clears my head, and allows me alone time to think. There is a powerful force that happens when we move our bodies. Moving your body is one of the most effective way to change your state. 

Movement creates momentum. With momentum you discover motivation. When you are motivated you are able to tap into your memory on a deeper level. Ideas will surface. Inspiration will arise. Clarity will come through. 

Physical Fitness fosters Mental Fitness #gainz

Every time I leave the gym I have a new idea for a blog post, an added detail for my book, or inspiration for a social media quote. These fresh ideas wouldn’t be possible without being in an environment like the gym, where I’m free from my phone and other distractions. The added inspiration comes from changing my state through lifting weights – similar to lifting stress away – the tension and release of the weight is like lifting tension and weight away that is blocking my creativity. 

And here’s the thing, the more you practice, and the more repetitions you do, the stronger you will be. Not only in your muscles, but your ability to tap into fresh ideas and inspiration.

4. Shower Power

Medium: The Shower

State Shifter: Water

I love to take showers. There’s just something so soothing and relaxing about turning up the water really hot, generating steam, and just checking out for a period of time. With a wife and three children, those moments are fleeting, but cherished. Longer showers to myself is the real reason why I cover a large sales territory – to have frequent overnights to myself in a hotel (just kidding Kendra, being away from you and the kids is torture!). 

But seriously though, don’t mess with my shower time. My showers can never be too hot or too long. 

Growing up in a family of four, with just one sibling, I can’t remember many times fighting over the hot water. With this good fortune, I developed the habit of using this daily ritual as a form of meditation. No cell phones, no TV, no computers, no distractions. Just me, the water, and my thoughts. 

There’s something metaphorical about taking a shower. You are stripping down, getting clean, and using the water to wash away the old, and begin to feel anew. Cleanliness, feeling refreshed, and recharging aren’t the only benefits showering provides. For me, the shower also serve as a canvas. I often use the hot steam to fog up the shower glass. This precious creative place is where I make lists, draw diagrams, charts, and develop new acronyms. My shower glass is like a whiteboard. While in there I’m like Russell Crowe’s character in A Beautiful Mind. I’m unlocking puzzles and solving problems. 

Sometimes Kendra will shower after me at some point in the day and find what looks like hieroglyphics, Chinese characters, or some alien language that I’ve created during these thought-provoking shower sessions. She will often ask, “What did you come up with this time?”

There have been countless instances where I entered the shower with an issue or uncertainty, and after feeling the warmth of the hot water, listening to the soothing sound of faucet flow, and feeling the hot misty steam – my brain begins to unthaw. 

Just me, my breath, my thoughts, and nothing more. The shower is where I think, I ponder, I process, and I rest. 

Don’t underestimate the power of taking a shower. Endless answers and countless creation is at your disposal. Just remember to squeegee when you’re done. 

5. Going on a walk

Medium: Walking outside

State Shifter: Nature

Creative people have an eye for the creativity all around us, and the best in their field immerse themselves in these natural creative settings. I call this state shifter “nature.” What I really mean by nature is the world all around us – the trees, flowers, hills, landscape, water, sunsets, the city, buildings, architecture, etc.

What is more beautiful and inspiring than God-made AND man-made creation?

What better place to foster creativity than the beautiful world we live in? If you are spending most of your time in a sedentary, stagnant, and sitting position in a cubicle staring at a computer, you’ll be hard pressed to come up with fresh and new ideas. 

Get your butt out of your seat. Create some movement by going on a 10-20 minute walk outside. Get the blood flowing and take in the beauty all around you. Moving your body is one of the best ways to change your state and channel creative energy – even if it is as simple as going on a walk. 

Debbie Millman is a designer, author, educator, and brand strategist. She’s worked with many major companies and projects ranging from Burger King to Star Wars merchandising. She is labeled as one of the most influential designers today. According to Millman, one of her tried and true methods to get out of a creative rut is to go outside and go on a walk. This activity helps clear her head and flush out creative blocks. 

Millman is a creative force like no other.  Please check out her interview on the Tim Ferriss Podcast Here….simply amazing.

Living in Manhattan, Millman taps into an endless supply of natural creative inspiration just by going outside. From people, to sounds, to architecture, to colorful billboards and advertisements everywhere – this concrete jungle serves as a breeding ground for inspiration. 

I don’t live in the city, like Millman, but I do live near many trees, trails, and parks. God’s eye for creation is unmatched. Just breathing in the fresh air and taking in the scene all around helps me feel more creative and inspired. I often go on walks either early in the morning or later at night when the kids are in bed. This time alone also allows me to reflect on what’s going on in my world – presently and in my past. This technique might channel the most powerful source of inspiration of all: life. 

One of the kings of creation, Walt Disney, used his life as a spring board for inspiration and ideas for stories. Reflecting on his hard working blue collar childhood, Disney was inspired to write the classic film Cinderella. One time, he was pulled over by a police officer due to a trivial traffic violation. Instead of getting mad, he used that as inspiration for a Micky Mouse episode. 

Inspiration is around us everywhere. Tap into the beauty of nature and the scenes all around you. Get out of your “box.” Go outside. Move your body and go on a walk. Use nature to help you reflect on your life – which might be the greatest source of creation possible. 

6. Go write, get right

Medium: Quiet time alone

State Shifter: Writing

Many of my blog posts and content for my new book WERE NOT conceived until I started to write. There is a magical creative force that happens when you allow your mind to explore, document, and reflect on feelings through writing. 

Voltaire once said, “Writing is the painting of the voice. ” 

C.S. Lewis noted, “You can make anything by writing.”

E.L. Doctorow offered,  “Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go.”

My most creative place to write is not in front of a computer or laptop, but in the notes section in my phone. I also love to use Google Docs as a way to jot down thoughts and ideas throughout the day. One of the main themes of my new book coming soon is a unique daily journaling system – which I use everyday to prime my mind, body, and spirit. 

Journaling has been clinically proven to lower stress, depression, and anxiety. Keeping a journal has been shown to help gain control of one’s emotions and improve mental health. 

Give it a try. The most important words in the English language are write it down. Unlock your inner wisdom. Create a new masterpiece. Find a solution. Get your mind right, go to a quiet place and write. 

Is this my future TedTalk?

God needed 6 days to create the world. Try these 6 mediums and state shifters to generate inspiration, ideas, and creation of your own. 

Medium // State Shifter

1. Taking a nap // Sleep 

2. Going for a drive // Sound

3. Working out at the gym // Movement

4. Taking a long hot shower // Water

5. Going on a walk // Nature

6. Quiet time alone // Writing

Who knows, you just might make a masterpiece. 

Collin Henderson is the creator and founder of Project Rise.  Project Rise is a platform to uplift and inspire people to be the best version of themselves.

THE 8 M’S OF MAKING MONEY

Alright.  I told you people that I was going to get crazy with this whole studying of selling shit (I tried a few other words, but they just didn’t have the same ring to it).  Based on your feedback from my last post (a big THANKS to all of you who sent in your favorite selling books), the top requested sales book was The Little Red Book of Selling, by Jeffrey Gitomer.  I read it, really liked it, and have already used some of the tactics I learned – like focusing on profit over price with a customer.

Many of you may be into self-help, motivational books, and auto-biographies (those are my favorites).  However, this is selling season – time for expensive things for no reason (ha shout out to my boy Hova).  We all are selling ourselves, we are always interviewing whether we know it or not, and our ability to influence dictates many things in our life…including how much money we make.

Let me preface that life isn’t all about things, new whips (not 50 Shades, but “cars” for you laymans), baller cribs, or how many digits are in your bank account.  Connection, impact, relationships, memories, and how many people we help is the essence of life.  However, what if you can positively impact all those areas, but make lots of money while doing it?  To me, more money doesn’t mean ‘mo problems (we miss you Big!), but that I get to help more people.  I get to bless more in need.  I am able to create more freedom for myself and my family.

Utilize this list and make it rain with Lil’ Wayne and this guy

So here is how you do it.  I call this the 8 M’s of Making Money.  This system was largely inspired by 3 books I read by Grant Cardone, sprinkled with my other readings, and life experiences.  This is less about investing and more about a framework to take your passion to the next level.  For wealth management and investing tips, read Money: Master the Game, by Tony Robbins.  It’s a game changer (one word: FIDUCIARY).  He also has a new money book out as well called Unshakable.  HINT: the bubble is about to burst; he’ll help you be ready.  Enough about Tony and his big hands and wallet. 

These money making concepts can by applied to two groups: 

1. If you are a sales representative who is looking to take your sales results to the next level, or
2. If you are an entrepreneur that could benefit from added clarity by utilizing a systematic approach to growing your business.

So here goes; here are the 8 M’s of Making Money (I picked the number 8 because its the same symbol as infinity…just like the never ending streams of income that is on your horizon if you follow this framework).  

If you are serious about improving your sales or taking your business to the next level, stop what you are doing, and take out a notebook or a few sheets of paper right now.  

Based off of each section, I have listed several questions that you need to answer…if you do and execute on those questions…there is no doubt you will create more wealth for yourself. 

I’m going to warn you though…this is a ROBUST post…but WELL WORTH IT!  Pace yourself, but stick to it and finish it all the way through and you’ll be well on your way to MAKING IT RAIN…

Since I will never make it rain in the club, I’m thinking of other venues that are under utilized to throwing up Benji’s or maybe Hamilton’s are your thing: at the gym, the grocery store, nail salon, getting take-out teriyaki, the movie theater…the options are endless!

1. MINDSET

This is a slam dunk, no brainer.  In order to dominate your sector, you MUST have an insane amount of belief in yourself and your product/service.  You can’t fake passion, enthusiasm, and an all-in attitude.  Prospecting, handling objections, and closing become a whole lot easier when you have a winning attitude and unwavering belief in yourself and what you’re selling.  You must DECIDE, that you will do whatever it takes to make the sale, and that you have the ability to do it. Prospects can smell what I call CP’s: confidence pheromones.  Like bees, customers can smell fear and BS.  If you are timid and unsure…say this with me in a Brooklyn accent, “Forget about it!”  If your hair isn’t on fire in excitement for what you are selling…why should theirs be on fire to buy?  

Pit Bull, Walt Disney, Gary Vaynerchuk, Bill Gates, Tony Robbins, and Richard Branson all had an insane amount of self-belief in themselves and what they offer, which helped them overcome setbacks and create a road map to achieve their dreams. 

