Getting Started

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Audience or Actor

At the peak of my business life (so far), I had 1500 salespeople working for my company. Every year we had an industry event where we would gather vendors to push their wares to our sales people at our own convention. It was fun and offered us the opportunity to design the events to our sales people’s specific needs and interests. I learned a bit about human nature during this time. Our salespeople were 100% commissioned and ate what they killed. Therefore, their motivations correlated to their actions which I conclude determined their income success. You’d think they would be interested in learning how to dramatically increase their income by just tweaking their efforts (not a massive overhaul) and market more effectively. Well, I thought so. So we got our top loan producer who was methodical in his marketing and induced him to create a presentation on his proven methodologies. We heavily promoted this seminar for our event.

The event overall was attended by about 400 people. Huge success. Our presenter had three sold out sessions totaling 120 people. Those interested in a FREE one on one follow up had only to write down his email address and contact him. Ok: Top salesman, proven system, easy to do, subsidized by company, nothing in the way to success but effort. How many followed up with an email? How many? Proven system…FREE, hmm?

Did you guess 13?

Yup, 13 people sent the email. 13!…And only 1 followed up to get the training. That 1 went on to become a top producer which resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional commissions to her.

This story is classic human nature. There are 119 reasons why those in attendance didn’t take the initiative. Let me propose one big reason: It is human nature to not get involved and instead live on existing momentum. It’s momentum that has a person remain in the audience. It’s easier to stay seated in the crowd and not stick out and look foolish, waste one’s time, commit to an idea not your own, risk being conned or consumed, to re-prioritize one’s calendar, or risk being bold and deal with the consequences of success or failure. In other words, it’s easier to do the same things tomorrow as you did yesterday than to motivate yourself to a new trajectory.

Granted, a few of the 119 were doing ok financially, but the vast majority weren’t. They could have changed their behavior, gotten themselves motivated, and ACTED!!, and reaped more from the same 24 hours in a day. It seemed to me to be a no-brainer. Yet, for them it was more comfortable to be in the audience than being on stage and giving the presentation. They were passive in business and I surmise passive in life.

As you think about your life, how can you take the initiative to disrupt your existing momentum and get out of the anonymity of the audience and onto the stage of your life. Here’s a more direct question: What can you do this month to get on stage and be the star actor in your life?

To disrupting momentum success,

Dave Marr

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By | July 7th, 2017|Economic, Getting Started, Personal|0 Comments

Version 2.0

Control/Alt/Delete.

I received the book “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill from my uncle when I was in college and I fell in love with the structure and formula of success. It was a revelation to me that there was a path to success which resulted in a life of substance and significance. That was the summer before my junior year. In his book, Napoleon Hill describes the Mastermind concept, and all these industry icons had one. Therefore, I had to have one. So I asked my two buddies, Dave and Rob, if they wanted to join me in starting a group. We agreed to meet every Monday at 6 am for two hours and set our goals for the week. We met for two years setting goals, dreaming about the future, and discussing all kinds of things. We goofed around a lot. I remember one week’s goal: “Clip fingernails, turn 21.”

In the course of things, we graduated and I moved away. The initial effort was great, but it obviously ended in undetermined success. It wasn’t until I started my second group that I established a pattern for success. Alan, Clark and I also met at 6 a.m. every Monday and covered pretty much the same stuff, goals and figuring out how to succeed in all aspects.  Why not have it all? We met for four years. It was this Ironmen 2.0 that made the most difference in my life. It got me motivated to get my MBA. It helped me in my career. The conversations we had made me look at myself and my hypocrisies and identified how I thought of myself as a victim to circumstances. My marriage benefited as we discussed the many perspectives of relationship. We were young and discovering. Subsequently, Ironmen 3.0, after I started my company, lasted a year or so. 4.0 was a few years. This last group I’ve been in with Brad and Rich has been over 10 years. The Ironmen concept defines me. Here’s my point, the idea is worthy of you. Take it on as your own and even though your life changes, always be on the lookout to reboot your thinking as your circumstances change.

I’ve received the question from a handful of you guys on how to find guys to meet with. You may have some friends that come to mind that you might feel comfortable with opening up to. But possibly those guys may be limiting. Your current set of friends think of you a certain way, maybe Version 1.0 that is in re-development. They might even have an interest in you staying the same. That way they can feel comfortable about themselves not growing to their capacity. These guys might have a mild competition with you and if you breakaway in success that’s not going to look so good on them. Therefore, if those guys put you in a box, you’ll need to find someone else to help you build your mental structure of success.

Where can you find them? Work. Church. Gym. Vendors. Customers. Neighbors. Husbands of your wife’s friends. Father’s of your kid’s friends.

Here’s the major point: If you desire a destination of success in business, health, marriage, parenting, and the heavier lifting of personal spiritually, the Ironmen concept is a vehicle that will take you there. However, the idea must be yours. You must own it. It can’t matter that the guys you’re going to meet with aren’t currently in your sphere, you must own the idea for yourself and the guys will appear in time. Whether it’s 1.0 for 2 months and 2.0 for 2 years doesn’t matter. It’s you and your path that matters. Each group builds, through success or even through failure, experience upon experience, a platform from which you will view the world. Stick with it.

Can you do it with one guy and not two? Of course, but it’s not optimal in my opinion. Can you do it in a group of 8 guys. Sure. But three is the best. Two guys aren’t a group when one guy doesn’t show, plus the mix of ideas can get stale. Four or more guys doesn’t allow for individuality and equal contribution. Some guy could dominate all the time or someone could hide and never contribute. That’s not for you if you’re looking for success. Each meeting needs to have equal contribution, accountability, vulnerability, transparency, follow up, follow through, and openness to feedback and growth. This format will be the foundation for your personal success in all aspects of your life. How could meeting for two hours every week with like minded motivated guys discussing goals and strategies for success result in anything less than a fantastic life?

Therefore, you must lead.

Begin your life’s leadership by deciding the level of success you’re looking for. Then agree with me that Ironmen will greatly enhance your ability to achieve that success. Then develop a strategy to find two guys to join you. If you do these things, you will absolutely be on the path to significant success in life.  Let me hear from you.  Tell me what’s going on.

To your life of continuous pursuit,

Dave Marr

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By | January 20th, 2017|Getting Started, Personal, Relational|0 Comments