Jeff Bezos needs no introduction as the former CEO of Amazon and one of the richest people on the planet. Here are 9 of his best pieces of advice:

#1 - As a company grows, everything needs to scale, including the size of your failed experiments. If the size of your failures isn't growing, you're not going to be inventing at a size that can actually move the needle. If you’re not stubborn, you’ll give up on experiments too soon. And if you’re not flexible, you’ll pound your head against the wall, and you won’t see a different solution to a problem you’re trying to solve.

#2 - I get asked about work-life balance all the time, and my view is that's a debilitating phrase because it implies there's a strict trade-off. It actually is a circle. It's not a balance.

#3 - Take risks. You have to be willing to take risks. If you have a business idea with no risk, it's probably already being done. You've got to have something that might not work. It will be, in many ways, an experiment.

#4 - The most important thing is to be customer-obsessed. Don't satisfy them, absolutely delight them. Our competitors are never going to send us money. Be afraid of your customers, because those are the folks who have the money.

#5 - I make important decisions around 10:30 a.m. I'll discuss it the day before, I'll sleep on it, and in the morning I'll actually make the decision.

#6 - If you want to be successful in life, you have to create more than you consume. Your goal should be to create value for everyone you interact with. Any business that doesn't create value for those it touches, even if it appears successful on the surface, is on the way out.

#7 - We are all taught to 'be yourself.' What I'm really asking you to do is to embrace and be realistic about how much energy it takes to maintain that distinctiveness. The world wants you to be typical – in a thousand ways, it pulls at you. Don't let it happen.

#8 - Long-term thinking levers our existing abilities and lets us do new things we couldn't otherwise contemplate. It supports the failure and iteration required for invention, and it frees us to pioneer in unexplored spaces. Seek instant gratification and chances are you'll find a crowd there ahead of you. Think long-term and do not sacrifice long-term value for short-term results.

#9 - The thing that everyone needs to remember is there are many ways to be successful. And trying to read some management book or biography and then running the company that way is going to just create misery for you and everyone around you. Be yourself, and don't try to run this company the way the last person or the person before that or the person before that ran it.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger has 6 rules for success. The first rule is to trust yourself and your vision. What is most important is who do you want to be? Not what, but who. And I'm not talking about what your parents and teachers want you to be, but you. I'm talking about figuring out for yourselves what makes you happy, no matter how crazy it may sound to other people.

Rule number two is to break the rules. We have so many rules in life about everything, but I say break the rules, not the law, but break the rules. You have to think outside the box. After all, what is the point of being on this Earth if all you want to do is be liked by everyone and avoid trouble? The only way that I ever got any place was by breaking some of the rules.

Rule number three. Don't be afraid to fail. Anything I've ever attempted, I was always willing to fail. You can't always win, but don't be afraid of making decisions. You can't be paralyzed by fear of failure or you will never push yourself. You will keep pushing forward because you believe in yourself and in your vision and you know that it's the right thing to do and success will come. Don't be afraid to fail.

Rule number four, don't listen to the naysayers. How many times have you heard that you can't do this and you can't do that and it has never been done before? I hear this all the time and pay no attention to the people who say it can't be done. I always listen to myself and said, yes, it can!

Rule number five, which is the most important rule of all. Work your butt off. You never want to fail because you didn't work hard enough. I never wanted to lose a competition or lose an election because I didn't work hard enough. I always believe in leaving no stone unturned. And let me tell you, it is important to have fun in life, of course. But when you're out there partying, horsing around, someone out there at the same time is working hard, someone is getting smarter and someone is winning. Just remember that. Now if you want to coast through life, don't pay attention to any of those rules. But if you want to win, there's absolutely no way around hard work.

Rule number six is giving back. You must always find time to give something back. Something back to your community. Give something back to your state or to your country. Let me tell you something. Reaching out and helping people will bring you more satisfaction than anything else you've ever done.

Remember these six rules. Trust yourself. Break some rules. Don't be afraid to fail. Ignore the naysayers. Work like hell. And give something back.

https://www.coursenvy.com/post/arnold-schwarzenegger-6-rules-for-success

Erica Duran is a former Fortune 50 Executive turned International Freedom-Based Business and Lifestyle Mentor, Minimalist Digital Nomad, and Podcast Host.

She launched her online empire in 2004 and quickly grew it to a six-figure business in just nine months.

She can help you build your freedom-based business, design your luxury lifestyle, and Get Paid For Your Presence™!

https://www.ericaduran.co

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As an award-winning keynote speaker, business leadership coach, eleven-time New York Times best-selling author, and longtime Associate Editor for Sports Illustrated, Don Yaeger has fashioned a career as one of America’s most provocative thought leaders. As a speaker, he has worked with audiences as diverse as Fortune 500 companies and cancer survivor groups, where he shares his personal story.

He is primarily sought to discuss lessons on achieving greatness, learned from first-hand experiences with some of the greatest sports legends in the world. He is also often retained by companies and organizations to coach their leaders, management teams, and employees on building a culture of greatness by studying great teams in sports and discerning the business lessons we can learn from them.

Additionally, as an Executive Coach, Yaeger has worked with a range of leaders from the president of the largest bank in the Caribbean to CEOs of financial services companies to technology executives. His coaching model is based on years of experience and study with those who have inspired championship-level teams.

Throughout his writing career, Don has developed a reputation as a world-class storyteller and has been invited as a guest to almost every major talk show – from The Oprah Winfrey Show to Nightline, from CNN to Good Morning America.

http://donyaeger.com

http://podcast-subscribe.donyaeger.com

Justin Malik is an award-winning podcaster and award-winning audiobook narrator. He defines himself as an entrepreneur and a life-long learner. Feeling unfulfilled with apps, he & Lee Rankinen launched Optimal Living Daily to spread motivational & inspirational messages, and also to force Justin to speak more, ultimately helping his social & performance anxiety. 

Come by OLDPodcast.com to listen to their shows, submit your blog to be narrated, and more.

Follow Optimal Living Daily on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oldpodcast

John Lee Dumas is the founder & host of Entrepreneurs On Fire, an award-winning podcast where he interviews inspiring Entrepreneurs to help YOU along your Entrepreneurial journey!

If you’re tired of spending 90% of your day doing things you don’t enjoy and only 10% doing things you love, then you’re in the right place. John Lee Dumas' goal with Entrepreneurs On Fire is to deliver the inspiration and strategies you need to FIRE UP your entrepreneurial journey and create the life you’ve always dreamed of.

John Lee Dumas has interviewed over 2,600 incredible Entrepreneurs, including Tony Robbins, Seth Godin, Gary Vaynerchuk, Barbara Corcoran, Tim Ferriss, and many more.

Learn more about John Lee Dumas at: https://www.eofire.com/about

Hal Elrod is a #1 international bestselling author of The Miracle Morning. Could you use a Miracle? Check out The Miracle Morning MOVIE at MiracleMorningMovie.com

Jordan Harbinger, often referred to as “The Larry King of podcasting,” is a Wall Street lawyer turned interview talk show host, and a communications and social dynamics expert. Jordan began broadcasting in 2006.

Join Jordan Harbinger's 6-minute networking course at: http://jordanharbinger.com/course

Follow Jordan Harbinger on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jordanharbinger

Follow Jordan Harbinger on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jordanharbinger

James Williams

Certified High-Performance Coach

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www.markgraban.com

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