8M Questions to consider:

• Do you use or would you use your product/service if the situation called for it?  What about your loved ones?  If the answer is no…find something new to sell.
• Do you believe in your abilities to effectively sell this product?  If not, get some coaching, do some more studying, and practice your craft.
• Do you love this industry, customer base, and process of the selling.  If you don’t love it – get out and align yourself with something you believe in!

Project Rise Application:

I believe without a shadow of a doubt that what I’m doing with Project Rise is bringing value to others.  I am so convinced and believe so strongly in the principles I teach, because I have seen them work in my life.  I receive an abundance of energy and fulfillment when I help others be their best self. 

2. MISSION

In any military mission, there is something called: Commander’s Intent.  Commanders Intent succinctly describes what constitutes success for the operation.  It includes the operation’s purpose and the conditions that define the end state.  When things get crazy (oh and they will), having a clear goal and vision (or Commanders Intent) will keep you on track.  Partnered with Commanders Intent, is this one question, “What are you willing to sacrifice?”  This boils down to your values.  This set of values will help you make the tough decisions.

8M Questions to consider:

• Clearly and succinctly define what you want to achieve (Your Commanders Intent).
• What does success look like to you?  Think about starting with the end in mind first.
• What is your offering?  Do your customers 100% understand what you offer and the value associated with the product or service?
• What is your story?  Story telling is the most effective way to grow support, investors, and buyers.  If done effectively, story telling creates emotion and feelings.  The wealthiest are the best storytellers. 
• Make a list of your core values that will drive your actions (what to say “yes” or “no” to) and will help you determine what to fight for.

Project Rise Application:

Success for me would look like this:

• Be able to monetize Project Rise as our sole source of income
• Witness positive transformation and improved results in individuals and teams from directly working with me
• Be a best-selling author
• Be a sought after speaker on mental performance
• Positively impact in some way 20 million people by 2020 (go ahead and laugh at me…I don’t care!)
• My values are B.U.I.L.D.: Believe. Unselfish. Integrity. Learn. Discipline.

3. MOTIVATION

Motives matter.  Having a clear “Why” and reasons for achieving your vision is everything – not only for you (internal motivation), but your customer as well (external motivation).  If money is your only internal motivator, you will not sustain the drive necessary to keep going.  Also, if your motivation is not powerful enough, you will have a hard time overcoming hardships and setbacks.  

In terms of external motivation, ask Simon Sinek…people buy WHY you do what you do, not what or how you do it.  If people external from you and your organization do not connect with your “why,” they won’t buy what you are selling.

I often use the TOMS shoe company as an example here.  Their “one for one” motto has helped them impact thousands of lives by providing free shoes to kids in need.  This “why” has also helped them sell millions of shoes – which is a double win!

8M Questions to consider:

• Why are you doing this?
• Can you list the reason(s) behind your mission?
• What is your “Why” story?…write it down and practice saying it.
• Can you clearly articulate what motivates you to potential customers and investors?

Project Rise Application:

My reasons behind Project Rise are… 

• I struggled with insecurities and negative self talk for most of my life, which held me back from being my best self.
• Through my decent and RISE, I want to help others RISE with me.  I desire to be a lifelong student of mastering one’s mindset.
• Finally, I will generate enough income to support my family comfortably, which will allow Kendra to focus 100% on being a mom and CEO of the house.

4. MEANS

Identifying WHO has the means to make the decision and purchase your product is as D. Trump would say, “HUUUUUUGE.”  The more niche you can be the better.  Remember this saying, “Scratch an itch. Find a niche, and you’ll be rich.” (you can add “bitch” in there at the end to get a laugh)

8M Questions to consider:

• Who is your target audience?  
• Who has the means to buy what you are selling?
• Who are the decision makers?
• How can you get in front of them more?
• WHO HAS YOUR MONEY?

There’s money out there waiting to be used on what you have to offer.  You just need to identify with crystal clarity who that group and specific set of people are (or person).

Project Rise Application:

My customer base includes:

• Businesses looking to improve mindset, sales, and culture
  • Mangers, VP, and directors of sales have the money
• Athletes and athletic teams 
  • Parents have the money
  • AD’s, coaches, and booster clubs have the money
• Scholastic settings (schools and universities)
  • Principles, department heads, and district office folks have the money
  • Clubs, groups, and associations have the money (especially for conferences)

The next step would be to get them on board with the value and benefits of your offering…not price.  Objections are never on the price, but the perceived lack of value…we’ll get to more on that in METHODS.

5. MATH

Have you ran the numbers?  Generating the wealth you need is a simple equation that can be preemptively set up.  Based on your mission and goals, look at these questions…

8M Questions to consider: 

• How much money do you WANT to make each month and year?
• How much do you NEED to bring in to keep the lights on, cover expenses, and support yourself, family, and staff (if you have any)?
• Based on this, how many sales do you need to make?  For example, If I want to make $100,000 in six months, I’d need to sell $100 worth of product to 1,000 people…or $50 to 2,000 people…or $200 to 500 people.  This approach simplifies and makes the process less overwhelming and gives you a measurable goal that you can track.  
• How much money will you need to invest in the growth of your company to get started or to take it to the next level (new website, consulting, expanding, advertising, more sales, etc.)?

Project Rise Application:

I’m currently working on this as we speak.  I recently took some money out of savings to invest in:

• Costs to launch my brand and updated offerings on a higher level – including a new website and video content
• I recently finished the content of my first book (can’t wait to tell you more about it!), and I’ve budgeted funds to support it’s completion and launch
• I have a specific number in mind in how much I need to bring in. 

6. METHODS

Ideas are good, but actions are better.  This section is all about creating a plan to identify what the most important actions are needed to achieve your goal.  Methods also have to do with the most important word in sales: VALUE.  What are your methods to bring value?  In the many crowded markets that we operate in, how will you differentiate yourself and your product?  Developing a daily, weekly, and monthly process is the most effective way to perform at your best.  This single step is why I have had the success I’ve had in my medical device sales role (Rookie of the Year, back to back Top Performer Award, #1 in product orders in the nation last year).  Your PROCESS is everything.  #trusttheprocess.  To get there, answer these questions…

8M Questions to consider:

• What actions must I complete to take me closer to my goal?
• When will I achieve them?
• How often will I perform key tasks per day, week, or month?
• What is my value proposition?
• How am I, my product, and/or service different vs. the competition?
• What are my strengths?  How can I play to them more?

If you can master these 3 concepts, I guarantee you will out pace and out value your competition.  Own these 3 areas:

1. Anticipation – Anticipate the needs of the customer and market first.
2. Innovation – Don’t follow the heard, offer a new or different solution to the customer that solves a problem.  If you go the same direction as everyone else, it will be harder to get noticed.  Be different! When you can identify that need and pain point, and where there is a gap in the market…that is where you strike!  Formulate your offering in this space.
3. Domination – For the buyer, competition is good, but it’s not for you.  Don’t compete in your space, own and DOMINATE your space.  This will only happen with sacrifice, strategic thinking, and precision and execution. 

No one anticipated, innovated, and dominated better than Steve Jobs and Apple when he took over in 1997.  Jobs helped spawn the iMac, iPod, iTunes, Apple Store, iPhone, and iPad. By the time he was done…Apple didn’t have competition!!!  He changed the game forever (1 billion devices used world wide – Jobs got the job done).

Project Rise Application:

This one is a beast.  Here is just a small sample…My methods include:

• Offer a consistent brand of excellence that brings value through:
  • Uplifting posts on social media
  • One podcast a week
  • One video a week
  • Secure 3 speaking gigs a month
• Be authentic and vulnerable
• Be the best storyteller in the business
• Add humor and humility
• Give actionable tools and resources with every encounter (either one one one, with a group, or through my blogs, videos, or podcasts).

7. MOMENTUM

It’s a marathon, not a sprint.  A HUGE goal can sometimes feel overwhelming.  Often times the hardest step is the first one.  Break down your action plan in mini-seasons and preemptively set milestones that you are looking to achieve.  When you hit these milestones…CELEBRATE!  The grind is real.  Reward yourself by setting multiple action goals along the way that build over time.  This will help you build confidence and not be overwhelmed by the process. 

My senior year in football at WSU, we won the Pac-10 Championship by breaking down our season in several mini seasons: 1. Beat Idaho, 2. Win our non-coference games.  3.  Go undefeated at home.  4. Finish strong in November.  5. Be Pac-10 Champs and go to the Rose Bowl (which we did!).  How can you apply this concept in your business?

8M Questions to consider:

• What is the most important first step for you to take to dominate?
• How can you break down your vision into multiple seasons or sections…with each one getting more challenging than the previous?
• Can you list several key milestones?
• How will you reward yourself AND hold yourself accountable for achieving these milestones?

Project Rise Application:

My milestone points that will build momentum:

• Launch website
• Finish book and get published
• Secure multiple streams of income through:
  • Individual coaching
  • Speaking endevours
  • Book sales
• The ultimate milestone: Host a RISE Party book launch that is a mix between an educational seminar and a dance party…holla!!!!

8. MODELING

Any industry, skill, trade, or technique you want to learn has already been mastered and someone has written a book about it.  Go to a Barnes & Noble store (if they even exist where you live) or go on Amazon or iTunes and buy or download some books.  There are at least 10 + books in the field you are working in.  Study and master those concepts.  Discover who the best in your company is and build a relationship with them.  If you run your own business, research through your network to find individuals who are more seasoned or on a higher level than you.  Ask these people if the would mentor you (think about how you can bring them value as well).  Join a Master Mind small group and learn from other leaders in your field.  

YOU DON’T NEED TO REINVENT THE WHEEL!

You’ll learn more in 4 weeks with an expert in your field versus going to 4 years of college.  Success leaves clues.  In order to innovate, you need to master what already has been offered first.  Somebody has already paved the way for you.  This technique is called “drafting.”  Just like in bike and car racing – you’re following an established leader.  Follow the path modeled by someone who has been extremely successful and is winning.  Wisdom is created in one of two ways: 1. By experience, or 2. By learning from others who have already done it.  Based on my “drafting” analogy, which one is the most efficient, requires less failures, and will save you energy?…I hope you said, “learning from others.”  Below are options to learn from others who have paved the way.  These mentors can be found in many difference forms.  

