In the Loop with Andy Andrews

Andy shares critical wisdom on maintaining balance between work and family in response to a great listener question.

Listener feedback question: Matt became a financial advisor three years ago. The issue with advisors in his business is that no matter how much they achieve, there is still uncertainty and deep-seated insecurity about the business and what might happen tomorrow. He is about to go on a family vacation and all he can think about is opportunities he is missing for his business. He loves his family, so how does he give them 100% of himself?

This is a question a lot of people, including Andy, have struggled with over the years.

· If you ask a group of people, “What comes to mind when you think about success?” They will say things like: boat, house, car, etc.

· If you ask people, “What comes to mind when I say successful life?” Then, people have a whole different set of answers that usually involve their family.

The first thing Andy encourages people to do is to determine what they are after.

· Are you after success…or a successful life?

· You have to always keep your end destination in mind and focus on the tasks that will get you there.

This is a struggle Andy goes through when determining how much time to spend writing and speaking and how much time to spend with his wife and two boys.

· He used to think that if his mission in life is to help other people live the life they could if they only knew how, then he should always take advantage of speaking in front of as many people as possible.

· One day, he read an interview with Billy Graham where Graham said that the one thing he would have changed about his life was spending more time with his family.

· Here’s the interesting thing—when you look at the Butterfly Effect, you will see that the time you spend with your family is at least as important as the time you spend doing your work.

· That one child you spend time with could go on to do something even greater than you ever do because of the time you spend with them.

During the five days you’re gone with your family…you will not miss anything.

· If you spend that vacation thinking about work and looking at your cell phone, then when you get back you’re going to spend your time at work feeling bad for not giving 100% of yourself to your family.

· Your life will be thrown into disarray and you will be living in fear.

· Instead of living in fear, we should strive to live in faith.

· As you continue to improve in your field, you won’t have to worry about missing anything because eventually people will be waiting on you to return.

Questions for Listeners

· Have you read Andy’s new free eBook, The Perfect Moment? If so, we’d love to hear about the perfect moments you’ve experienced!

o Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

o E-Mail: [email protected]

o Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

o Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

Andy and A.T. discuss a letter sent in by a podcast listener about the power of giving.

A.T. reads a letter from an In the Loop listener.

· The listener describes why he gives away so many copies of The Traveler’s Gift.

· He began giving the book away while in the midst of a year and a half of unemployment.

“Giving is an unbelievable action that continues to produce returns that are unexpected in nature.”

· The listener’s time of unemployment was mitigated by the preparation he had undertaken, not knowing whether a time like that would ever come.

· Maybe it would have lasted even longer had he not been prepared.

· He understood the power of giving away not just a book, but a kind of thinking.

This listener knew that during this difficult time in his life he couldn’t think like everyone else.

· If you’re doing what everyone else is doing, you’re doing something wrong…because not everyone is making it.

· If you want an above average life, you have to think outside of the average and what you see going on around you.

· The listener who wrote the letter probably had people telling him he didn’t need to be giving away books while he was unemployed and low on income.

· There is a lot of pressure from society to be normal. It takes a different way of thinking to overcome that pressure.

Living outside of the average will allow you to build a legacy for your family that will live on beyond your years.

· By setting an example of hard work and a different kind of thinking, your children will grow up with an understanding of those things

Questions for Listeners

· What have you learned from the power of giving?

o Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

o E-Mail: [email protected]

o Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

o Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

Andy talks parenting, marriage, and life with one of his favorite comedians and good friend Jeff Allen on this week’s episode of In the Loop.

Jeff has been one of Andy’s favorite comedians for years.

• Jeff and Andy had been fan of each others’ for years, but first really met and became friends during a Gaither cruise.
• They got to sit on the back row while everyone else was singing and make fun of them.
• They would consistently cause all the singers to laugh and get in trouble with Bill Gaither.

Andy believes that comedians know more about what children are doing than any other kind of adult, so he asks Jeff about his parenting and kids.

• Jeff says that he and his wife communicate in their own love and parenting language—bitterness and sarcasm.
• This, of course, is not one of the love languages Andy describes in The Noticer.

