Millennial Sales

This week, while listening to Jon Gordon’s podcast, I learned about a new parable that I believe is timely, relevant and can help a lot of people listening to this podcast. On a stove sits three pots of boiling water. In one pot, the woman places a carrot. In the second pot, the woman places an egg. In the third pot, the woman places a coffee bean. While sitting in the boiling water, the once-hard and confident carrot turns soft. After time in the water pot, the formerly frail egg turns hard. And the coffee bean, despite being the smallest of the three objects, doesn’t turn soft nor hard. In fact, it’s the water that begins to turn brown and exude an aroma of fresh coffee. Life can feel like a pot of boiling water. Sometimes it’s stable, luke-warm, easy to handle. Other times, the pot feels too hot to handle – a metaphor for the harsh battles we each have to fight in life. And trust me, whether it’s financial, relationships, job, mental health or some other area of life, we have struggles – likely more than we’d like to admit. So what do you do when the going gets rough, when the pot of water is screaming with heat that could supply third-degree burns to the thickest of skin? Do you turn like the carrot and get soft, mushy, spoiled? Or, like the egg does the world turn you hard and negative? Or can you take the hard road, the difficult path of the coffee bean – that doesn’t respond to the world but rather shapes the environment that it’s placed in? As Ralph Barsi recently wrote, you’re either someone who lights up a room or sucks the life out of it. Which is it and which one do you want to hang around? Listen Here: iTunes Google Play Stitcher Sign up for the weekly Millennial Momentum Newsletter. No BS, All hustle

Talent, ambitiousness, internal drive, potential and a chip on your shoulder.  These qualities have helped to shape the world we live in today. Behind every great invention, idea, man or woman, likely lies some of these traits.   Fortunately, people have said you share some of these qualities, haven’t they?  That you have a natural talent for drawing. You’re the young gun that everyone talks about at the water cooler or the ambitious, hard worker that has achieved impressive accolades.  You’re Tiger Woods winning the 1997 Masters and taking the world by storm. Greed, gluttony, cockiness, and ego.  Equally, these traits have shaped the world we live in today and have torn down amazing inventions, businesses, men, and women.   Unfortunately for you, the abilities that you harbor mentioned above open themselves up to a destructive ego.  That confidence that helps you to conquer obstacles can just as easily transform to the cockiness that leads to your demise.  Pretty soon, you’re the 2009 Tiger Woods, internationally known for a cheating scandal with his wife and have become a battered man. The Greek have a word, euthymia, that describes the process of staying on our path without looking at distractions.  You know what that feels like – you’re up early, you’re working out, feeling good, in a rhythm. Equally, you know how easy it is to get sucked into the distractions – bingeing social media, cheat “days” that turn into weeks, and pure laziness.   Believing that we are on a path to success and fearing the distraction of ego, where do we turn? Ryan Holiday’s book, The Ego Is The Enemy, breaks this process down.  Holiday defines ego, reveals its causes and how he and other historical figures have successfully and unsuccessfully defeated their ego.  Holiday also breaks down the ego into the three times of our lives (hint: always) that we are likely to come across it. As he puts it, the goal is to be “humble in our aspirations, gracious in our success, resilient in our failures.”  Let’s explore. Aspire “You can’t build a reputation on what you’re going to do.” – Henry Ford Be humble in our aspirations – but how?  As they say, success leaves clues.    After graduating from Wesleyan University, a young man joined the Baltimore Colts as an Assistant Football Coach, making $25 per week.  His strategy was simple: learn as much as he could and do the work that nobody wanted to do, in order to add value. In the football world, this means analyzing film.  Lots and lots of film. He would do session after session of watching film, arriving before others and leaving much later. After a while, not only did his work ethic garner respect, but it also improved his skill set enough to earn more money and be given additional responsibilities.  Funny how we can benefit when we spend less time talking and more time doing. After countless film sessions, setbacks and four decades later, he became the most successful coach in the history of football – and possibly all of sports.  His name is Bill Belichick. In short, say less, do more.  Holiday argues that greatness comes from the grunt work that Belichick was willing to do, that may have been “below” his peers.  Greatness means “you’re the least important person in the room – until you change that with results.” Success “Every man I meet is my master in some point, and in that I learn of him.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson Be gracious in our success – easier said than done, right? There is a term in Zen Buddhism called “shoshin”, which means “beginner’s mind.”  It refers to having the open-mindedness when studying or working on a subject, regardless of the level of mastery you have attained.   Holiday cites Genghis Khan as a prime example of this.  Though Khan is seen by many as a barbarian, bloodthirsty warrior, Holiday cites that his leadership success came through his ability to be a perpetual student, of someone who lived by “shoshin”.  One biographer describes Khan’s success as a “persistent cycle of pragmatic learning, experimental adaptation, and constant revision driven by his uniquely disciplined and focused will.” The flutist that, despite her success at the latest symphony, trains for hours every day.  The entrepreneur that asks his customers and employees how he can be better. The tennis star that celebrates her recent tournament win, not with a week of partying, but with a grueling training session of cross-court backhands. These are all examples of “shoshin”.  Are you practicing it? Failure “See much, study much, suffer much.” – Celtic saying Be resilient in our failures – but how? Through 110+ episodes of my podcast interviewing some of the most inspirational people on the planet, I’ve begun to see that some people view failure differently.  Specifically, people that have reached massive success – however you may define that – view failure differently. They get an unusual sense of pride in each failure.  Their first failed business, the race they couldn’t finish, the letter of bankruptcy that’s hanging in their office – some of which possibly could have been avoided without ego.  They love reminiscing about these moments. They wear them like a badge of honor and, like a proud parent, seem to relish the opportunity to talk about it. Joe Rogan frequently gives advice to “be the hero of your own story.”  This is what I’d implore you (and me!) to do here. Would the hero in your story get cocky too early?  Would they get complacent after their first success? Would they throw in the towel at the first sight of blood?   No, they would follow Holiday’s early advice: “Humble in our aspirations, gracious in our success, resilient in our failures.” How has (or currently is) ego slowed you down?  Let me know your story in the comments. Listen Here: iTunes Google Play Stitcher   Sign up for the weekly Millennial Momentum Newsletter. No BS, All hustle