8M Questions to consider:

What people or topics will you research or connect with in these 7 areas?  I call this VAP2ERS Modeling.

Mentorship is such an underrated tool for success.  Get your mentors lined up now and watch how much faster you’ll reach your financial goals!!! I’m so passionate about this topic, I could write a whole other blog post on this!

Project Rise Application:

I’ll use my VAP2ERS Model to share who my mentors are…

• I watch a TON of YouTube VIDEOS on:
  • Tony Robbins
  • Gary V.
  • Simon Sinek

• AUDIOBOOKS…There is not enough room on this page.  Audiobooks are my favorite way to learn because I drive so much.  The last few audiobooks I listened to where:
  • The Little Red Book of Selling
  • Grit
  • How to Build Self Discipline for Entrepreneurs 

• PAPERBACKS…I prefer audio over written, but I do usually have a book nearby to read at night, or on a flight.  Here are the last two I’ve read:
  • The Circle Maker
  • Good to Great
• My Favorite PODCASTS are:
  • School of Greatness, Lewis Howes (without any doubt my number 1 source of inspiration)
  • The Tim Ferriss Show

• ELECTRONICS…let’s face it, we all have a smartphone and/or tablet.  Use them for something productive instead of Snap, Insta, Twitter, and FB.  I recently downloaded on my iPad and read:
  • Sell or Be Sold, Grant Cardone
  • I use Wikepedia constantly
  • I Google stuff non stop
  • Remember to use YouTube as a platform to learn…not just watch cat videos

• REAL PERSON…
  • My work mentor this year is a 5-time Manager of the year in my company and an amazing guy: Rick Schulz.  We talk on the phone at least once a month about leadership, vision, balance, and execution.
  • I’m doing Life Coaching with an entrepreneur and business owner named Sean McCormick. He owns Float Seattle…if you want a relaxing experience for your mind, body, and soul…you got to check it out!

• SMALL GROUP…Meeting once a month with several like minded individuals that challenge you and hold you accountable is such a life changing advantage.  I’ve been meeting with two small groups this past year.  Even though I am out of town for our meeting tomorrow…my guys are Skyping me on by boy B. Hopp’s big screen in his office at 6:15am…now that is dedication! (shout out to the Power Tribe: Mike Isaacson, Charly Martin, and Brian Hopper).  Love you guys and I learn so much from you!

 Is this list perfect and the end all be all?  No, but’s a great place to start.  

I have the desire and patience to see this list through.  Do you?  We all have to start somewhere.  Take an hour…go to a Starbucks.  Brainstorm ideas with a Master Mind group of people who inspire you.  Just stop thinking, daydreaming, and wishing…START DOING!

Use the 8 M’s of Making Money as your template to create the road map of success.  Big time results will not just magically happen.  You have to put thought, effort, and energy into creating your mindset and plan.  Once this step is done…it’s time to EXECUTE.  

I believe in you and can’t wait to hear the success stories on how you took this first step in controlling your financial destiny by pursuing your passion, playing to your strengths, and positively impacting others along the way – all while utilizing these 8 steps to becoming the wealthiest version of you! 

Possible book cover?

WHERE ARE MY SALES PEOPLE AT?

Take some advice from my boy 50 Cent

Everyone is in sales.  Whether you are a parent, teacher, preacher, spouse, doctor, lawyer, coach, banker, personal trainer, barber, real estate agent, or in landscaping – everyone is selling.  It could be a concept, new idea, a product, or service…either way, whoever is the most skilled at listening, communicating, influencing, and delivering value – reaps the most rewards – personally and professionally.  Selling to your kids, spouse, friends, co-worker, potential buyers/customers/consumers all takes a specific set of skills.

Being that I make a living as a salesman to support my family (I’ve been in medical sales for over 10 years now), I have recently been doing my best to fine tune my craft.  Let’s face it, no one likes the feeling of being sold anything.  I don’t either.  I try to look at myself as providing value; being more of a consultant than a salesman; a partner in helping someone achieve a goal; and a problem solver.  All of these examples require a great deal of time, experience, and failures. 

For all of you in sales right now (which technically can mean everyone): 

WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MASTER YOUR CRAFT?

Most of the books I read are personal development books about mastering your mindset, overcoming adversity, leadership, and creating better habits.  I decided recently to delve deeper into the art of selling.  I’m in the process of going ALL-IN on learning from the best minds and authors in this space.  Being a territory manager and sales trainer, I’m very curious at looking at new strategies to help others and myself improve how impactful our sales calls can be.

I’m going to stop right here and make a confession:

I feel that I am somewhat of a hypocrite.  I preach all day about the importance and power of investing in your personal development, which I have committed to with 100% passion and focus.  I read or listen to at least 4 books a month.  However, as a salesman, I have not made the topic of SELLING a main book genre that I have studied.  I went through sales training with two Fortune 500 companies; I’ve read a few books and articles here and there; but I have not committed to this area enough.  For the next few months I am going to attack selling books, podcasts, YouTube videos, and key thought leaders in this field.  I have devoured three books by Grant Cardone recently (click on his name to go to his website).  I’ll share my findings in my next post.  He has been thought of by several media outlets as the best sales trainer in the world. 

According to Cardone, there are many amateurs in the selling profession.  Who would Cardone call an amateur?  Someone who doesn’t sharpen their ax by learning and applying new ideas in their given field.  Instead, they wake up and keep doing what they’ve always done – not learning new techniques and skills, but relying on what they used to do and have always done.  “If it worked ten years ago, it will work again,” they might say.  This average approach creates average results.

I’m calling myself out right now and need to get better at this.  What about you?  Are you reading up on the latest sales strategies & techniques? 

Would you see a doctor who wasn’t trained and experienced in the latest advances in medicine?  Would you select a financial planner who isn’t growing their knowledge on the stock market and trading daily?  There is no chance you would pick a real estate agent to help you sell your house if they weren’t experts in the current market and up to speed with the latest tools to attract buyers. 

If you are in the sales profession, LET’S GO, and invest in your knowledge, so we can apply new findings and improve our production.

Some great pearls in Conversations that Win the Complex Sale

When you improve your sales, let’s face it, YOU FEEL AWESOME!  You’ll have more confidence and motivation to try new things and stretch your comfort zone.  This is where personal growth happens, which creates ultimate fulfillment.   I offer these three books that I recently read that might help you learn a few new tricks of the trade and help you improve your sales.  Give these books a try to increase your influence (if you don’t like to read…try them in audio book form):  

• Conversations That Win The Complex Sell: Using Power Messaging to Create More Opportunities, Differentiate Your Solutions, and Close More Deals (Thanks Jimmy L)
  • From using props, to storytelling, to drawing out your message on a white board or basic piece of paper, the authors give several unique approaches to differentiate you and your product or service.
• The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation (Thanks Mike Ike)  
  • There are 5 different categories of sales people.  Many successful professionals operate in a mix of all, but the Challenger was found to have more success with the complex sell vs. what many managers thought would prevail – the Relationship Builder.  The elite salesman will beat the friend every time.  Here is the list from top to bottom on effectiveness:  
  1. The Challenger
  2. The Lone Wolf
  3. The Hard Worker
  4. The Problem Solver
  5. The Relationship Builder
• Good to Great: Why Some Companies Take the Leap and Others Don’t (Thanks Tony K)
  • This is an oldie but goodie.  The author, Jim Collins, and his research team did a deep dive study into identifying what key leadership factors took average companies to great companies.  This read is perfect for leaders and managers.

Below is a video discussing key findings from the Challenger Sale:

PLEASE RESPOND TO ONE OF MY SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS WITH YOUR FAVORITE BOOK ON SELLING AND LETS HELP EACH OTHER GET BETTER!

In my next post, I’ll share a new approach (inspired by three Grant Cardone books I have read) that will give you a framework to INCREASE YOUR SALES; launch the side project that you have always dreampt about making a full time venture; and for all my entrepreneurs, this system will help take your business to the next level.  I’ll share examples of how I’ve applied this framework with Project Rise.

Thanks and have an AWESOME WEEK!!!

PROJECT RISE PODCAST EPISODE 3: CHARLY MARTIN

LISTEN TO PODCAST HERE

Remember the Monday Night Football game against the Green Bay Packers when at the last second, Seattle Seahawk’s Golden Tate made one of the most famous catches in NFL history? Well, I sat down with the other Seahawk wide-receiver who was in the endzone at the infamous moment – Charly Martin.  His recollection of that iconic play is one for the ages.

Charly was born in Walla Walla, Washington and later moved to Farmington, New Mexico where he completed high school as an excellent all around student-athlete.  Lacking a Division I scholarship though, Charly defied the odds as a record setting All-American at the Division II powerhouse, West Texas A&M.  He offers enlightening insights on what it took to not only make it in the NFL, but to also stay in the league for five years.

In addition, Charly shares what it was like to transition out of the life as a professional athlete, and into a successful career as the Northwest Vice President of Sales at the private aviation company – Wheels Up.

Charly is one of my best friends and I am so proud to call him family.  He is a devoted husband to his lovely wife Courtney, and their studly three year old son, Charles William Martin, V. – Kendra and I are so proud to be Lil C’s Godparents.

Charly and my daughter Bellamy…we totally support arranged marriages.

What inspires me most about Charly is his unwavering vision and belief in himself.  These traits are what makes uncommon people uncommon.  His will to overcome adversity, the ability to push himself beyond his limits, and commitment to excellence are what drive him to succeed.

LISTEN TO PODCAST HERE

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend!

INVEST IN YOU

These signs look familiar?

My life didn’t change until I changed one specific habit. 

Before I share with you what that one habit is, let me give you some context on what drew me to this realization.  It all started over three years ago, when I was working in oncology sales at my previous company.  I was in an account manager role, and it just wasn’t the right fit.  The timing was awful.  Due to some practices overseas, we were slapped with a Corporate Integrity Agreement, which forced us to revisit how our sales force was compensated…as in, no more pay for sales, but in verbal and written tests.  “Someone kill me now and take me out of my misery,” is what I thought on a day to day basis.  This role and compensation model made for many restless nights, my blood pressure was in the high 140’s, and I was taking medication to try to lower that number and my angst.  I wasn’t fulfilling my true potential and thriving at work.  Stressed and looking for ways to get me out of this funk, I tried several things. 

