Seven Business Lessons From Ristorante Pesto (The #1 Restaurant In Philadelphia and #4 in the U.S.)

The definition of Best-In-Class:  100% commitment to the HIGHEST STANDARDS in everything you do.  How you do anything is how you do everything.

1.  Be brilliant at the BASICS 
2.  Sweat the SMALL STUFF 
3.  Honor YOUR WORD
4.  Do a little EXTRA 
5.  Be an EXPERT LISTENER 
6.  Be KIND and USEFUL 
7.   Get ONE-PERCENT BETTER EVERY DAY

https://ristorantepesto.com/

Ristorante Pesto is the number-one rated restaurant on TripAdvisor in Philadelphia out of 4745 restaurants.

Ristorante Pesto has been voted the #4 for BEST EVERYDAY EATS Restaurant in the U.S. by TripAdvisor.com for 2023.

Comment below with your number-one takeaway.

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I am a high-performance specialist and 7x author who helps successful people dramatically elevate their performance and achieve life-changing goals. My clients include CEOs, entrepreneurs, executives, doctors, law enforcement leaders, professional athletes and professional entertainers.

To work with me to dramatically improve your performance and transform your life, message me here or go to coachajmadden.com. 

#mindset #business #leadership #success #confidence #coaching #ceo 

Dr. Corey Phelps—Dean at Penn State Smeal College of Business on Elite Strategy For Your Work and Life

Learn how to apply high-level business strategy in a simple way to your work and life!

Corey Phelps is an award-winning business school professor and executive educator with deep expertise in strategy, innovation and leadership development. His decades of academic research combined with his work with thousands of executives have shaped his approach to developing strategic leaders and building innovative, future-ready organizations.

Corey is the John and Karen Arnold Dean at the Penn State Smeal College of Business. Formerly the Dean of the University of Oklahoma Price College of Business and professor at McGill University, HEC Paris and the University of Washington, he holds a PhD from the NYU Stern School of Business.

Corey’s acclaimed recent book - Cracked It! How to Solve Big Problems and Sell Solutions Like Top Strategy Consultants - was published by Palgrave Macmillan. 

Corey has worked with thousands of leaders from hundreds of organizations in 30+ countries.  He Understands the challenges of being a senior leader in a dynamic industry because he is one.

https://coreyphelps.com/

Comment below with your number-one takeaway.

Listen now on YouTube, Spotify or iTunes.

Please like, share and subscribe if you find it useful!

I am a high-performance specialist and 7x author who helps successful people dramatically elevate their performance and achieve life-changing goals. My clients include CEOs, entrepreneurs, executives, doctors, law enforcement leaders, professional athletes and professional entertainers.

To work with me to dramatically improve your performance and transform your life, message me here or go to coachajmadden.com. 

#mindset #business #leadership #success #confidence #coaching #ceo 

The 5 Habits of The Most Effective, Respected, and Admired Managers 

⭐️Manage checklists, deadlines, and standards not people.  These three things are black-and-white, yes or no, binary.  They always let people know where they stand.

⭐️Relentlessly identify and coach up your lowest performing team member in terms of attitude and/or performance in a way that inspires them and lets them keep their dignity.  Your success and failure as a manager will be based on the number of difficult conversations you have.

⭐️Always take on the most difficult customer and employee situations.

⭐️Do what you say you’re going to do when you say you’re going to do it.

⭐️Relentlessly give self-esteem and reduce the unnecessary stress of your people.  Catch them doing things right, believe in them, and listen to them.


I am a high-performance specialist and 7x author who helps successful people achieve life-changing goals both personally and professionally. My clients include CEOs, entrepreneurs, executives, doctors, law enforcement leaders, professional athletes and professional entertainers.

To work with me to dramatically improve your performance, achieve breakthrough goals, and transform your life, message me here or go to coachajmadden.com. 

#mindset #business #leadership #success #confidence #coaching #ceo 

The 3 Vital Roles of a Winning CEO (Or Any High-Impact Leader)

1.   Learner-In-Chief

Spend fifteen minutes to an hour every day learning from the best of the best experts.

“Develop into a lifelong self-learner through voracious reading; cultivate curiosity and strive to become a little wiser every day.” -Charlie Munger, Vice-Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway 

2.  Head Coach

Coach up one person every day.  Give self-esteem to your people, reduce their unnecessary stress, and challenge them to be their best. 

“Reinforce the positives and the rest will take care of itself.”  -Bill Walsh, 3x Super Bowl champion head coach of the San Francisco 49ers

3.  Chief Time Officer 

Relentlessly focus on the most important things, and say no to almost everything else.  Identify and complete your one to three most important tasks every day.

“The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.  I just say no to everything that is not moving me toward my one or two most important goals.” -Warren Buffett 


I am a high-performance specialist and 7x author who helps successful people achieve life-changing goals both personally and professionally. My clients include CEOs, entrepreneurs, executives, doctors, law enforcement leaders, professional athletes and professional entertainers.

