Health is wealth

I am currently re-reading the New York bestselling book, “Rich Dad Poor Dad” by Robert T. Kiyosaki. In a recent conversation with my son I said, “Wealth is measured in time, rich is measured in money.” And this allowed me to go deeper into the subject and explain that one could argue that wealth is measured in time because time is a finite resource that is equally distributed among all individuals. No amount of money can buy more time, so how we choose to use the time we have reflects our true wealth. On the other hand, being rich is often measured in monetary terms because having a large amount of money can provide us with financial security and the ability to purchase material goods and experiences that contribute to our quality of life. Ultimately, the definition of wealth and being rich can vary depending on one's personal values and goals.

““Money is numbers and numbers never end. If it takes money to be happy, your search for happiness will never end.” ”
— Bob Marley

It becomes a different thing

““Change your story, change your life. Basically, that’s what it is.” ”
— Deepak Chopra

In B2C decision making we are trying to minimise the risk of regret and in B2B decision making, we are trying to minimise the risk of blame. If you change the story about something, you change its meaning and if you change the meaning, you change our visceral response to it, and if you change our visceral response to it, you basically change our evaluation of it. This is essentially how decision-making works. Things are not things, we respond to things in a context from which we derive meaning, the meaning derives an emotion, the emotion drives a behaviour, and the behaviour then drives an act of post rationalisation.

Smart people

The traits that characterise a smart person can vary depending on individual perspectives and definitions of intelligence. However, I think some commonly recognised traits of smart people include:

1.         Curiosity: Smart people tend to be curious and have a strong desire to learn and explore new things.
2.         Open-mindedness: They are open to new ideas and perspectives and are willing to consider alternative viewpoints.
3.         Critical thinking: They have the ability to analyse and evaluate information, and to think logically and creatively.
4.         Adaptability: Smart people are able to adapt to changing situations and are flexible in their thinking.
5.         Persistence: They are determined and persistent in the face of challenges and setbacks.
6.         Emotional intelligence: They have good social skills and are able to empathise with others.
7.         Good communication skills: They are able to articulate their thoughts and ideas effectively.
8.         A broad range of knowledge: They tend to have a wide range of interests and knowledge in various subjects.

I think it’s important to note that intelligence is not limited to these traits alone, and that everyone has their own unique strengths and abilities.

Mind power

Trauma is not resistance to something that has happened, trauma is the trace of something that has happened and leaves on the depth of the body-mind, there may or may not be resistance to this trauma. I think trauma may have its roots in something that happened to us as a child, but we can also inherit trauma from our family or from our culture. Trauma does not necessarily have a personal origin, it can come from the collective field, whether that collective field is a family, nation, or race of people. For example, if a group of people have been persecuted their collective trauma is passed on from generation to generation. Why? This is because we are not bodies, we are minds born from minds, therefore, the content or at least some of the content of our minds is passed on. Especially the deep-seated trauma which can be passed on from one generation to another and that trauma is then felt in the experience in the body of the next generation.
Contact me via e-mail to arrange a confidential 1:1 meeting.

Rejection is not final

The majority of people are not born to sell, selling is something that we have to learn to do, and rejection is a critical component of sales. I see rejection as nothing more than redirection, as you can’t sell an expensive product to people who don’t have the money! If you know who your target market is then you know that they need the product and you know what their price point is, therefore, it’s all in the presentation - your pitch fixes product and price. Rejection is an indicator that something is wrong, either the product, target market or price because you are not focussing on the right target market or again your product or service presentation is not where it should be.

Are you struggling to deal with sales rejection? Contact me via e-mail to arrange a confidential 1:1 meeting to discuss your challenges.

