Author: Adam

Shooting a gun is a lot like launching a business

Several weeks ago, I went Sport Clay shooting in the Dominican Republic. I was very excited but also a little nervous because holding something that can blow someone’s brains out is very odd.

If you have never shot a gun before it’s pretty crazy. There is a definite kick back and if you don’t brace yourself it hurts a little bit. It’s also really loud!

In Sport Clay shooting, there is a guy that launches these clays into the air and you have to aim and pull the trigger and hope to demolish the clay into a million little pieces.

I think there are some definite parallels in business and in Sport Clay shooting that all lead up to the same objective.

In business: If you have a solid foundation you’ll have a much greater chance in succeeding. Those who take the time to learn the skills necessary have a big leg up. Reading everything you can get your hands on is a great starting point.

In shooting: If you don’t have a solid foundation then you’ll miss the target every time. You must have your legs planted firmly or else there is no chance for success.

In business: If you try to be everything to everyone you’ll never succeed. You must find your niche. Focusing intensely on your target market is the best way to go.

In shooting: If you let your eye off that target for one second you’re done. The chance for success is zero. Focusing on your target is not only essential; it’s the only chance for success.

In business: Once you have your foundation in place, and your target market lined up, it’s time to package that message in a bullet and deliver it as succinctly as possible to the people who you feel would benefit tremendously from your company.

In shooting: Once you have your foundation in place, and your target lined up, it’s time to hit that clay!

Here is where shooting becomes a lot easier!

In business: If you hit that target, you’ll get very interested leads. It’s then your job to turn those qualified leads into clients. The more you hit that target, the more leads will come your way and the more clients you’ll have.

In shooting: If you do everything right, you’ll get instant feedback and see that clay demolished into tiny little pieces right before your eyes.

In business: It takes a lot longer to get feedback. It takes a lot longer to blow that target up (or saturate your target market). It’s also a lot harder to find out what you’re doing right and wrong. In business, your scorecard is how much money you make. Adjust your position accordingly.

In shooting: Not only do you get real time feedback (pictured below is Juan critiquing me) but you also can adjust your position instantly and your scorecard is based on how many clays you hit.

In business: Ultimately, the market decides how you’re doing.

In shooting: Ultimately, you control how you’re doing.

And in both business and shooting, great entrepreneurs and shooters thrive on competition!

I think Pat Benetar said it best: “Hit me with your best shot! Fire away!”

Boom.

How to tell what someone really cares about (How to tell if someone is full of shit, Part Deuce)

A lot of people always talk about what they want to do, what they want to accomplish, what they meant to do, their intentions, how they want to change the world and on and on and on.

It seems as though everyone has intentions of doing big things. Clearly, sadly and unfortunately, that’s not the case. Most people are talkers, rather than doers. Let’s face it. It’s a lot easier to talk than do.

It’s the people who actually follow through on their intentions that get the glory in this world. But some people believe that there is no relationship between what a person is and what a person does. This is bull shit. Unless you are schizophrenic, you become your actions.

I wrote a post entitled, “How to tell if someone is full of shit” and I think this new approach is even more accurate.

In a world where people are moving a million miles per minute how can you actually tell what someone really cares about?

Look at their calendar! It’s that simple.

Your calendar never lies. All we have is our time. The way we spend our time is our priorities, is our strategy. Your calendar knows what you really care about.

Do you?

If someone says exercising is so important to them, do they make time for exercise? I tell my clients all the time – you won’t find time to exercise, you have to make time.

It’s the same thing with everything else. I never understand people who work 20 hour days yet preach about how important their family is to them. Really?

People who are always busy like to be busy. That’s important to them. If they are not busy, they go crazy.

People who are always unhappy like to be unhappy. If you spend your time, your precious time, being unhappy then evidently you like to be unhappy, whether you realize it or not.

I’m not saying there is anything right or wrong with these. How you spend your time is your business. It’s your life.

I just think it’s fascinating to figure out what’s actually really important to you (compared to what you say is really important) whether you realize it or not.

My bet is you don’t even realize it.

All I need is one mic: Radio Interview on Saturday

In an effort to help as many people as I can, I’m always looking for ways to spread the word!

On Saturday, I’ll be doing a radio interview on Newstalk 1220 at 3:32 P.M. (Got to love the attention to detail!) in Sarasota, Florida.

Interesting. I wonder if my Grandma will be able to listen?

Anyway, if you’d like to listen, you can check it out via their website. It’ll be streaming live. Just click on the ‘Listen Live’ link.