To work with me to dramatically improve your performance, achieve breakthrough goals, and transform your life, message me here or go to coachajmadden.com. 

#mindset #business #leadership #success #confidence #coaching #ceo 

The Two Keys To Learning At An Elite Level That Will Transform Your Life 

1.  Model Mt. Rushmore 

STUDY AND MODEL the absolute best of the best in your discipline or field.  Make your thoughts, words, habits, and days look like theirs.

2.  Learn From The Best Of The Best Coaches And Mentors

Once you identify someone as a true expert who has something important to teach you, SHUT UP AND LISTEN. Be humble, relentlessly curious and coachable.

I am a high-performance specialist and 7x author who helps successful people achieve life-changing goals both personally and professionally. My clients include CEOs, entrepreneurs, executives, doctors, law enforcement leaders, professional athletes and professional entertainers.

To work with me to dramatically improve your performance, achieve breakthrough goals, and transform your life, message me here or go to coachajmadden.com. 

#mindset #business #leadership #success #confidence #coaching #ceo 

Two Simple Proven Tools To Instantly Elevate Your Mood, Turn Around A Bad Day, And Feel Great 

Tool #1:    Gratitude, Get Moving, Give and Serve

Whenever you need a boost, focus on one or all three to instantly feel better.

1.  Gratitude.  Think of one thing you’re grateful for.  Think about how whatever is happening to you, someone else has it worse.

2.  Get moving.  Get up and move.   Do just one thing.  Go for a walk.  Or do the dishes.  Or do one small thing that gets you closer to a goal.

3.  Give and serve.  Help one person.  Share some positive words.  Be kind and useful.


Tool #2:  6-2-7 Breath, Stand Up Straight, Smile At A Stranger

1.  6-2-7 Breath by Dr. Jason Selk

The Navy SEALs have a saying:  calm is contagious.  I like it a lot.  I’ll go one step further:  emotions are contagious.  Life is short, how we feel is a contagion to those around us.  Kids are sponges, they pick up on things.  When I am around people who are anxious, I am anxious.  When I am around Debbie downers and people who are bummed out, I find myself being bummed out.  When I am around angry people, I find myself getting irritable.  -Dr. Eric Potterat

2.  Stand Up Straight

With posture, there is this interesting element of identity.  When you maintain proper posture, and you are standing up straight, it’s a representation that you are proud of yourself and you are OK to be who you are, and you don’t need to shy away from others. You are proud to be alive and you’re happy to be alive.  People are going to immediately identify that you have unusual posture.  That’s good, because everyone around you has bad posture.  So do it, it will have a very positive effects of encouraging others to be aware.  It’s really hard to maintain bad posture when you are around someone who is maintaining good posture.  It has really positive effects on everyone that you are around. -Bryan Johnson

3.  Smile At A Stranger

Smile at strangers. Because the positive energy I put out comes back to me.  I want to make other people feel good, safe, happy and seen.  -Mike Dolce


A.J. Madden is a performance enhancement specialist and 7x author who helps successful people make life-changing breakthroughs both personally and professionally. His clients include CEOs, business owners, executives, surgeons, professional athletes, and professional entertainers.

To work with him to dramatically improve your performance and transform your life, go to coachajmadden.com. 

#mindset #elevation #business #leadership #success #confidence #coaching #ceo 

The 12 Best Life Habits For Health, Wealth, and Happiness

1.  READ BIOGRAPHIES of people who had great successes and who have overcome great challenges.

2.  Plug all your personal and professional activities into a DAILY SCHEDULE and work off that, not a to-do list.

3.  TRACK YOUR SPENDING and follow a MONTHLY BUDGET, SAVE AND INVEST at least 20% of your income, have at least ONE YEAR OF LIVING EXPENSES in the bank, and maintain all the important INSURANCE coverages.

4.  SAY NO to almost everything that doesn’t have to do with your most important goals and priorities in the key areas of health, work, wealth, relationships and happiness.

5.  Cultivate a POSITIVE MINDSET. 

6.  Create a daily and weekly SPIRITUAL PRACTICE (prayer, meditation, reading spiritual text, volunteering, attending religious services, spending time in nature, etc.).

7.  Keep your MEASUREMENT AT YOUR BELLY BUTTON less than half your height in inches.

8.  Practice BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU, MUAY THAI AND RESISTANCE TRAINING so you can protect yourself and your loved ones if necessary. 

9.  Do ZONE TWO CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISE for thirty minutes three days per week or more.

10.  Have at least THREE TO SIX TRUSTED ADVISORS (a mentor, a coach, a therapist, a doctor, an expert, a respected friend or family member, etc.) and speak with them regularly on:  1) your biggest challenges, 2) the things you’d like to improve, and 3) the goals you’d like to achieve.

11.  VOLUNTEER once per week in service of others.  

12.  Surround yourself with KIND AND POSITIVE PEOPLE WHO DO THEIR BEST.


Comment below with your number-one takeaway.

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Please like, share and subscribe if you find it useful!

