by Kirby Hasseman
It’s hard to believe it’s been over a half a year! For better than 6 months, I have been writing a blog post here each and every day. It’s Saturday morning, as I write this, and here I am, typing away. The experience has been enlightening in many ways, and it has forced me to stretch myself. Ed Mylett talks about being successful starts with “keeping promises to yourself,” and this has been that for me.
But one thing it has truly taught me is what I DON’T know. I don’t know what it going to work or resonate. I don’t know what is going to help people. Here is an example from this week. On Monday I posted a blog that I wrote a few years ago. It was 5 Business Lessons you can learn from Garth Brooks. I was watching a concert with him at Notre Dame Stadium and that seemed appropriate. It was a blog post that did very well.
Then on Friday I posted 5 Business Lessons you can Learn from Adam Sandler. (I had seen him on the sideline of an NBA highlight). I enjoyed writing this and thought it would really take off. I linked to outside sources. I referenced movies. This post was viewed 8 times LESS than the one above.
Was it because Garth is better than Adam?
Is one better written than the other?
Was it the time of day? Could it be the day?
What was the reason that one of them took off…and the other did not? The honest answer–after 6 months of doing this every day–is I have no idea. I think this is a strange little mind game that holds people back. They just don’t know what is going to work. So they think about it. Then they think about it some more. Then they talk about it and plan about it…and do nothing. This question of whether it is going to work creates a “paralysis by analysis.”
They literally “think” themselves out of taking action.
What I have learned from this exercise of writing every day is we need to do just the opposite. We need to lean into action, precisely because we don’t know what is going to work! That consistency of taking action is what will create the outcome we are looking for. It’s not the one action. It’s the many.
*In sales, we don’t make the sales call because it’s not the right time of day, week, year, etc. But you don’t know. So you might as well make the call.
*In fitness, we don’t start working out because we are going to wait for the next new workout plan. Just get on the treadmill.
You get the idea. Will it work? Will it fail? Will this be the magic video that goes viral? The answer, if we are honest, is we don’t know. Will this be the blog that has an impact and creates a mindset of change for you? I don’t know. So I will hit publish to find out.
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by Kirby Hasseman
If you had told me, when I was first watching Billy Madison, that I was watching one of the most bankable movie stars of the next 20 years, I would not have believed you. Adam Sandler was silly, obnoxious, absurd and, well, funny. But I did not see this as an act someone could ride for more than one movie or two.
I would have been wrong. Way wrong.
For years, Adam Sandler has made movies and money at the box office. He has had some really fun movies (Happy Gilmore, Waterboy and Grown ups) and he has made some bad ones (think Grown ups 2). But whether you like Sandler or not, I think he has several things to teach us about business.
Do What You Do: Sandlers first movies were obviously not Academy Award winners. But he found a formula that worked, and he stuck to it. He was the goofy underdog that overcomes in the end. Then, obviously a sports lover, he started making silly movies about sports. He found his niche, and did not try to be something he was not.
Lesson: Find your niche. Be authentic.
Have A Crew: One thing that always catches my eye with Sandler movies, is he has a consistent group of friends that he works with. Sure, he is obviously buddies with Chris Rock, David Spade and Kevin James. But his other cast of characters comes with him on nearly every project too. When you have a crew you enjoy working with (and trust), keep working with them!
Lesson: Find a team you trust…and stick with them.
Be Willing To Fail: Though I enjoy some of Sandler’s movies, he has certainly has had some stinkers (Jack and Jill and Little Nicky come to mind). But each of these has involved him trying something and taking some creative risks. The fact is, once people hit a certain level of success, many people don’t want to try something new. They don’t want to fail. I love that Sandler is willing to try some off the wall things. They either work, or they don’t. But he is already off to something new.
Lesson: Take creative risks. Failure is not the end of the world.
Let Others Shine: As I mentioned, Sandler clearly likes working with friends. He has even created a production company that produces movies that he is not even in! He lets some of his other friends take the lead and showcase their talents whether he is involved on screen or not.
Lesson: You don’t always have to be center stage. Let others have the spotlight.
Be Willing to Branch Out: Once he established himself in Hollywood, I like that Sandler did do some more family friendly movies. Though he still has his core characters, he has done some movies that the whole family can enjoy.
Lesson: Once you have a track of success, continue to grow. The most successful people, in any arenas, can teach us lessons we can emulate. Adam Sandler has created an amazing career that nearly anyone could envy. And best of all, it seems like he enjoys it too. Bravo.
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by Kirby Hasseman
Tis the season for holiday parties!