“Principles are fundamental truths that serve as the foundations for behavior that gets you what you want out of life. They can be applied again and again in similar situations to help you achieve your goals.” – Ray Dalio Do you have principles that guide your life? No, I don’t mean the “live, laugh, love” quote on your wall.  And I don’t mean the tribal tattoo that you got on your forearm, either. It’s more detailed than a quote, yet more simplistic than a book of rules.  It’s a way to live your life – as a reminder to work hard, treat others well and think boldly. When it really comes in handy is when your back’s against the wall.  For those agonizing decisions that come up in business, relationships, and life. You know, the things you think of at 2 am on a Wednesday night?  The thoughts that make your head race faster than an Indy 500 racecar – Should I fire her?  Is he really the one for me?  Can I really keep going? Can’t I just quit? John Barrows is not your average sales trainer.  He’s a self-described salesperson that happens to train.  I’d describe him as a wise business mind that enjoys selling & training.  Whatever you call him, call him successful. He’s taken over the SaaS Sales Training market and is working with businesses like Salesforce, LinkedIn, Box and my company, TechTarget. Despite this, Barrows has had his fair share of 2 am conversations like the ones I described.  In those teams, he leans into his twelve guiding principles that steer him in the direction he wants to move. 1. Work smart and hard 2. Always ask for feedback 3. Set high but attainable goals and tell people about them 4. Earn everything 5. Be open and honest with everyone, especially yourself 6. Don’t think you’re better than anyone else but know no one is better than you 7. Confidence overcomes most shortcomings except an ego 8. Find your passion or find something else to do 9. What goes around comes around 10. You can learn something new from everyone and every situation 11. Make sure you can live with ‘worst case’ scenario 12. Get at least 1% better every day In this conversation, we talk about sales tactics, the mindset needed to be successful, how to focus on growth over short-term results and what he learned from working with Jack Welch.  But through all of that, the principles still stand out to me as the optional homework that’s not really optional. If you have one takeaway, make it this: take time to be with yourself, carve out your Principles and work towards the “5-year-plan” that Barrows outlines.   What are your guiding principles?  Let me know in the comments. “Stop doing what you’re supposed to do.” – John Barrows   Listen Here: iTunes Google Play Stitcher Connect with John: Site Instagram YouTube Twitter LinkedIn Podcast: Make It Happen Mondays Also Mentioned: Richard Harris GongIO Tony Robbins Michael Gervais Ray Dalio Morgan Ingram Jack & Suzie Welch Sign up for the weekly Millennial Momentum Newsletter. No BS, All hustle