Leadership commitments

When employees believe what you believe they will work for you with their metaphorically speaking, blood, sweat and tears. When employees don’t believe what you believe they will work only for your money. I think it’s best to be a leader who commits to their employees, and he acronym ”C.O.M.M.I.T.S“ stands for:
C = Create a shared vision
O = Own the results
M = Measure progress
M = Motivate your team
I = Inspire with your actions
T = Take calculated risks
S = Stay focused and disciplined

Embrace the challenges

Part of being an adult is that you have to plan your day. If you know you’re capable of more, a big reason why you’re not doing what you said you were going to do is because you didn’t plan out when you were going to do it. Nowadays, we are all dancing on a template trying to figure out how to deal with our current circumstances. There are always lot of ups and downs and I have accepted that it is supposed to be this way - What about you?
My mantra for April will be as follows: “I’m really excited about all the chaos in my life, and I am really looking forward to see how it all plays out.”

Be present

Decisions are not about right or wrong; they are about growth. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose, but we always learn. Sometimes decisions leave bruises, but if they don't kill us - well, you know the rest.

What’s in your control:
- What you do?
- What you say?
- What you think?

What isn’t in your control:
- What other people do?
- What other people say?
- What other people think?

I think letting go of control takes a lot less energy and effort than trying to control everything. This will also allow you to be prepared for any outcome and spend more time being present, which is the only place we can fully live our lives.

See it and say it

It’s over 3 years since I took the Crucial Conversations education from the training company VitalSmarts (nowadays Crucial Leaning). According to their study, 65 percent of the participants said they stayed silent at work, even though it made them feel inauthentic. You can see why this is detrimental; not only are leaders missing out on the ideas, viewpoints and diversity their employees bring to the table, but the employees also feel like they can't be themselves.

 

Leaders and CEOs are also on an island as no-one dares to tell them what they really think. What they need is someone who can challenge them, and say, “You said this or that and you never followed through with it.” One of the most detrimental effects of workplace insecurity is when people don't speak up because they fear the outcomes: embarrassment, ridicule, being wrong, or being dismissed both literally and figuratively. And one of the roles of a coach is to hold people accountable for their words and actions. Contact me via e-mail to arrange a meeting the next time you find yourself afraid to speak up.

Self-discovery is a lost art

Coaching is a process of helping individuals or teams to achieve their goals, improve performance, and enhance their overall well-being. A coach can assist individuals in discovering their strengths and weaknesses, exploring their values, and identifying their priorities. I think self-discovery is a critical aspect of coaching as it helps individuals to gain a better understanding of themselves, both their aspirations and motivations. Many people struggle with self-reflection, and this is where a coach can be helpful in guiding them through the process.

 

Most people are poor judges of how introspective they are, research shows that people tend to overestimate their level of self-awareness. This is known as the “introspection illusion” and it can lead to inaccurate self-perception and decision-making. Therefore, having a coach who is honest, frank, and authentic can be beneficial in facilitating the self-discovery process by providing individuals with an objective perspective on their thoughts and behaviours. Contact me via e-mail to book a free 45 minute one-on-one coaching session to discuss your needs, and determine whether we are a good fit for a coaching relationship.

I do my best

I’m constantly taking in information, I read a lot of books and listen to loads of podcasts, I use some of the information. I don’t just copy/paste it as it’s conceptual and I like to understand what’s going on behind it, the theory, the thinking and this drives people mad because I can speak about methods and models all day long. Fundamentally, this is how I like to work – taking things down to its deepest level of understanding and then construct it relative to the context or situation, and how I can apply to what you are doing. One should always take the time, effort, and energy to think about the information you are receiving. When you get a real understanding for something, then you can see whether you really agree with the fundamental principles and either follow them or question them and develop your own ideas.

Accepting responsibility

It’s always less desirable to give nuanced, complex, or sophisticated answers which require input from multiple parts, be it society or yourself. People have always wanted simple answers. Whenever anything happens people need to know whose fault it is and if possible, embody blame into one person, for example, immigrants, the European Union, it’s always somebody else. “It’s never us!” because people love to have a solution that is both not nuanced, not sophisticated and not our fault. Acknowledging the effects of your behaviour and choices will open you up to new experiences, improves your mental health which in turn, allows you to build a sense of control over your life. I think taking responsibility for your own actions is how you’ll gain a deep understanding of your true self.