I first thought seeing a counselor would help.  I remember sending one particular counselor an email saying that I needed a “confidence coach,” to help me come up with ways to get me through this season in my life.  She really didn’t understand what I meant by confidence coach.  I must have done a not so good job of articulating what I was going through and needed.  Regardless, I went to see her for a few sessions and really didn’t feel the connection and growth I was looking for.

My next attempt to lower my stress was to take Transcendental Meditation training.  I read all of the benefits that this practice offers and how many celebrities swear by it…at that point, I was looking for anything.  So I ponied up the $750 fee and took the training, which was about 8 sessions in some random tiny house in Kirkland and my instructor must have been pushing 80 years old.  I am a big believer of practicing some type of mindfulness, visualization, and meditation, but this version did not give me the instant gratification I was seeking either.

Feeling stuck and running out of options, my manager sent everyone in our sales team a gift.  This one act if generosity and leadership was the solution I needed.  This one act kick started a movement within my soul.  

This gift was so simple; I had already done it hundreds of times before, but with a different intention and focus.  

This one life changing tactic has so immense power that in ancient times and even in early American history, people in positions of authority outlawed peasants, the lower class, and slaves access to this one skill.  Even to this day, whoever has the most access to this resources and utilizes it’s endless power can acquire healthier relationships, wealth, influence, health, and reaching one’s true potential – all the things I was looking for. 

This one simple act often times gets overlooked, downplayed, and forgotten as a strategy for optimization.  The most successful people in the world know and use this gift daily.  So, what is this gift?  READING A BOOK.

I’ve mentioned this before on my blog, but its worth mentioning again.  The book that my manager gifted was called Positive Intelligence, by Shirzad Chamine.  This one piece of literature gave me the tools to identify and overcome negative thought patterns, as well as help me with strategies to improve my mindset, perspective, and ability to execute.  With this knowledge, I had the confidence and mental focus to leave pharmaceutical sales and crack into the highly competitive medical device industry with a Fortune 500 company and market leader.

Once at my new company, I was assigned a mentor named Frankie, who was all about investing in his personal development.  Frankie was very successful throughout his career – being on stage and winning national awards nearly every year.  I wanted what he had and asked him how I could get there.  His answer was NOT to ask insightful questions, handle objections properly, or to “ABC” (Always Be Closing).  Instead he gave me a list of about 25 books that were game changers for him.  He said, if you read these and apply them, the sky is the limit for you.  After seeing the drastic improvement just one book did for me, I started to clap my hands with excitement, thinking of the impact that reading more books would do!

Simple concept with huge payoffs

I attacked that list like a white blood cell engulfing a foreign particle in our blood stream.  I was ALL IN and with each book consumed, I felt stronger and desired more information.  

I made reading and listening to audiobooks a daily habit.  The results of this practice have manifested many wonderful things in my life that would not have possible if I would have gone back to my original habits of watching movies weekly, binging on Netflix and TV; wasting hours dinking around on my phone; spending every minute in my car listening to music, talk radio, or chatting on the phone.  I instead made it a point to take in as much information as I could. 

Everything we could possibly want or need has already been done, and most likely, someone has written about it.

This one habit of going all in on my personal development has changed everything for me: from being Rookie of the Year, back to back Top Performer Awards, creating a blog, being invited to speak to a variety of audiences, and even completing the contentof my first book (it is in the editing process right now, but I can’t wait to give you guys more insights later)!  All of these accomplishments could not have been possible without making daily reading a non negotiable with myself.  I’m all about non-fiction books…what about you?  

What are you investing in?

The average CEO reads about 4-5 books per month, which is 50-60 per year.  Conversely, 25-30% of Americans read zero books in a year.  The mean number of books the average American reads is 5 (this number is inflated by the small percentage who read much more).  There is no arguing why the most influential and successful people in business and life read in one month what the average person reads in one year.  

According to Lana Winter-Hebert from LifeHacks.org, there are many benefits to reading:

• Improves mental stimulation

• Reduces stress

• Increases knowledge

• Expands your vocabulary

• Improves your memory

• Creates stronger analytical thinking skills
• Improves focus and concentration
• Improves writing skills

As reported in the Huffington Post:

• Bill Gates reads about 50 books per year (one per week)

• Mark Cuban reads more than 3 hours every day

• Elon Musk is an avid reader and when asked how he learned to build rockets, he said, “I read books.”

• Mark Zuckerberg resolved to read a book every 2 weeks throughout 2015

If these icons have enough time to read and make it a priority in their daily lives, we definitely should too.

Marguerite Ward from CNBC Money wrote an eye popping article on what Warren Buffett calls the secret to his success.  Buffett says that he spends about 80 percent of his time each day reading.  He even tries to read up to 500 pages per day!  He says that reading is like compound interest – the earlier and more often you do it, the wealthier you will become!

I usually have one book I’m reading and one I’m listening to in audiobook form at the same time. My goal is to consume and finish 4 books a month.  I just finished the book, TheCircle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears, by Mark Batterson.  While I was reading that, I’d listen to Angela Duckworth’s book Grit: The Power of Passionand Perseverance in audiobook form (I only have one hour until I’m done!).  I’m now reading Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…And Others Don’t, by Jim Collins…its a classic!

While I read and listen to my books, I always keep notes and write down the points that speak to me.  Many of my quotes I list on my social media platforms are inspired by something I read or heard.  These artists, authors, researchers, and creators definitely inspire me to innovate, face my fears, and be my best self.  I want you to feel this crazy force of good and inspiration for yourself!

Big things come in small packages…like a book 

HERE ARE MY 6 TIPS TO READ MORE BOOKS:

1. Look at your monthly expenses and budget at least $40-$50 per month on books ($10-15 for a physical book, and about $20 for an audiobook)…trust me, it will be the best investment you will ever make!  If you are a manager…add this into your team’s budget and let your team expense it.  
   • If you don’t have the budget, go to the library, ask your friends to borrow one of their favorites, or check out iTunes and Android apps which offer free books.
   • BookBub offers thousands of free or discounted books…check them out here!
2. Use your phone, iPad, or other devices to download books to read (Kindle, Nook, etc).  This method is usually cheaper than a hard copy and takes up less space!  For e-book device reviews, check out this article.
3. Use iTunes to download audiobooks.  This method has changed everything for me.  When I drive, this is my go-to to pass the time (or Podcasts).  Instead of wasting away to music all day, get your mind right!  I also use this method when I work out at the gym or go on a walk/run…your brain is a muscle too!
4. Pick a consistent time in the day to read.  While getting started, pencil this time into your calendar.  Mornings or evenings are the most common.  I like to read at night when my wife is working in her office or when I jump in bed.  This relaxes my mind and helps me sleep better (two pretty awesome benefits).
   • If you read 15 minutes a day, every day of the year, you’ll read twelve 200 page books in one year!
   • A half hour a day would bring your total up to 24 books a year…remember: learners are earners!
5. Get some friends together and create a book club.  You can do this at work and improve on personal development with members of your team; you can do a book study with a local small group within your church; or you can meet at Starbucks once a month with a few friends and discuss a shared book.  I’ve done all three of these.  When you go in on something together, it makes it more fun and holds you accountable.  Be a leader and set in motion positive change by getting a few people to learn together.
6. Download this app: Blinklist.  This app has a digital library of thousands of books and reproduces them in summary form.  You can listen or read the main points of an entire book in just 10-15 minutes!  All of the best selling books and authors in the world are at your disposal.  There is a small fee, but its worth it.  I get great new book suggestions based on my interests, which I love.  With this app, I have read dozens of books that I’ve always wanted to read, but didn’t have enough time to get to…now with this app…the book world is at my fingertips! 

I definitely do not want to go back to that place where I was before I discovered the power of reading consistently.  

My hope is that you channel this same power and apply it to your life.  Be curious…feed that curiosity with knowledge.  Apply that knowledge and reap the rewards….who knows, if you read enough books, you might be a CEO one day.

Here is my book teaser…below is a list of books I reference in my new book coming soon!  I hope this list will help light a fire inside to be your best self.

Positive Intelligence: Why Only 20% of Teams and Individuals Achieve Their True Potential AND HOW YOU CAN ACHIEVE YOURS, by Shirzad Chamine

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, by Carol Dweck

Confidence: How to Overcome Your Limiting Beliefs and Achieve Your Goals, by Martin Meadows

The End of Stress: Four Steps to Rewire Your Brain, Don Joseph Goewey

No Excuses!: The Power of Self-Discipline for Success in Your Life, by Brian Tracy

Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill

The 10X Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure, by Grant Cardone

The School of Greatness: A Real-World Guide to Living Bigger, Loving Deeper, and Leaving a Legacy, by Lewis Howes

9 Things Successful People Do Differently, by Heidi Grant Halvorson

Grit: The Power of Passion and Persistence, by Angela Duckworth

18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done, by Peter Bregman

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, by Charles Duhigg

The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work, by Shawn Achor

The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simply Truth Behind Extraordinary Results, by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan

The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy, by Jon Gordon

The Obstacle is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph, by Ryan Holiday

Successful Advertising. 1885, by Thomas Smith

The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne

StrengthsFinder 2.0, by Tom Rath

Lead Like Jesus: Lessons from the Greatest Leadership Role Model of All Time, by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges

The Hidden Gifts of Helping: How the Power of Giving, Compassion, and Hope Can Get Us Through Hard Times, by Stephen G. Post

Ego Is the Enemy, by Ryan Holiday

Tools For Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers, by Tim Ferriss

The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream, by Paulo Coelho

Make the Bigtime Where You Are, by Frosty Westering

PROJECT RISE PODCAST EPISODE 2: MIKE ISAACSON

Holdin’ it down in Mike’s beautiful Kirkland home and office

Project Rise Podcast Episode 2’s guest is Mike Isaacson.  Mike is a Wenatchee boy who now lives in Kirkland with his wife, Jodi, and two beautiful girls, Quinn and Eva.

I first met Mike the summer after high school during the week of the Washington State East-West All-State football game.  We then became teammates at Washington State University.  Mike’s outgoing personality, sincere curiosity, and passion for peak performance made the perfect formula for us to connect and be great friends for many years.

Why you should listen?

To say Mike is crushing it would be an understatement.  After being a successful sales rep for several years in the highly competitive spine medical device industry, Mike was promoted to a District Manager at Medtronic at the age of 29, and now is an area Vice President at Ortho Kinematics.