Oprah – We’re on our way, we’re on our way!

“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.” – Vincent Van Gogh

The Two Greatest Days of My Life So Far…

I started searching for a web design and development company in June. I felt it was (and has been) time to redo my website and make it look like the company it is thankfully becoming. My number one rule in business is to only work with people who are very passionate about what they do.

I want to work with the best. And of course, the best are very passionate. When you are the best, you are also able to command a premium for your services. And I have no problem paying a premium for tremendous work.

So, I began my quest.

In mid-June I thought I had met my guys: Two brilliant kids that go to NYU. One was an amazing designer and the other was an even better programmer. They both oozed passion.  They gave the most perfect response to every question I asked. And they asked me questions about my vision, strategy, etc.

At the end of our three hour meeting we shook hands and I agreed to pay the premium they wanted. That same night, I received an email from them basically stating that they didn’t want any money. They wanted equity in MBT. They told me they’ve never met anyone with so much passion, energy, enthusiasm, drive, belief, conviction, determination and that they fully believed I could and would make this the company I spoke of.

One of them wound up getting an offer he couldn’t refuse and moved to London.

I met with three other great firms this past summer and early fall that I was seriously considering. The same thing happened with these firms! They said it was something about the way I spoke and how my eyes lit up. I was amazed at what was going on. I was just being me. In the end, I just didn’t think it was a good match.

I just got off the phone after a one hour conversation with what could be a nice win for MBT if it pans out the way I hope it does. Again, the same type of awesome feedback. “I have no doubt in my mind that you will take your company to where you want it go. You convinced me within the first 30 seconds, Adam. I truly believe in you and what you do, etc., etc., etc…”

I’m trying to figure out what is going on and I think I figured it out.

There are two great days in a person’s life – the day we are born and the day we discover why.

I live for helping people reach their fitness goals, and I live to help and inspire people. The day I came up with the idea for MBT is the day I discovered why I was born.

**

I’ve never been one of those, “I can sell ice to an eskimo” type of people. In high school, I briefly sold Cutco knives. I was awful! I quickly realized, I have to believe in what I’m offering 100%, otherwise, I’m terrible. However, if I believe in what I offer, the sky is the limit. My conviction (and confidence) in MBT is a direct result of how many people we’ve helped. I sincerely believe MBT is the best program out there for anyone wanting to get (and stay) in amazing shape. And it’s not just because I believe or say it is. It’s based on the incredible results we’ve been able to get for our clients so far. It’s based on what our clients have tried before MBT, and what they’re telling us. Getting to do what I do every day is the real reward.

Why people become alcoholics

Evidently, I’m touching on a huge nerve when I write about happiness. I’m getting a lot of email and comments from my happiness posts.

Here are some scary numbers:

*Less than 30 percent of people report being deeply happy.

*Twenty-five percent of Americans and 27 percent of Europeans claim they are depressed.

*The World Health Organization predicts that by 2020, depression will be second only to heart disease in terms of the global burden of illness.

I believe all unhappy people make themselves unhappy because true happiness has to come from within. No person or material thing can make you happy because as soon as you have that person or thing, you’re going to want that next person or thing.

I know several highly successful people who have done 10 or 15 day silence/meditation retreats. That means there is absolutely no TV, music, internet, and of course, talking for 10 or 15 straight days.

It’s just you and your thoughts.

Many people I know can’t even be alone for more than 10 minutes. They are constantly busy going from one job to the next or one friend to the next or one TV show to the next so they are never alone with their thoughts until bed time and by that time they are totally exhausted.

Walk around NYC and you’ll see most everyone is listening to their iPod. People much rather listen to their music than their thoughts.

But, if you saw a person talking to herself, you’d think she was crazy. In reality, the only difference between us and that ‘crazy’ person is that we aren’t talking out loud. Many people can’t stand their thoughts and they resort to alcohol which calms or stills their mind (or thoughts).

The opposite of calming your thoughts is rising above your thoughts. Being able to rise above your thoughts is another word for being enlightened which is very, very difficult.

Let’s think about this: Your friend says to you, “I’m making myself crazy!” My friends say it all the time, I say it all the time; we all do. But what does that mean?

How can you be making yourself crazy? If you say that enough times, you’ll realize you aren’t your thoughts. There is YOU and then there is your mind/body. We’ve been so conditioned to think that we are our thoughts. Our thoughts define us.

Essentially that is what our ego is. Our ego is our self-constructed self in our mind. I might define myself as a creative and ambitious entrepreneur among many other things. But that’s not what I really am. That’s my thoughts defining who I am.