Your reaction to that statement probably reflects a few factors. First, it might depend on how you feel about getting together in public. It also might depend on how you feel about the holidays. But maybe the most powerful indicator about how you feel about holiday parties is what kind of festivities you have been to in the past.
Last night I attended one that was great. And it got me to thinking…what makes a great holiday event? Here is a quick (and likely incomplete) list.
1. Socialization: I love it when I get the opportunity to meet and greet with great people. The holidays can be a time when you are so caught up getting ready for them, that you don’t take time to enjoy them. The best parties allow the time for you to connect with good people.
2. Food And Drink: Whether it’s finger foods or a full meal, then best holiday gatherings offer the chance to enjoy something good to eat and drink.
3. Laughter: For me, I love any event when I get a chance to laugh. Whether you create that opportunity for your guests, or it happens naturally, laughter is the best holiday song. Create an atmosphere where everyone can have some fun.
4. Appreciation: The holiday season is a great time to show your gratitude. Whether it’s for your team or for your customers (or both), a cool holiday party gives you the chance to say “thank you.” Last night I attended a party where the leaders got up and personally expressed gratitude over the microphone, then they gave each attendee a gift on the way out. It was simple and classy. So if you are planning a holiday event, those are a few simple keys to keep in mind. But as I said, this list is likely woefully incomplete. What makes holiday events for you? Let us know!
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by Kirby Hasseman
One of my favorite quotes is, “The greatest distance in the world is the distance between “I know” and “I do.”
It’s a quote I use all of the time. Why? Because most of the problems or challenges in our lives have simple answers.
They are simple…not easy.
We know that if we want to lose weight we need to eat less and work out more. Simple. We know if we want to write a book we need to write one page a day. We know if we want to make more sales, we need to make more sales calls. Yep…still simple We “know” the answer to all of these. We just don’t “do” them.
On the other hand, most long-term changes in our lives don’t come from sweeping, huge, wholesale changes. Often, they come from making small changes that we are able to maintain. I see people all of the time make huge dietary changes in their life. They might even successfully lose a bunch of weight in a short period of time. It’s exciting and it’s impressive. It takes a huge amount of energy and discipline. Then they stop. The choices become too big. They become too hard. So make one “slip up” and they slide back into old habits. They gain the weight back and are incredibly frustrated with themselves that they could not keep up the “diet.”
That’s why I often advocate for small changes. You don’t have to start training for a marathon. Start by taking a daily walk. Create a routine that you can maintain and maybe (God forbid) enjoy! You can create a foundation of success that you are excited to build upon.
The same is true in sales and business. So often we think we need to make sweeping changes to improve. They are great…but can you maintain them? What if you just: Made one more sales call per day? Answered the phone one ring faster? Sent out one thank you per week? Wrote one helpful blog post?
Create small changes in your business and they can make a big difference down the road. Then you can decrease the distance between “I know” and “I do” just a little bit each day.
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by Kirby Hasseman
I remember listening to an interview with the late-great Wayne Dyer that really changed my thought process. He was talking to the interviewer about the tremendous power of thoughts. He said, “The thing is, what you really, really, really want in life, you tend to get. But what you really, really, really DON’T want in life, you also tend to get! Your thoughts are very powerful. In both what you want and what you DON’T want, you put your thoughts and attention on.” Then he finished with this. “Once you realize that what you think about shows up in your life, you get REALLY careful about what you think about!’ I was reminded of this at a meeting recently. A group of good, smart people were sitting around discussing the creation of something new. Throughout the discussion, the conversation kept drifting back to the challenges that might be faced, the things that might not work, the obstacles that lay in the way. Those are important to understand and account for, for sure. But one thing we did not discuss…where we wanted to go. I was listening to the book Millionaire Success Habits by Dean Graziosi and it reminded me of this lesson. He talked about a group going on a whitewater rafting trip. The water was pretty rough and the guide was continually giving the group coaching and reminders. He told them that when he saw trouble ahead, he would never point to the trouble. He said if I point to the branch that we might run into (and tip us over), human nature will drive us right at it! Instead, he pointed to the spot in the river that the group needed to go. Focus on where you WANT to go. Stop focusing some much on the things that will get in the way. Now, for those of you “realists” in the audience, this does not mean the branch does not exist. The “potholes” in life are still there. But most people spend all of their time focused on the branches in their own life. Then they wonder why they spend every day running into them. What do you want to create? Spend your time, energy and talent focusing on that. Make sure you never miss an update! Each day we create new content with the goal of providing value to you. You can get one email per week with all of the content. Just sign up here to join our VIP list.