On paper, Mike has all the measurables of success – he has the houses, the cars, and the financial freedom that come with high achievement – but, what I’m most impressed with is his work ethic, passion to serve others, and how he is as a loving husband, father, and devoted friend.  I truly love this guy and I want you to enjoy some of the things that Mike has taught me over our 18 years of friendship.

In this episode, Mike tells powerful stories of overcoming adversity, leadership, investing in your personal development, and examples of being a young entrepreneur.

Take a listen and if you enjoy this episode, share it with a friend.  Thank you!

Listen to the podcast here.

GET BETTER WITH GRIT

Last Wednesday night while coaching football, I decided to show the high school kids a thing or two.  We reached the end of practice and we were finishing the session up with some competition – a little one-on-one drill.  It’s pretty simple, the receivers try to get open by using the technique and tricks that I taught them during their individual session, and the defensive backs are tasked to lock them down.

Our defensive backs coach, Jeffery Solomon (aka, Solo), played for WSU and also in the Arena League for several years.  He is a beast, still under 30 years old, and could strap up and be an impact player at most D-I programs right now.  It’s pretty awesome when your coach can dominate you…in the end, kids do what you do, not what you say.  Well, Solo jumped into the one-on-one drills and was balling on these young guys.  Watching this, I got the itch to get in on the competition and dust the old white boy receiver skills off and show them how it’s done.

Solo making plays vs. UCLA

In my mind I envisioned myself being like Julian Edleman carving up the Atlanta Falcon’s defense in the Super Bowl.  After all, I once was a 4-year starter in the Pac-10 (now Pac-12), “I can take these high school kids,” I thought, “I got dang near 20 years of experience on these guys, I got this!”  I didn’t have any cleats…no big deal.  No receiver gloves, no problem!  The fact that I had the Norovirus the weekend before didn’t even hold me back either (no food for several days…no biggie!).

My first rep didn’t go so well.  I guess I’m not as strong as I used to be.  The second rep, I dropped the ball over the middle…where did my “sure hands” go?  The third rep, the ball got tipped away at the last minute.  I kept jumping in expecting a different result, but instead of being Edleman, I was more like Pee-Wee Herman.  I only caught 3 balls out of 10…are you kidding me?!!  That’s it…only 3 balls?…that’s a 70% failure rate!

When we finished, I walked to my car, pulled my hood over my head and zipped up my jacket feeling the cold winter wind chill rush all over me.  I don’t know what stung worst, the cold, or my lack luster performance.  My legs were wobbly and my ego definitely dropped a few notches.  This type of performance could have put me into official retirement, but this time around, being much older and wiser, I’m approaching this situation differently than when I was my younger immature self.

As I pulled into the driveway when I got home, I had already made the decision to give that drill another try.  I envisioned what cleats and gloves I was going to wear, and even visualized a few routes that I know will work.  I walked into my house excited for the next time.  I knew that my credibility as a coach and an athlete were not defined by that one failure.  I didn’t win that day, but I knew that the next time would be better and that I could learn and grow from that experience to attack the next competition with excitement and gratitude.

It’s taken me 36 years to have that kind of a mindset.  When I was a student-athlete or even in the professional world of medical sales, I had the opposite mindset.  I felt like I constantly had to “prove” myself, which ended up hindering my performance…with each move or step, I would constantly evaluate myself and picture what others thought of me.  I was constantly comparing.  This mental approach no doubt hindered my ability to compete at peak performance.  For many, past failures exacerbate fears of feature failure.  This cycle creates self doubt and often times anxiety.

These internal fears and anxiety lead people to give up, quit, or avoid being put into similar situations again.  Thus, their true potential is never fully actualized.

Performance anxiety is a real thing, and for some reason, 
NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT IT.  

Here are some alarming stats:

• 32% of teens suffer from some form of anxiety – National Institute of Health
• 85% of collegiate athletic trainers report that anxiety hinders their student-athlete’s ability to perform at their best. – NCAA.org
• 40 million American adults (18.1%) suffer from anxiety. – National Institute of Mental Health 

These are just reported cases covering a broad spectrum.  There just isn’t much data on evaluating specific areas and ways to not only cope, but to discuss and find strategies to improve self limiting beliefs as a collective group.

Whether it is being super stressed before taking a test, feeling like a nervous wreck when your supervisor is evaluating you, or feeling anxious before a big game or presentation, we need to acknowledge that being nervous, stressed, and anxious is a natural human emotion that needs to be better addressed.

According to Dr. Heidi Grant, performance psychologist at Columbia University, the brain can hold 5 to 7 thoughts or ideas at one time.  When the brain is in a state of anxiety, it can only hold 2 to 3 concepts.  When we are operating in an anxious state and constantly trying to “prove” ourself, we are living in what Grant calls a “Be Good” mindset.  Individuals with a “Be Good” mindset avoid failure, constantly compare, and seek validation in performance only.  They have the idea that they have to “be good” at something in order to be a good person.  This mindset is definitely part of the anxiety problem.

Does this sound familiar to you or anybody you know, lead, or coach?

While at our national sales meeting in Miami a few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of listening to Dr. Grant lecture in person on this topic.  My pen and note taking skills were working overtime!  I was soaking in her insights and felt like she was talking about me and my former self.

The goal, she says is to have a “Get Better” mindset (Stanford’s Dr. Carol Dweck calls it a “Growth” mindset, which if you have followed this blog, you have heard me mention this before).  Instead of focusing on PROVING yourself, try to focus on IMPROVING yourself.  We all are a work in progress and no one is perfect.  Fear of failure is the enemy to creativity and performing at your best…no matter the area…work, socially, athletically, etc.  When your thought process is all about PROGRESS not PERFECTION, what happens is powerful, you will start to perform better.

The best operate with this philosophy…they are not defined by their failure.  What do you think Tom Brady was thinking after he threw that pick 6 and was down 25 points in the 3rd quarter of the Super Bowl?  The reason why he is the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) is that he learns from his mistakes; he uses them to grow; and he expects the best is yet to come.  Other people’s opinion’s don’t matter, just his own and those in his locker room.  Brady fails, thus he succeeds  He succeeds, because he fails.

The Patriots are the personification of PASSION meets PERSEVERANCE.

Most of the entire New England Patriot’s roster is full of rejects, misfits, and “failures” who are filled with GRIT.  Someone needs to do a deep study on their model because 7 Super Bowls and 5 rings tells me that Belichick and Brady have this “Get Better” Mindset down to a science.  This example should give you hope that if at first you don’t succeed, keep grinding, keep pushing, keep competing, and your day will come…

You are not defined by your failure, but how you react and grow from it!

Newly hired Minnesota Gopher Football Coach, PJ Fleck, has mentioned multiple times that he recruits kids that have failed.  He looks for coaches who have failed.  He focuses his whole program around surrounding himself, his staff, and players with individuals who have failed and have GRIT – passion and perseverance.  Talent does not beat skill.  Talent might pass the eye test and win early, but skill is something that is developed over time.  With an insane work ethic, and a thirst to win the war, not just the battle, you will improve your Grit, thus improve your likelihood to achieve your long term goals.

The Mount Rushmore of Performance Psychologists and my favorites…read their books! 

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverence, by Angela Duckworth
9 Things Successful People Do Differently, by Heidi Grant
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, by Carol Dweck

Penn’s Angela Duckworth, studied and wrote a book about Grit and the power of passion and perseverance.  Many prominent leaders in business and sports are trying to tap in this new science of understanding grit and how to identify it and coach it.  Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll has even brought Duckworth into to speak to his team to change their lens on failure and persevering.

Grant, Duckworth, and Dweck agree…find individuals that have grit, and you’ll build a winning culture and team.  This mindset retools how we look at failure.

The statement, “I’m not good,” should not be in your vocabulary.  Instead, you should say, “I’m not there yet.”  

This philosophy will help lower some of that anxiety.  The threat of a loss will soon lose its crippling power.  When you approach competition and life with a “Get Better” or “Growth” mindset, this approach turns failure into a stepping stone for improvement, instead of being a road block.

Here are some tips to lower anxiety and improve performance with a healthy mindset:
Leaders, Teachers, Coaches, and Parents:

• Reward the right thing: effort, unselfishness, and perseverance instead of outcomes only
• Institute the 5-Minute Rule…before any coaching, teaching, or feedback takes place; check in with others on a human level for 5 minutes.  Let them feel that you value them as a person, not just as a cog in the big machine that serves you 
• When giving feedback, make it more process driven versus result driven (for example a player misses a shot, instead of saying, “Make the shot!” Say, “Balance your feet first, then shoot!  You got this!”)

Individuals in Non Supervisor, Manager, or Coaching roles:

• Develop daily routines – mentally and physically – create your “process”
• Have multiple level goals all funneling into the same BIG end goal (this will keep you on your path)
• View yourself as a “work in progress,” Rome wasn’t built in a day and nor are you
• Seek self-love outside of one area of your life (you are more than just a sales rep, an athlete, insurance agent, car salesman etc.)
• Know that you are not perfect (no one is) and use failure to build your knowledge and skill sets

If you take the advice above, you’ll be well on your way to being the best version of you. 

I can’t wait to apply these tactics next week at my wide receiver’s practice.  With my “Get Better” mindset and going all-in on believing and demonstrating GRIT, I’m confident my walk back to my car after a session of competing in one-one-one drills, I’ll have my chest out; I’ll be walking with swag feeling the wind at my back (healthy mindset) instead of it pushing me back (unhealthy mindset).  I’ll keep you posted!  In the meantime, check out this 6 minute video of Dr. Duckworth talking about GRIT.

PROJECT RISE PODCAST EPISODE 1: BRIAN HOPPER

B. Hop and I in his amazing Kirkland office

This has been a long time coming.  I’ve wanted to do a podcast for a while now and I’m pumped to finally have completed my first one!  The premise of the show is to interview ORDINARY PEOPLE DOING EXTRAORDINARY THINGS.  I want to learn the strategies, patterns, and habits of people who might not be making the headlines, but are thriving and making  a difference for others.  I have a list of people that I’m excited to share their stories with you.

Because for me…I get more motivation when someone I know, went to school with, or is from my community is dominating…personally and professionally.  That pushes me and gives me the confidence to say, “I can do it too!”  I hope this show will do that for you as well.