It sounds like

One of the reasons why people resist change is because they focus on what they must give up instead of what they have to gain. In business, money is money, and time and services are also money. When people get more value, they will do more, pay more and give more in return. I think that it is possible to change the world, but to change the world, you have to change yourself first.

Human concerns before money

c/o Forbes

Before money was invented, humans were concerned with the following five things:

  1. Status
    Humans have always been concerned with their social status and their place in society. This includes their reputation, position, and influence in their community.

  2. Certainty
    Humans have always had a need for certainty and predictability in their lives. This includes a sense of security, stability, and the ability to plan for the future.

  3. Autonomy
    Humans have a need for autonomy and the ability to control their own lives. This includes the freedom to make their own decisions and the ability to pursue their own goals and interests.

  4. Relatedness
    Humans have a need for social connection and the ability to form relationships with others. This includes a sense of belonging and the ability to establish meaningful connections with family, friends, and community members.

  5. Fairness
    Humans have always been concerned with fairness and justice. This includes a sense of equality and the ability to receive a fair share of resources and opportunities.

I think although money has become an important aspect of our lives, these fundamental concerns continue to be important to us as humans.

Stories of change

c/o Harvard Business Review

What kind of stories should we be telling to help people rekindle hope as we come out of the war in Ukraine, and is connectedness the route to achieve this?

All marketers tell stories and as individuals we tell ourselves stories as this is what guides our behaviours, decisions, and choices. So many of the big stories people believe in have crumbled away, stories of progress that tomorrow will be better than yesterday. We have lost so much that we don’t have the stories that provide the scaffolding we can use to climb out of all our difficulties. We must decide personally and as a community about where we are going as we are looking at a world that is making new rules, new connections and new decisions. Change is happening and as marketers this is what we do - We make change!

The capacity to increase the valuation

Here’s a framework for creating marketing value for your organisation (V.A.L.U.E)

-       Understand how VALUE is created within your organisation and how it is created for customers.
-       Be ACCOUNTABLE to your organisations value creation metrics.
-       Use the LANGUAGE of value creation.
-       Scale the UNDERSTANDING of value creation across your organisation.
-       Have an EVIDENCE based mindset and report regularly using the agreed value-based metrics.

 

Creativity is critical not only to brand building, but also to value creation as a whole.
a) Do you understand where your brand value is created?
b) Do you understand how your customers perceive and receive value?
c) Do you understand the value your brand delivers both short and long term?

Contact me via e-mail for a meeting on why you should use business language and not marketing jargon deeper when speaking about your organisations brand value.

Can we control our minds?

The benefit of a good education is the ability to think on your own, and your words start to lose value when your actions don't match. You may think this is heavy stuff as all you wanted was a little help in climbing out of the strange crack between life’s floorboards that you unexpectedly fell into. First, you have to understand what you’re doing there, and then you’ve got to see why it’s important to stay there for a while - and then we can talk about what to do.

 

Today’s mantra includes affirming, declaring, observing, and allowing:
“All is well, everything is working out for my highest good and out of this experience, only good will come, and I am safe.”

Contrast and compare

I am a very big collaborator and I think the most successful salespeople are. Just like a professional athlete, successful salespeople are always in training, in practice and open to learning new skills. Just like a professional athlete, sales definitely involve a “performance state”, gearing up to act, rallying energy, visualising on what you are about to do, preparing to take hits and be resilient. If you compare this to most knowledge work jobs, then the performance nature of sales becomes even more clear. People buy from people they like and if you cannot have a conversation with them, it is unlikely to go very far.

Advice on Mother’s Day

Mother's Day is a celebration honouring the mother of the family or individual, as well as the influence of mothers in today’s society. Mother's Day is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world. Here’s some advice from my mother RIP:

Character is a door opener, so be honest.
You may be wrong, so be humble.
Luck seeks the thankful, so be grateful.
Givers end up with more, so be generous.
Artists believe in their craft, so be courageous.
You will also make mistakes, so be forgiving.
You will be happier., so always be yourself as everyone else is taken.