“Complacency is death, progress is happiness.” – Ryan Serhant If you’re following this blog, you likely want to be successful.  You may even NEED to be successful, an unquenchable thirst for something you long for. But do you have a plan?   Ryan Serhant does. You may know Serhant from his shows: Million Dollar Listing New York or Sell It Like Serhant.  You may know his book by the same name. You may have seen him on CNN, CNBC, The New York Times or Wall Street Journal.  Or maybe it was his popular sales vlog? And how about the reason he gained that notoriety – the fact that his team sells nearly $1 Billion (with a B) of Real Estate each year in NYC.   As you may expect, that success didn’t come by chance.  Serhant follows a plan each day that drives those results.   “Losers have goals, winners have systems.” – Scott Adams For Serhant, his day starts the night before.  He’s up late, following up from his meetings that day, getting to inbox zero and confirming all appointments for the next day so everyone knows he’s on top of his game. “Initiative is a salesperson’s best friend.” Serhant then wakes up at 4:30 am to read, send a few emails and head to the gym.  Like many successful people I’ve spoken to, the morning gym session is Serhant’s anchor.  As crazy as the day may get, he knows he’s tackled something very difficult to kick off his day. After a shower and breakfast, he’s off to work and splits up his day into three segments: Finder – Time he spends prospecting and finding new business. Keeper – Time he spends strategizing on his current customers and business. Doer – Time he spends actually doing all of the work he sets up during the Finder and Keeper times. Spread throughout the day, Serhant typically has 15-20 30-minute appointments with intermittent patches of filming for his vlogs and television shows.   He closes his day, usually at 10 or 11 pm, with his follow-up strategy, also split into three parts: Follow-Up – Time spent following up from today’s meetings. Follow-Back – Time spent reaching back out to prospects and customers he hasn’t heard from in a while. Follow-Through – Time spent doing the things he’s promised to customers.  As a differentiator, Serhant ALWAYS follows through. I was introduced to Serhant’s book through a close friend of mine.  One thing I’ve really picked up from Ryan is his sense of urgency and consistently thinking big.  For him, success begets success and the only way to get there is hard work. “The more successful I am, the earlier I wake up, the harder I work, the more I’m in the office because I have more to fight for.” So, what are you waiting for?  Create your system – or follow Serhant’s – and push yourself to the next level. Listen Here: iTunes Google Play Stitcher Connect with Ryan: Site Instagram Facebook YouTube Twitter LinkedIn Book: Sell It Like Serhant The Serhant Team Sign up for the weekly Millennial Momentum Newsletter. No BS, All hustle

Know your limits, but never stop trying to break them.” -Kyle Maynard What if I told you that you could do anything, be anything you wanted?   You could be a bestselling author, a motivational speaker, an entrepreneur.  Physically, you could climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, practice MMA and even open up a CrossFit gym.  Your accomplishments could actually be so staggering that Oprah Winfrey calls you “one of the most inspiring young men you will ever hear about.  Arnold Schwarzenegger calls you a “champion human.” Can you imagine having that success? Now, imagine being born as a quadruple amputee – arms that end at your elbows and legs that end at the knees.  You soon realize you’re not built like many of the other kids in school. Routine acts like putting on socks can take 45 minutes.   Can you imagine that start? What if I told you that these two people were the same, Kyle Maynard.   Kyle is one of the most inspirational and impressive human beings that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting.  He has conquered obstacles that very few of us can relate to and has racked up a list of accomplishments that are mind-boggling.   Despite this, Kyle stays humble, admitting that he has a long way to go in his personal development journey.  In fact, he refers to his “disability” as the “best thing to ever happen to him.” Can you imagine having that perspective? One reason for Kyle’s success is his willingness to put himself out there – to continue to push the boundaries that he and others around him believe are possible.  As Teddy Roosevelt once noted in a famous speech, Kyle is very much the “man in the arena”. “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” I fundamentally believe that we all have greatness within us and that it’s part of our duty, our obligation to unlock it.  Despite a difficult obstacle in front of him, Kyle has succeeded in unlocking his greatness – and is continuing to push the limits. Could you imagine getting to your next level? Listen Here: iTunes Google Play Stitcher Connect with Kyle: Site Facebook Twitter Instagram   Sign up for the weekly Millennial Momentum Newsletter. No BS, All hustle