Let me say that this is a learning experience and I definitely have a ways to go until this show is racking up listeners on iTunes, but I’ve shifted my mindset away from perfection and making my creative outlets (blog, videos, and now podcasts) all about connection.

SEEK CONNECTION NOT PERFECTION

In everything you do.

Is my mic the best? No.  Do I have a perfect interview style?  No.  Is my editing off the charts good?  No.  BUT SO WHAT!  It’s all about content and I’ll get better in all of those areas over time.

With that said…I’m excited to introduce you to my first guest on the Project Rise Podcast…Brian Hopper (or B. Hop as I like to call him).  Brain and his wife Nicole founded Hopper Group Real Estate several years ago (check their link out HERE).  To say that Brian and his team are CRUSHING it would be an understatement.  Their personalized, all about the small things, and detailed approach have separated their services from the pack and into a whole new level of buying and selling dream homes for people.

Brian’s story will give you the push you might need to finally take the steps necessary to finally pursue your passion.  He also gives great wisdom on finding balance in your life aside from the daily hustle of being a successful entrepreneur.  Take a listen and share it with a friend.  I hope you enjoy and MAKE TODAY THE DAY, WHERE YOU BECOME THE BEST VERSION OF YOU!

Project Rise Podcast link HERE.

PROJECT RISE SPOTLIGHT: DABO SWINNEY

“We won because of LOVE!”

-Dabo Sweeney

Project Rise SPOTLIGHT: Dabo Swinney

What if you made the emotion of LOVE a competitive advantage?  Well, that is what the leader of the Clemson Tiger’s and 2017 National Champions did.  As a young boy, Dabo Swinney received his name from his brother who while trying to say “Dat boy,” created “Dabo.”  Coach Swinney is a breathe of fresh air and has modeled a leadership style and culture within his program that has drawn me into studying his methodology.

Dabo and I have two things in common: 1. We both share the middle name Christopher (his birth first name is William), and 2. We both have the same word of the year (I had no idea about this until his post game speech with Sam Ponder that rocked me): LOVE.

With not much time on the clock and trailing Alabama, Dabo gave some bone chilling advice on how to be clutch:

“Let the light inside you shine brighter than the light that’s on you.”

Many leaders and coaches believe they need to motivate by fear.  I believe that discipline, hard work, and accountability are definitely needed – but what if we switch up the phrase “tough love” and instead “love tough?”  Dabo has modeled that his entire career.

There is a reason why Dabo is one of the top recruiters in the nation: LOVE for people.

There is a reason he walked on at Alabama and earned a scholarship: LOVE to compete.

There is a reason that after taking a few years off of coaching to sell real estate, he didn’t give up his dream of being a head coach: LOVE of the game.

There is a reason he has won Coach of the Year in the ACC and Nationally: LOVE to lead.

Here are my 4 Pillars of Being a LOVING Leader and creating a winning team culture…inspired by Dabo:

1. Energy – loving energy is contagious.
2. Vulnerability – take ego out of the equation and big things will happen.
3. Sacrifice – imagine how far we can go if no one cares who gets the credit?
4. Trust – we are stronger together – do your job and trust your teammate will do theirs.

How can you incorporate more LOVE into your home, workplace, or team?  Love is the most powerful emotion one can feel and give to others.  Like Dabo displayed, love might be the missing link to creating the environment or outcomes you have been looking for. 

Because in the end, love is as much a choice, as it is a feeling. 

If you didn’t see Dabo’s post game interview moments after winning the National Championship vs. his alma mater Alabama on the final drive…it’s one for the ages and a must see.  Oh, and one final thing…I LOVE you guys!

ONE QUESTION

Did you ever play with an 8-Ball as a kid?  Maybe at a party or with friends…you’d ask this silly contraption a question, shake it, then wait with baited breathe to see what it would say?  This novelty toy was invented in the 1950’s by Albert Carter and manufactured by Mattel and has been a staple at middle school parties for decades.

As you know, the Magic 8-Ball is used for fortune-telling or seeking advice with a humorous slant–it gives very accurate, very inaccurate, or otherwise statistically improbable answers.  The 20 answers that it offers come in three different categories in some form or fashion:

• Yes
• I don’t know or ask again later
• No

In life, we all are seeking answers for the many obstacles it throws at us: how to handle a situation, ideas to solve a problem, or answers on what to do next.  Maybe you have a a new project at work and are looking for inspiration.  Or, you and your spouse are trying to figure out how to deal with a situation that involves your child.  Or maybe, you are just seeking direction and purpose on what do to next in your life.

Luckily for you and everyone else, we don’t get our answers by asking a black round sphere a question then shake it, and hope for the best.

So let me ask you this question:

How do you get your answers?

We all are seeking answers and knowledge.  No doubt, we have the Internet, Google, Wikipedia, and other technical options to find solutions.  YouTube is one of my favorite places to figure out how to do something,..like how to make slime (that was the first to pop up when I typed in “how to…”) or how to tie a tie, or how to fix a cracked phone screen (another popular one).  There are a TON of resources to gain insights on facts, how-to’s, opinions, and history of someone or something.

However, our toughest questions cannot be answered by clicking a search button on a device. 

Let me share a strategy that is life changing, simple, and if used correctly–extremely powerful.  This approach pulls from infinite wisdom so endless and abundant, it puts Google to shame.  This daily ritual, if done consistently, will take you to places you have never been, give you peace you have never felt, and create clarity and decisiveness you otherwise wouldn’t see.

So what is this solution…It’s MEDITATION.  

You most likely have heard this offering before and how meditation can improve creative thinking, our energy, stress levels, and even our success.  Billionaires, world class athletes, icons, and top performers utilize this technique.  If this is so, why do so many of us not do it?

My answer is that I think meditation is often misunderstood (it’s only for monks and for people who do kung-fu).  I actually think the main reason is because people don’t know how to do it properly.  Either they get too board with it, or actually fall asleep!  My goal is to give you a few simple steps to help you make making mindfulness a daily practice.  Before I do that, let me remind you of a few reasons WHY you should really make meditation, visualization, and mindfulness your go-to when you need peace, rest, and answers. 

In an article in the Huffington Post, Dr. Hedy Kober, who is a neuroscience expert who studies the effects of mindful meditation, offers this, “It did to my mind what going to the gym did to my body–it made it both stronger and more flexible.”  

LifeHack offers these top 10 benefits of Mediation that you might not know:

1. It boosts your immune system
2. Improves fertility
3. Reduces stress
4. Improves self-acceptance
5. Improves self-confidence
6. Improves your relationships
7. Increases creativity
8. Offers pain relief
9. It improves concentration
10. It fosters a feeling of “wholeness”

You already do some form of mindfulness in your own way…driving a car, doing yoga, taking a long hot shower, praying, going on a peaceful walk, the time between when you wake up and actually get out of bed…some of my best ideas have come during these times.

My favorite part of yoga, is the relaxation/mindfulness time at the end.

A few years ago, I received training on Transcendental Meditation (TM).  I was going through a rough patch in my career, was dealing with stress, and was looking for a release.  Oprah, Russell Simmons, Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, and many other well know successful people swear by it, so I thought…why not give it a try?  It was a good experience, but what I found out is that I preferred “guided meditation” over TM’s approach.

A Few Options
A great resource to learn how to practice guided meditation is through an awesome app called:  Headspace.  I heard about it from the Lewis Howes Podcast.  One of my heroes, Tim Farriss has endorsed this approach as well.  With over 6 million downloads, I’d say that it is working for many!  You can customized what you are looking for based on needs and time length.  You will listen to the creator–Andy–who has a soothing accent (British I believe), guide you through your meditation each time.  This is approach will you are getting started…the first ten sessions are FREE! 

Another resource you can utilize is to check out Tara Bach’s website, which offers great info on meditation, as well as offers a library that you can select by category.  Check it out.

Finally, I had the pleasure to take part in a men’s retreat this weekend with a group of successful guys down on the Oregon Coast this past week.  We called our getaway: Breakaway.  The intent of the weekend was to cast vision, create inspiration, and map out a plan to make 2017 our best year yet.  We had the pleasure of working with a business owner, entrepreneur,  certified life coach, and mediation expert, Sean McCormick.  Sean owns Float Seattle.  Sean guided the group in several mediation and visualization sessions, which were certainly powerful.  I encourage you to check out his website if you are looking for more mindfulness, peace and success!…click here.

Sean dropping knowledge…not a bad place to learn…on a legit recliner

5 Simple Steps to Practice More Mindfulness:

1. Prioritize a specific time during the day to allow a few minutes of quiet time to yourself (even if it’s just 5 minutes)
2. Avoid laying down, but find a cozy chair or sit in a comfortable position (this will limit the chance of falling asleep)
3. Spend the first minute or so focusing on your breathing…in through your nose, then out through your mouth.
4. At the beginning of this time, ask yourself a question…relax and let your heart and spirit (not your brain) go to work
5. Be open to receive omens, ideas, and inspiration to be the best version of you

I’ll Leave You With This:

Ask yourself at least one question each day and let your subconscious, God, and the universe go to work and bring you answers, solutions, guidance, and the peace of mind not found in an 8-Ball or Google.  Here’s a helpful hint: PUT YOUR CELL PHONE AWAY, be still, be mindful, and make some form of meditation a daily habit.  If you do, you’ll upgrade from your 8-Ball, and get more answers than “yes,” “ask again later,” or “no” (you may receive one of these three answers though anyway).  Regardless, give your mind, body, and soul, the gift of calm and peace…your future self will thank you.

GEAR GUIDE 2017

Walk into 2017 like this guy…like you know something that others don’t.

It’s a new year and it’s time to think about how we can make 2017 our best year yet.  I made a list of my favorite things that I’ve came across this year that I think will help you in your quest to be the best version of you.

Anytime I can get an edge to improve how I feel, enhance my knowledge, or simply enjoy life at a deeper level, I’m always down.  I hope this list will do that for you.  So here it is…

My Top 10 Must Haves for 2017:

#1.  Off the Chain Pant, from Lululemon

I love these pants for so many reasons.  From 2014-2016, it was all about the ABC pant from Lulu.  ABC stands for Anti-Ball Crushing.  Love these pants.  I just might have all the colors. They have 4-way stretch, are comfy, and fit me real nice.  Having a butt and quads, its tough finding a slimmer fitting pant that is still comfortable.  With that said, 2017 is all about the Off the Chain Pant.  This is a new and improved version of the ABC.  It has a little leaner and tighter cut, but still has room in all the right places.  I can dress these up or dress them down.  I’m obsessed!!!  Oh, and as I write this they are on sale right now at Bellevue Square as well as online (last I checked they were on sale for $68!…a steal!).