The big question to spirituality and enlightenment and inner peace and ultimately true happiness is to figure out who and what you really are…

(FYI: No one knows that answer. And the experts who do can’t explain it. Apparently, you can just feel it.)

And if you can do that, you’ll never have to rely on drugs, alcohol or anything else to make you happy.

Pretty, pretty, pretty cool!

Why Bloomberg should be President (Let’s talk politics)

The December 17th issue of Time had some startling statistics on voters. According to Time, Democrats picked ‘good judgment’ 33% of the time and Republicans picked it 21%, when asked what the most important quality of a candidate is.

The other choices were leadership, character, experience and caring about people.

Call me crazy but how is good judgment not the top choice by a landslide regardless of what party you’re affiliated with.

If you have bad judgment experience means absolutely nathan. A person with good judgment would consult with people who have experience. Clearly, judgment is more important than experience.

Leadership and caring about people are fairly silly concepts that have little to do with presidential job performance. Obviously you don’t want a wimp or a sociopath in the White House but I think the bar is already set low. And all of the candidates clear it with room to spare.

Character is important in exactly the same sense that good health is important. You need a minimum of both to be a suitable president. But the bar isn’t set that high for either health or character. You can have polio, or be a liar, and it doesn’t seem to have much impact on job performance. All of the current candidates have enough character, and health, for the job.

So don’t you think good judgment should be the most important quality in a president? But how often do you hear someone say that a candidate has good judgment?

Which brings me back to why Bloomberg should be President.

You would think the strongest quality a successful business person has to offer is good judgment. In most cases, if you start with a little money, and end up with a lot, you have to make a lot of good decisions along the way.

As mayor of New York City, Bloomberg has gone after smoking in public, and Trans fat in restaurants. Smoking and bad diet kill more people than any other cause.

That’s a real leader.

And Bloomberg could fund his own campaigns. He wouldn’t owe anyone anything!

Bloomberg for President!

Are you in?

The Pursuit of Happiness is flawed…

I just need sign up 10 businesses. Okay, let’s sign up 25. No, I can do better. Sign up 50. Wait, I forgot those last 15 businesses. Now I have a dynamite product. It’s go time.

I just need to print my discount cards. That’s too expensive. I can get a better price. Keep negotiating!

I just need the University Bookstore, Mando books and Book Bridge to sell my cards. Now, get as many sororities and fraternities as possible to sell your cards.

I just want to break even so I don’t lose money. I can do better than that. I just want to sell 500 cards so I make a little bit of money. Alright, let’s just sell 1000 cards. Forget that, let’s really kill it. I can do better. Sell 1500 cards. And don’t quit until you do.

If only I can partner with Student Advantage. Keep calling until you get the CEO…

One day I hope to find an amazing woman and create an extraordinary life with her. I will build MyBodyTutor into a leading global health and fitness company. I’d love to be able to buy my dream car one day. I can’t wait to have (at least) 2 – 5 kids who are child prodigies from excessive training. Building my dream house is going to be thrilling. Going to sporting events and playing sports with my son(s) is going to be a blast…

What is the point of everything we do in life?

To be happy right? Everything we do is to make ourselves happy whether we realize it or not.

There is a major flaw in this thinking though. A person or a thing can’t make you happy. Only you can make you happy. Happiness MUST come from within.

For example, if I believe that I’m going to be so happy when I meet the girl of my dreams I’m doomed.
That means I’m putting my happiness in the hands of someone else. My dream girl, whether she knows it, or not, is responsible for my happiness.

That’s crazy! That means every time she does something I don’t like, I’m going to be unhappy. That’s why most relationships fail in my (very!) humble opinion. People expect their partner to make them happy. But only you can make you happy.

If you aren’t happy by yourself then expecting a car or a person to make you happy is ridiculous. And unfortunately, most people believe that a person or a dollar amount in the bank or a car is going to make them truly happy.

Every human being has one HUGE thing in common and that’s the desire to be truly happy…and I wonder if you’re constantly pursuing happiness in the form of cars, money, etc., when will you ever be happy?

The Patriots and the price of boring!

Unless you live under a large rock you know that the Super Bowl is this Sunday. You also know that the New York Giants are playing the perfect 18-0 Patriots. And if you didn’t know now you do.

There is a problem with being perfect though: It’s boring!

Here’s why.

When you go to that very fancy restaurant with the four star reviews and they’ve got the fine linen and the coordinated presentation of dishes, it costs hundreds of dollars to eat there.