I looked down at the bright red ink: 76/100 in bold letters, circled at the top of my paper.  I glanced at my friend’s paper next to mine: 98/100. He looked nonchalant as if expecting this result.  My heart sinks into my stomach. I couldn’t believe I stayed up all night studying for another “C”, while Brendan spent more time digging into LeBron’s jump shot than our textbooks.  “He’s just smarter than I am, there’s nothing I can do”, I thought. Brendan, my best friend in high school, was a classic case of a natural genius that didn’t need to try hard in school to earn his grades.  He was also a natural athlete that made the competitive soccer, basketball and track teams. These things didn’t come as easily to me. I had to work harder to get worse grades in easier classes than Brendan. I was undersized and admired my friend’s natural abilities. What I’ve come to realize is that Brendan and I not only had different abilities but were also developing different mindsets. He became captivated with the fixed mindset that encourages the idea that our abilities are carved in stone. I focused on the growth mindset, based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts, your strategies and help from others.   It was as if we were in different worlds. In Carol Dweck’s book, Mindset, she acknowledges these two different worlds.   “In one world, effort is a bad thing.  It, like failure, means you’re not smart or talented.  If you were, you wouldn’t need effort. In the other world, effort is what makes you smart or talented.  You have a choice. Mindsets are just beliefs.” Though Dweck notes that mindsets are “just” beliefs, these beliefs can absolutely change the world we live in.    Obstacles The dangerous part of the fixed mindset is that it works – for a period of time.  A time where everything is rosy, you’re hitting your goals, you seem to be firing on all cylinders. However, the two mindsets tend to view, and respond to, challenges differently.  The fixed mindset sees it as a failure, a reason to quit. “If I were talented (or smart or pretty) enough, it would be easy.” The growth mindset sees it differently. Ever wonder why there are so many famous entities that have overcome such adversity to achieve greatness?  How Michael Jordan got cut from his high school basketball team and still became the greatest player of all time?  The growth mindset is a major factor. Let’s take Jordan for example.  If he had a fixed mindset, he would have told himself that he got cut because he wasn’t good enough.  And if he wasn’t good enough today, he won’t be good enough tomorrow. Can you imagine that? His growth mindset allowed him to view this as a challenge.  A challenge to practice harder, learn more and work his ass off to earn his position on the team the next year. The growth mindset welcome obstacles as a chance to improve.  Dweck writes that people in a growth mindset “don’t just seek challenge, they thrive on it.”  The bigger the challenge the more they stretch. Define Definitions and precise language are imperative for a happy, fulfilled life.   One word thrown around too frequently without definition is “success.” We tend to label success by artificial metrics: Instagram followers, recent promotions, financial wellbeing, etc.   There’s no “right” way to define success, but there is a tendancy among growth mindset practitioners to value effort, learning and growth over the end result. Tom Bilyeu, Founder of Quest Nutrition and Impact Theory, noted that his entire life changed when he transferred his self-worth from his abilities to his learner.  Every day, he tells himself “I’m a learner”, as a way to reinforce this pattern. Under this philosophy, Bilyeu no longer sees obstacles as an issue.  Lost your biggest customer? The company is in financial trouble? Made a mistake that causes headaches across the company?  Although these are not ideal scenarios, he can view these as opportunities to learn, grow and improve. Leadership Once you cultivate the growth mindset for yourself, the next step is to spread it with others.  Both mindsets can spread and affect your team, family & friends around you. “Sadly”, Dweck says, “most managers and even CEOs become bosses, not leaders.  They wield power instead of transforming themselves, their workers and their organization.” Winston Churchill, regarded as one of the world’s greatest leaders of his time, went as far as to have a full department dedicated to telling him bad news.  He valued the right answer, not necessarily the one that would make him feel good. Another way to do this is to identify where praise comes from.  Most bosses praise employees only on the end results that they produce – a deal closed, a paper written, a bug fixed.  However, growth mindset leaders look past the end result to the process that led there – a persistent salesperson, the five rough copies of the finished paper, the strength to ask for help when solving a problem. End results are great, but the process is what leads to repeatable results. Relationships The first kiss.  Love at first sight.  The initial spark and butterflies.  Though these are parts of a great relationship, they do not dictate one that will last.  As Dweck writes, “In the growth mindset, there may still be that exciting initial combustion, but people in the mindset don’t expect magic.  They believe that a good, lasting relationship comes from effort and from working through inevitable differences.” They say that choosing a partner is choosing your problems.  Nobody is perfect, and someone’s imperfections are another reason to love them.  The growth mindset way to handle these imperfections is to address them and treat it as a working process with your partner. I asked my grandfather how he stayed married to my grandmother for fifty years, until she passed away. His response? Work. Wrapping Up I’m not sure where Brendan is today or what is mindset is. But I know where mine is. It’s not always perfect. It’s not always successful. But it’s focused on growth, on learning, on failing elegantly. And I follow the Tony Robbins mantra: “Everyday, in every way, I am getting stronger and stronger.” Listen Here: iTunes Google Play Stitcher Sign up for the weekly Millennial Momentum Newsletter. No BS, All hustle