Forgive me and my selfie…I’m doing it to help you!  Love my Off the Chains & Neff beanie…see below for my #2

Here are a few reasons why you need these babies

#2.  Neff Beanie

Being that it is winter in the northwest, and 70 + degree weather is nowhere in sight, I love keeping my noggin warm with my fav beanie from Neff (see photo above).  Sometimes wearing a ball cap does not do the job.  Why I like it: it has the perfect mix of the right length (some beanies are either too long or too short…the Neff is spot on) and also it is the perfect material.  It’s not itchy, but really comfortable and it has the perfect amount of stretch.  Finally it’s not too warm, but does the job.  I hate walking outside where it is cold and warrants a beanie, then when I get inside I have to take my beanie off because I am too hot and my hair looks all messed up (so I’m vain..sue me).  This game changer keeps me warm when outside and not too hot inside…I can rock it with comfort inside and out. 

#3.  H & M Collared Shirts

If you are looking for an affordable dress shirt in a variety of styles and colors, H & M has got what you are looking for.  You might like to go to Nordy’s and drop $100 plus on a dress shirt, but I like to get more bang for my buck.  These shirts have a more athletic European cut, which I like, and I’ve had several for multiple years, so the quality does the job.  If you are looking for 4-way stretch, my honorable mention goes to Mizzen and Main (check them out)…shout out to my boy Mike Ike. 

NBD, just me taking a family pick with one of my H&M buttoned collard shirts

#4.  Zara Blazers

Every grown man needs to own a black suit and a multi-use blazer.  The reason why I like Zara’s blazers is the way they are cut (slim) and because most of them have a comfortable stretchy material (are you seeing a trend here?).  The other reason why I like them is because they offer a high quality jacket for a reasonable price.  Pair your new blazer with a clean t-shirt for a more relaxed look.  Check them out…Zara is now in Bellevue Square as well as downtown Seattle (they have legit kids and women clothes as well).

#5.  Nike 3/4 Zip

These Nike 3/4 Zip tops are my go to whether I’m going to the gym, or going to a meeting.  They are so comfy, look great, and can be used in multiple settings.  Rock them to get your workout on, or when you go business casual with a polo underneath.  Stick with black and gray, and add a pop of color with your polo.  You just simply can’t lose with this wardrobe staple.

These are a little too tight for my taste, but you get the point.

#6.  Cole Haan GrandePro Tennis Sneaker

This single pair of Cole Haan’s will transform your look overnight.  I am really into rocking a more sporty shoe with my blazer or even suit.  The rules have changed.  Maybe its the athlete in me, or the look that says, “I mean business, but know how to have fun too,” this is the look for 2017.  There is not a lighter or more comfortable shoe out there — and they come in many colors.  Whether you travel, are on your feet most of the day, chill at a desk, or want to stay current or ahead of the curve…add this shoe to your repertoire and you will be closing dates and deals all in the same day.  Check out Charles Woodsen on ESPN or Kenny Smith on TNT for inspiration. 

What can I say…I’m a shoe guy

#7.  32 Degrees Heat Performance Mesh

I love to feel warm.  With the colder weather and the fact that I travel to eastern WA, Alaska, and Montana, I need an extra layer.  My go-to is 32 Degree Heat shirts and long-underwear from Costco.  The shirts come in short sleeve or long sleeve.  I opt for the long sleeve.  They are very comfortable and you can’t beat the price (wait for it…they run about $8 a piece…seriously?!).  You can even wear the long sleeve top  under your blazer.  I like the cut of the neck…it’s in between a V-neck and basic crew.

#8.  Nike Joggers

If you are like some people I know, you are rocking pants like its 1999 (RIP Prince)…or like you are the 6th member of N*SYNC.  Gangster rap, grunge, and boy bands were cool many years ago — so were baggy pants.  It’s time to step up your casual game with a pair of Nike jogger pants.  Whether you go for cotton Dri-Fit or more of a polyester feel, your gear game on Saturday and Sunday will be turning heads…for the right reasons.  Pair your slimmer looking bottoms with a flashy color of Nike running shoes and please don’t be that guy that rocks Adidas, Nike, and Under Armor all in the same outfit…pick one brand and stick to it.

You can never go wrong with black…NEVER.

#9.  Jordan Brand Long Tights

About a year ago, I found myself stuck in a tough place at the gym.  I was too hot in pants and too cold wearing shorts…my legs didn’t know what to do.  Thus, I made a strategic change that has taken my look, comfort, and swag to the next level…I’ve been rocking long tights under my shorts.  I used to wear spandex under my football pants for years, but it took me a while to adopt this approach to the gym.  I’ve tried many different brands, but I love the cut and style of any Jordan spandex…for some reason there is more room for the boys downstairs than Nike long tights.  Give this approach a try…you’ll thank me later.

Long tights under shorts are the perfect blend for the perfect workout.

#10.  Wireless Headphones

Have long tights transformed my workout game?…yes.  But, nothing has taken my workout experience to the next level quite like my Beats by Dre wireless headphones.  Do you ever listen to music with your phone in your pocket and your cord gets in the way?…Or when you are attacking dumbbell bench and your phone constantly falls out of your pocket?  Take this frustrating practice away by investing in headphones without a cord (the new iPhone doesn’t even have a jack, so this is where the future is going people).  I love listening to podcasts or YouTube videos of inspiring people and stories while lifting and doing cardio…this is made possible by sticking my phone hidden in the corner while I move around without a care in the world.  If Beats head phones break your budget, there are a ton of other brands that are more affordable.  Start working out like it’s 2017, not like you did in 1997 with a disc-man and head phones with a cord.

Here’s a list of top brands.

Be a beast like LBJ…get rid of the ball and chain of traditional headphone chords.

Look good, feel good, play good.  This progression can be applied at work and other areas of your life as well.  Try some of my favorites and let me know what you think.  Hit me up with your must haves for 2017 and lets make this year the the year we truly take our look, production, and joy to the next level.

FEELINGS NOT FACTS

I’ve made an observation recently.  I’ve come to the realization that what motivates people to ACT, BUY, and DO is not logic; its not numbers; its not even money.  It actually comes down to one simple thing – our feelings.  Emotion and Imagination beat Logic every day of the week.  You’ve probably heard the saying that people don’t remember what you said, but how you made them feel…I’m going to explore this topic a little bit.

Let’s face it, we all in one way or another are in a sales role.  Selling our kids to clean up or finish their food.  Convincing your significant other to go with your color choice when painting the kitchen, not theirs.  Pulling a Jedi Mind Trick on your best friend to meet at your favorite spot versus theirs.  Teachers, lawyers, parents, leaders, coaches, businesses, siblings, friends are all selling something: an idea, service, preference, product, or dream.

The art of the COMPLEX Sell: selling an idea to your kids

Studies show that people rely on emotions, rather than information, to make decisions.  Douglas Van Praet, author of Unconscious Branding: How Neuroscience Can Empower (and inspire) Marketing offers his opinion, “The most startling truth is we don’t even think our way to logical solutions.  We feel our way to reason.  Emotions don’t hinder decisions.  They constitute the foundation on which they’re made!”

I was first exposed to this feeling trumps facts theory while listening to a Tony Robbins (life and business strategist) video on YouTube several months ago.  Tony was telling a story about a conversation he had with Steve Wynn, business man, art collector, and well known luxury casino and hotel owner.  Steve, the creator of the Wynn hotel in Vegas, told the story on how he built the most expensive hotels in the world, and kept his prices high, because he wanted to make people feel SIGNIFICANT…even during the Recession in 2008 and 2009 when his competitors were shrinking, he went bigger, grander, and added more value.  All to enhance feelings and significance.  He even built a new hotel at the peak of the economic downturn and his goal was simple, it was to add more value…he even raised his prices!  He created the most beautiful, unique, and awesome experience, so people would feel special, important, and like royalty.  This strategy paid off – in a big way.  So remember this:

People don’t purchase products, they purchase feelings.

People don’t acquire things, they acquire states.

People don’t buy stuff, they buy identities.

Have you ever been in a relationship and either you or the person you were dating wanted to break up?  Whether your romance was relatively new or you had been together for a long time, someone had to try to explain why they didn’t want to continue the relationship.  This was always my biggest fear and least favorite thing in the world…breaking up with someone.  I absolutely HATED IT, more than anything.  Well, on a few occasions, I’d hear the girl on the other end, try to explain in great detail, all the rational reasons and facts why we should be together: we have a lot in common, we share the same interests, we like the same activities, our values are aligned.  Yes, all those things are true, but I JUST DON’T FEEL IT!  I probably cried more then they did when I left, but I knew it had to get done. I would then, ponder the points interjected, which all rationally made sense, but:

WHEN IS LOVE RATIONALE? 

My biggest fear during my single days: having “the talk”

The fact is, love, feelings, and emotions are not rationale…sometimes they don’t even make sense!  But emotion and feelings are what drive action.

So here is the money question, how do we tap into these so called feelings that are so important?  Here is my 3 phase approach to evoke feelings and not simply rely on facts to get what you want:

PHASE I – 1st Impression

• Confidence: Confidence and self-believe are very attractive qualities that lead people to follow.
• Humility: Confidence mixed with being humble is a strong combination.  Humility draws people in and allows others to put their guard down.
• Sincerity: Being sincere creates trust.  Trust creates dialogue.  Dialogue creates relationships.  Solid relationships are the foundation of what selling an idea is all about.

PHASE II – Tell a Story

• Make the status quo unsafe: How can you prove that what they are currently doing or want to do is not the best way?  This is where you generate an unmet need or a pain point.
• Make them smarter: Knowledge is power.  Teaching somebody something they do not know that can help them creates a feeling and emotion – whether it’s information on the marketplace, their own environment, competition, or how other’s are succeeding or failing – intellegient information is always a premium. 
• Offer a different solution: Provide a solution to make their next move a productive one that is different than what they are currently doing (or have been offered by someone else).