But it’s okay, because they’re perfect.

Which is a problem.

Because dinner consists of not much except noticing how imperfect they are. The second course came six minutes later than it should of (ten, even!). The salad was really good, but not as perfect as it was last time. And the valet…you had to wait in the cold for at least thirty seconds before your car came. What a let down.

A let down?

The place is a gift in a world filled with compromise. And all you can do is notice that it’s not perfect. I think it’s more productive to focus on interesting.

Interesting is attainable, and interesting is remarkable. Interesting is fresh every day.

The Giants are interesting. And they are going to be even more interesting when they beat the New England Patriots this Sunday!

I can see the headline already, “18 Straight Wins and 1 GIANT Loss!”

Let’s go Blue! Let’s GO!

P.S. I’m doing boxes with my lucky brother-in-law!

$300 bounty if you help me find the perfect hires

MyBodyTutor is growing and we’re getting ready to take the company to the next level.

For the right person, this might be the perfect part time job. No meetings, no hassles, and people who respect you and your work. Read on for details.

JOB DESCRIPTION: Body Tutor (nutritionist/personal trainer)

You’re an expert in the fields of nutrition and/or exercise. You will handle your own clients and help them reach their health and fitness goals by using our revolutionary Daily Feedback system all from the comfort of your own home.

Who Are You (which is even more important than what you know)

If you’re looking for a part time job, look elsewhere.

We want someone who is passionate about the work, about pushing the envelope and most importantly helping our clients reach their goals and potential.

We want people who are hungry, loyal and dedicated to our vision and goal.

We are looking for people who care about making a difference in the World and want to be a part of something very special. You also must be able to commit 2 hours every morning.

How Much Will You Make

If you’re in this solely for the money – go elsewhere.

You will earn between $1000 – $2000 per month and also receive great options packages.

What if you don’t have internet access during the day

Every tutor, whether you have internet access or not, will get a Blackberry that we pay for…call it a perk, if you will.

The bounty and other details

After 3 months of successful work, we’ll pay the person who referred the hire $300 in cash. If you refer yourself, we’ll pay you.

If you know the perfect person, send them over and have them email me at adam at mybodytutor dotter com, please. Thanks!

Oh man, this never, ever, gets old…(and the 1% rule)

“Adam!!!! I miss you! I need a little Adam back in my life because my life is just so hectic…”

“I’ve actually been walking around for the past two days thinking about how good I think I look (not to be a snotball, but it’s a refreshing feeling). Actually, I’m going to go out on a limb and say I’ve never looked this good, and I think it can only get better…”

“Haha…I am, I am…FYI, I dropped 2lbs in the first week…been weighing in on Tuesday since I usually play cards on Mondays…”

“After reading your amazingly thought and extremely well written response. I was blown away. You seem to be really deep and real and are good at words. You are 100% right. I’d like to give your program a shot.”

“I think this may be the first time since my early childhood that I’ve gone a whole week without eating any processed sugar.”

“I am soooooooooo happy to be back. Dude, I missed you over the weekend! I did really well. I went to the gym 5 times! My face looks a million times better (that is the first place I always see a difference).”

“I just tried on a pair of jeans that I wanted to fit into for a while! They fit wonderfully and comfortably…thank you so much for your dedication thus far!”

“I am sensing the beginning of a serious attitude change. I know I have a long way to go but now when I look at pictures of myself I see the good I have accomplished and I have this new sense of faith in myself. I just think that I’ll keep going day by day like this and I’ll get to where I want to be.”

“I have been thinking a lot about what you wrote today. About wasting potential. This is an idea that has plagued me for ages. What I end up doing though is spending too much time thinking about it and a lot less time doing it. I really want to make a change and rise to my full potential. I think somehow you are bringing it out of me…and no one has ever done that before…”

“…Yes yes, I just wanted to tell you that I was jumping ship on the scale for a bit because to be quite honest, I’ve never been so confident about my exterior.”

These are emails I got just in the last few days from some of my amazing clients.

It’s interesting because the 1% rule suggests that only 1% of your entire customer base will tell you how they actually feel. 1% of the users of Wikipedia wrote almost 70% of all the articles. 1% of your blog readers will comment. 1% of your customers will bring in most of the referrals, etc., etc., etc.

The challenge is how can you get more than just 1% of your customers involved?

When you live for your clients (as I do), and your business, I think clients sense that. You become a part of their life too and they will be much more willing to share their thoughts and ideas with you which is priceless.

P.S. Making a difference in people’s lives…that never, ever, gets old!