Visualization.  Imagery. The Law of Attraction.   From Jim Carrey to Oprah Winfrey to Conor McGregor, these mental practices have helped some of the most successful people in the world get to where they are today. For Carrey, it was a way to earn wealth.  Visualization played a major part in the $10 million he earned in 1994. For Winfrey, she uses visualization “to become the highest, grandest vision possible for life”.   McGregor says “if you can see it in your mind, you’ll see it before your eyes.” Though these stories are reassuring, you don’t need to be famous to use visualization to your benefit.  In fact, you can do it right now where you’re sitting. For this week’s conversation, I talk with Julia DePalma about this topic and many others.  Julia is a Strategic Account Director at TechTarget, Certified Yoga Instructor, Women In Sales Advocate and an absolute badass.  Did I mention we’re also dating? Julia and I have both seen the effects of pairing mental practice with relentless hard work.  We hope this conversation helps provide some momentum in any goal you’re driving towards. Listen Here: iTunes Google Play Stitcher Connect with Julia: LinkedIn Twitter   Sign up for the weekly Millennial Momentum Newsletter. No BS, All hustle

This week, we’re bringing you another masterclass. This is a mash-up of three of our most popular episodes of all time – all with a focus on perseverance and being a learning machine. For the first few minutes, I read this article from the top 20 takeaways that famous investor Byron Wien has had in his first 80 years of life. Then, we take it to David “DC” Cancel. DC is an entrepreneur, podcaster, author and CEO of Drift, one of the hottest start-ups in SaaS. We talk about why he’s obsessed with learning, what his day looks like and the value that mentors have had in his life. Next up is Mario Armstrong. Mario is the host of The Never Settle Show and a nationally known motivator. I caught Mario just a few days after his show won an Emmy and he was absolutely fired up about not letting others dictate the destiny of your dreams. Last but not least, we have JT McCormick. JT is a self-made multi-millionaire, author, speaker & CEO of Scribe Media. And when I say “self-made”…I mean it. JT was born the mixed-race son of a drug-dealing pimp father and an orphaned, single mother on welfare. He was raised in the slums of Dayton, OH, suffered incredible abuse & racism and had multiple stints in the juvenile justice system. He barely graduated high school and has not college degree. Success leaves clues. Follow the path that these leaders have carved and reach for your next goal. Listen Here: iTunes Google Play Stitcher Connect with the guests: David Cancel  Mario Armstrong JT McCormick   Sign up for the weekly Millennial Momentum Newsletter. No BS, All hustle

John Wooden is quite possibly the greatest coach in the history of sports. As the coach of the UCLA Men’s Basketball team, Wooden won 10 national championships in a 12 year period, including 7 in a row. No other team in men’s or women’s basketball has won more than 4 in a row. This also included an 88-game win streak, another NCAA record. Wooden’s teachings have changed the lives of countless players and coaches – including Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, Bill Walton and Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll. His book is one of the most impactful books I’ve had the pleasure of reading – with lessons covering family, love, coaching, leadership, faith and success. One important note to make about Wooden was that the scoreboard didn’t always reflect his success. In fact, it took him 18 yeas of coaching before he won his first NCAA championship. In this episode, I break down some of my key learnings from Coach Wooden. I hope you enjoy it too. Listen Here: iTunes Google Play Stitcher   Sign up for the weekly Millennial Momentum Newsletter. No BS, All hustle

Jake Herbert is one of the greatest American wrestlers of all time. Sporting a 149-4 record at Northwestern, which included 2 undefeated seasons, Jake won 8 National Titles, 1 World Silver Medal, The Heisman Trophy of Wrestling, Big Ten Athlete of the Year and competed in the 2012 Olympics for USA. When asked how he achieved those staggering accolades, Jake boiled it down to one word: relentlessness. Whether in training sessions where he would routinely vomit, to pre-meet visualization that is 10X more intense than any fight could be (which he describes in full detail), Jake is relentless in everything he does. As expected, this has translated into his post-wrestling career as a Real Estate Agent and Personal Coach. One example of this is Jake’s philosophy of the 4 B’s: Body – Nutrition, exercise Balance – Spending time with his wife and two children Business – His lofty sales and personal coaching goals Being – Meditation, journaling and making sure your mind is right If you’re able to do 1 solid thing in each of these categories every day, you’re moving forward in the right direction. It won’t always work and the 4 B’s won’t always be evenly split, but it’s a long term strategy that pays massive dividends. His mission is “to leave people, places and things better than when I found them.” And he believes that he can help 25 people earn $1M by the year 2025. And who am I to count him out? Enjoy this episode with a man who takes discipline, relentlessness and continued learning to a new level. If you found value, please subscribe and leave a review on iTunes.   Listen Here: iTunes Google Play Stitcher Connect with Jake: Site  Instagram  Twitter YouTube   Sign up for the weekly Millennial Momentum Newsletter. No BS, All hustle