PHASE III – Motives Matter

• It’s all about YOU not me: Make the other person the center of the story, not you.
• Bring the VALUE you promised: In the end, its all about value.  Whoever brings the most value wins.  You need to deliver on what you said you were going to do.
• Prove you CARE, then CLOSE: Make caring a competitive advantage.  Care through Internal Investment then show it through External Execution.  When you have done this, you’ve earned the right to ask for what you want…when these steps have taken place, closing is easy.

In summary, life is all about FEELINGS!  The rational argument doesn’t always win.  Emotion, imagination, and feeling trump all.  Your first impression is what draws people in, but your content keeps them engaged.  Remember to carry yourself with confidence, humility, and sincerity…those are all quality traits that establish credibility and trust.  

Tell a story, don’t rattle off stats and facts.  Jesus spoke in parables for a reason.  People connect with a story, not just info.  Stories stick.  Make sure your story has danger or a threat, educational information that makes the other person smarter, and a unique solution that solves the problem.  

Lastly, make the customer or person you are talking to be the focal point and main character of your story (HINT: the protagonist should not be you, but the other person!).  Always bring value in what you are offering and be different by sincerely caring for all parties involved.  If money is your only motive, if YOU are your only motive…your results will be short lived.  When your motives align with service, value, and fulfilling the other person’s needs first, you will win in the long term.

Give this approach a try!  If you do, your outcomes will improve…I CAN FEEL IT!!!

ALIVE

If you read my last post, I mentioned that I hosted a candidate on a “ride along” last Friday.  As these work trips usually go, the potential employee usually asks questions about the role, trying to gain nuggets on the products, insights on customer concerns, and what the day to day looks like.  Often these individuals are jotting down notes into their journals (they better be!), formulating a plan to knock out their final interview, while putting their best foot forward in hopes that I sing their praises to the hiring manager.

On this particular day, at least for most of it, it went as usual…visiting accounts, doing my thing, answering questions, explaining the industry, etc. etc.  But this time, the candidate, let’s call her Stacy asked me a great question.  She asked, “If there is one thing I need to know…one piece of advice you can give me to crush this job, what is it?”

I thought about it for a second, while driving past the old battle ships nestled in the waters of Bremerton, Washington.  I pondered the question, thinking of the right response that would genuinely help her.  The standard answer would be to set goals, create a solid plan and execute, work really hard, bring value, and ask for the business.  Deep down I felt that response would be just like those old war vessels…rusty and out dated.

Well for some reason that day was different.  For those of you who have been following my blog have witnessed a dramatic shift in my mindset that I’m trying to share.  This blog has fostered an intellectual journey that has been one of the most transformational forces in my life.  It has taught me a powerful emotion called humility.  The process of sharing my thoughts, research, opinions, and strategies has been truly rewarding.  I have learned that I don’t have to create, just document my journey.  Using concepts from Carol Dweck’s book, Mindset: A New Psychology of Success, I’m working on developing a growth mindset – focusing on the process, learning, and growing – not simply on outcomes and the black and whiteness of wins an losses.  For most of my life I was living in a fixed mindset – gaining my self worth and validation on proving that I was good enough – to myself and others.

Trust me, I’m still a work in progress, but this time, when asked for advice on succeeding, I wanted to share something different.  I simply told Stacy:

Just know that you are alive
YOU ARE ALIVE!

To the average innocent bystander, one would think, man this dude is corny and definitely on the cheesy side.  You know what, I really don’t care.  I wanted her to know and you to know that you are ALIVE!  Take advantage of this precious gift of having the freedom of being present, here alive today.  To think.  To act and do whatever it is that you want.   

Most people wake up each day and take for granted all the possibilities being alive has to offer…seriously.  Why do people wait to go through a traumatic event or threat of loss to truly appreciate how insanely lucky we are to experience just a single day and all the possibilities and wonders each day brings…especially in the mundane things that aren’t given a second thought once they’ve passed?  Don’t make a loss make you finally live. 

Kendra and my WORLD.

We take for granted the small things…which really are the BEST THINGS.  Get ready for my random list of examples: 

Hearing a child’s laughter; going on a walk and feeling the wind in your face; a grilled cheese sandwich with bacon (what can I say, I love cheese…and bacon for that matter); going to the movies, reading a good book; smelling a scent that takes you back; experiencing the sunrise on a morning run; waking up on a Saturday morning to College Gameday; picking raspberries with your kids; physical touch from a loved one…the list can go on and on. 

How would you live your life if you knew you only had 6 months to live?  Would that change how you thought, acted, lived and loved?  What would you appreciate more if you just got out of jail after being locked up for 20 years?  I had the opportunity to play softball a few years ago against federal inmates and spoke to one of my former classmates who had 10 more years to serve.  Wow, the freedoms we have if you change your lens are so immense and beautiful, but are we living with that perspective and gratitude?

Living today, right now, I truly feel blessed…blessed and trying to do as much as I can while I’m here.  Sometimes I feel like John Mayer when he sings in his song, “Stop This Train”…so I play the numbers game, to find a way to say my life has just begun. If I do the math, I have about 64% of life left…and that’s if I live to be 100. This is a long winded way of telling the candidate in my car, to you, and to remind myself that if you are reading this:

YOU ARE ALIVE, 
BUT ARE YOU TRULY LIVING?

We only get ONE SHOT at life.  This is me pleading with you (and to myself) to do a few things right now:

• Love more, judge less

• Laugh at yourself, not at others

• Cry tears of joy
• Think daily and independently 

• See beauty in all things

• Find gratitude in even hardships and set backs

• Ask yourself this question at the end of each day, “How many people did I help?”

• Know that you are only limited by your thoughts

• You can do and be anything you want – it all starts and ends in your mind

• Be generous

• Forgiveness transcends
• Know these words and use them often: Please and Thank you

• Fight the battle ahead, not the one behind you

• Plan for the future, but be present today

• Lastly, believe in yourself. You are special. You are a miracle. Since you are a miracle, make and recognize mini miracles daily. 

• Oh, and know that God loves you just the way you are, so just be yourself. 

Live the life you dream about.  Do not wait for an event to cause this.  Make this powerful choice now.

Happiness is not about money, but moments.  Fulfillment isn’t found in status, but service.  Joy is not achieved by acquiring things, but in harnessing the power of thankfulness.  This approach is my best practice. This is my advice. I hope that you and Stacy from my ride along takes it, run with it, and never look back.

CPW

CPW…learn this acronym.  Know it’s ways.  Trust it’s power.  So what is CPW you might ask?  Well, its an approach to fashion that took me into my 30’s to understand, appreciate, and apply.  CPW stands for: Cost Per Wear.

Given $200 and the task to expand my wardrobe, the younger me would either go to Target or Old Navy and buy several lower cost (and lower quality) garments.  I guess I used to walk out of these shopping experiences feeling stoked that I just scored a major wardrobe update.  My mindset at the time was quantity over quality.

Well, now that I am much older and wiser…and who’s kidding, my wife Kendra has rubbed a lot off on me…I see more value in having fewer clothes, but higher quality.  Having a few staples in your closet that might cost more, but last longer and make you feel good is my new approach.  Looks are not everything, but liking how your clothes fit and loving how they look – at least for me – makes all the difference.

LOOK GOOD. FEEL GOOD. PLAY GOOD.

With that said…let me introduce you to a staple of mine that has been a go to for several years.  Fellas, listen.  Ladies, take notes for your man.  Its another acronym…they are called the ABC pant from Lululemon.  ABC stands for Anti Ball Crushing…seriously, that’s what they are called.  Nothing wrong with letting the boys breathe a little.

This dude looks like he’s thinking, “I wear, therefor I am, awesomeness.”

Here’s why I like them:

1. Lulu hems and tailor’s them for free (yes!).  Guys, having your pants bunched up at the bottom is not a good look…maybe back in 1994 when grunge and gangster rap was all the fashion rage.  Take your pant game to the next level and have them tailored.
2. They don’t wrinkle!  Awesome when I have to travel…just throw them in my bag and I’m good to go…no ironing necessary!
3. You can wash and dry them!  No dry cleaning bill.  This is so convenient and actually saves you money in the long run.
4. They are versatile!  Dress them up or dress them down.  Wear them with Vans or Chucks…or throw on a sport jacket with a pair of Cole Haan’s and you are ready to close the deal in your afternoon meeting!
5. Last but definitely most important…they have 4-way stretch material!  Being in outside sales and getting in and out of my car frequently, driving, and flying…comfort and durability is HUGE…these babies are the most comfortable pants I have ever worn.  I can do squats in these pants no prob!  

The price is $128 and worth every penny.  I am not lying…I’ve converted about half of the guys in my division at my company to the ABC’s…once you try them on, there’s no going back!  Invest in your look…feel good…get value out of your purchase…buy clothes that last and look great…you deserve it!

Please, don’t be that guy.

My other favorite pants are Zanerobe.  They also have 4-way stretch, they are a little more on the skinnier side (if you are looking for more of a trendy look), you can wash and dry them, they have plenty of room in the crotch (hee hee…ode to MJ) and my favorite part…they have a draw string!…no belt needed.  Love these when I’m going through security at the airport.  Zanerobe’s are great to wear with an untucked shirt…dress them up or dress them down just like the ABC pant.  They come in a few different styles and retail for about $119 or less.

Here I’m rocking my black Zanerobe’s…look like pants, feel like sweats.

Ladies, remember when 7 For All Mankind Jeans came out and completely changed the game for you…your comfort, your style, and most importantly, your butt!  After that, normal denim jeans just wouldn’t cut it.  The thought!…jeans that cost over $100?…now it seems, they must cost over $200 to even be in the game.  Well, these ABC and Zanerobe pants are that kind of a game changer for guys.  You justified to yourself to spend that kind of money on jeans, but you felt GREAT!

Fellas, trust me, once you buy a pair and wear them, its like when Neo from the Matrix swallowed that pill…EVERYTHING CHANGED.  I actually wear less and less jeans now because of these pants.

Dudes before and after the ABC and Zanerobe pant.

Now when our money is spent at Target…its because Kendra spends it on a bunch of…aah umm…random SHIT for the house!…do we really need another candle or that apple cider dish soap?!

Part of being the best version of you includes loving how you look.  Find what works for you and rock it!  Remember, just be you…everyone else is taken..but if you’re a guy, the ABC & Zanerobe pants might need to be a new staple.  Finally, understanding what CPW is all about and rethinking how you invest in your closet and YOU…is a step in the right direction!