I am a high-performance specialist and 7x author who helps successful people dramatically elevate their performance and achieve life-changing goals. My clients include CEOs, entrepreneurs, executives, doctors, law enforcement leaders, professional athletes and professional entertainers.

To work with me to dramatically improve your performance and transform your life, message me here or go to coachajmadden.com. 

#mindset #business #leadership #success #confidence #coaching #ceo 

The Secret of Life In Two Words

Does this bring me joy and/or growth?

The Elevated Choice:  Act like the highest and best version of yourself.

1.  Be kind and useful 

2.  Do hard things 

What would the highest best version of myself do?

Highest = Be kind and useful 

Best = Do hard things 

Growth:  Elite Minds by Dr. Stan Beecham 

Joy:  The How of Happiness by Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky

I am a high-performance specialist and 7x author who helps successful people achieve life-changing goals both personally and professionally. My clients include CEOs, entrepreneurs, executives, doctors, law enforcement leaders, professional athletes and professional entertainers.

To work with me to dramatically improve your performance, achieve breakthrough goals, and transform your life, message me here or go to coachajmadden.com. 

#mindset #business #leadership #success #confidence #coaching #ceo 

The Twelve Hard Truths Of Leadership You Must Embrace To Succeed 

“Face reality as it is, not as it was or as you wish it to be.”  -Jack Welch

We must stay as objective as possible and face the reality of our situation as the top leader.  The following are twelve unique truths you must face and embrace in order to succeed: 

1.  You will have doubts and fears, but you can never show them.

2.  You must be equally comfortable flying at 50,000 feet in a jet fighter (strategic thinking and big picture vision), and walking in the trenches (understanding the day-to-day tasks of your team members).

3.  You will often receive little or no credit when things go right, and most (or all) of the blame when things go wrong.

4.  You will have to make tough decisions and unpopular moves that may seriously effect the lives of others.

5.  You will have to end relationships and part ways with people whom you care about.

6.  You are always on stage and always under the microscope, both at work and outside of work (personal life).

7.  Because you are in a high-profile position, everything you say and do is amplified 10 times bigger.

8.  You are not allowed any “bad days” or “off-days” and if you do have them, you will be judged poorly.

9.  Your energy, attitude, mood, and speed is your team member’s energy, attitude, mood, and speed.

10.  You will only be as good as your top lieutenants (the quality of a leader can be judged by their inner circle).

11.  You will be judged as a leader by the lowest 5% of performers and poorest attitudes in the organization (and not by the top 5% of performers and best attitudes).

12.  It’s lonely at the top.  You should not be looking for close friends within the organization.  Your people do not need another friend.  They need a leader.  That doesn’t mean you don’t care about, serve, and prioritize the success and happiness of each and every one them. 

These twelve truths are not good or bad, fair or unfair.  They just are.  You must accept them like you accept gravity.  Do you get mad or at gravity?  No.  Then don’t get mad at the truth.

Comment below with your number-one takeaway.

Listen now on YouTube, Spotify or iTunes.

Please like, share and subscribe if you find it useful!

I am a high-performance specialist and 7x author who helps successful people dramatically elevate their performance and achieve life-changing goals. My clients include CEOs, entrepreneurs, executives, doctors, law enforcement leaders, professional athletes and professional entertainers.

To work with me to dramatically improve your performance and transform your life, message me here or go to coachajmadden.com. 

#mindset #business #leadership #success #confidence #coaching #ceo 

The Varallo Family—Owners of Ristorante Pesto (The #1 Restaurant In Philadelphia and Top-5 in the U.S.)

Key points we discuss 
-Life is short and not guaranteed, be happy with your work and family 
-Be nice to everyone, you never know who you’re talking to 
-What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger
-You have to love what you’re doing so that every day is meaningful 
-Have a sense of humor and have fun, life is short 
-Every customer is family, show them your appreciation 
-A good first impression is mandatory 
-Put 100% into your work
-Who you choose as your staff is foundational (they have to have passion)

Ristaurante Pesto is the TripAdvisor number-one rated restaurant in Philadelphia out of 4700 restaurants, and TripAdvisor’s number-four casual dining restaurant in the United States.  Ristaurante Pesto has also been featured on national TV on the Rachael Ray show.

Giovanni Varallo owns Pesto with his wife, Concetta. Giovanni and Maria Varallo-Facenda are the chefs. Gianna Varallo serves as a manager.  The restaurant opened March 2003 and has been going strong ever since.  

https://ristorantepesto.com/

Comment below with your number-one takeaway.

Listen now on YouTube, Spotify or iTunes.

Please like, share and subscribe if you find it useful!

I am a high-performance specialist and 7x author who helps successful people dramatically elevate their performance and achieve life-changing goals. My clients include CEOs, entrepreneurs, executives, doctors, law enforcement leaders, professional athletes and professional entertainers.

To work with me to dramatically improve your performance and transform your life, message me here or go to coachajmadden.com. 

#mindset #business #leadership #success #confidence #coaching #ceo