Jeff has been selling Andy’s newest release, How Do You Kill 11 Million People?, at his comedy shows.

• He was inspired to get it into the hands of voters before the upcoming election.
• He had been fed up with politics and elections for a long time, but the book got him interested in trying to do something about his concerns for the country again.
• He has had some really interesting dialogues with his friends of all political opinions because of the book.
• The trick of the book is to get people searching for the truth instead of trying to tell them what to believe.
• If we all are searching for the truth, shouldn’t we all eventually arrive at the same conclusions?

Andy wants his friends who are being introduced to Jeff Allen today to see a comedian who has not only lasted but has continued to increase his skills and success with different people.

• A hugely successful comedian is not only one of the smartest people you will ever meet, but one of the most serious.
• Jeff's upcoming CD is titled Three-Word Vocabulary. Check out JeffAllenComedy.com to find him.

Questions for Listeners

· Do you have any questions for Jeff’s next appearance on the show? Let us know!

o Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

o E-Mail: [email protected]

o Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

o Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

Andy talks about the best thing kids can do for their dads on Father’s Day, and the best thing dads can do for their kids.

A.T. asks Andy: “What is Father’s Day like for you since you lost your father at a young age?”

· It’s odd to Andy that his wife and kids never knew his dad.

· Andy makes an effort to look at Adam and Austin and see the good qualities his dad possessed that they also have.

· Instead of getting sad about his dad being gone, he focuses on talking to the boys about a legacy and a thought process that he is trying to pass down to them so they can continue the family’s traditions, attitudes, and qualities.

How can we take care of dad’s in a unique way on Father’s Day?

· For kids—get a nice box and make it into a treasure chest of sorts.

· Write a letter to your dad about what this treasure chest is. Tell him about the qualities he has that you want to have in your life. Honor him with the letter.

· Ask him: What do you think about? What is important for me?

· Dads—you will take this box and create a treasure chest for your child. On the top, you will put the date when your child can take possession of the treasure chest.

· Dads will put a book in there that will be important to their child. Write why it will be important to them in the front of the book. Fill it with books that have been important to you. Fill it with things that have been important to you and things that have reminded you of your child.

· Handwriting is important. Seeing a parent’s handwriting gives your child a special connection.

You don’t just leave a legacy for your kids. You build a legacy, and then you leave it.

· We need to be intentional about the legacy we are building.

· What can you begin building today to leave for your kids?

Questions for Listeners

· Have you made a “treasure chest” for your kids? We would love to hear about it and see it! Contact us to tell us the story and/or send pictures.

o Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

o E-Mail: [email protected]

o Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

o Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

Andy answers an interesting listener question about the seven decisions from his first novel, The Traveler’s Gift.

Andy answers a listener question: “How did you come about identifying the seven decisions from The Traveler’s Gift? I’ve never come across a book that encapsulates those ideas the way yours did.”

· The first chapter of The Noticer actually tells a lot about how Andy found the seven decisions.

· An old man named Jones got him to start reading biographies. Andy was instantly hooked after reading about Winston Churchill.

· Eventually, he read more than 200 biographies from the library. He began to ask himself, “How did these amazing people turn out this way? Were they born like that, or was it something they did?”

· Andy eventually identified seven things these people did that made them great. These became the seven decisions in The Traveler’s Gift.

Andy began to realize that if you asked these great people if they knew they were doing these seven things, they might know that they embodied three or four of them, but there would at least be a few of which they were unaware.

· He began to ask himself, “What happens to somebody who knows about all seven and actively pursues them?”

· Eventually, Andy came to realize that these seven “things” weren’t just “things”—they were principles, which are at work whether you are aware of them or not

· The crazy thing is that 30 years later, Andy is still discovering new things about these principles

· The power of the principles, however, lies in how you apply them to your life

Questions for Listeners

· Which of the seven decisions has affected your life the most? In what ways?

o Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

o E-Mail: [email protected]

o Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

o Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

Andy talks about his new ebook, The Perfect Moment: Capturing Life’s Greatest Gifts, and how you can get it for free!

Andy’s new ebook is called The Perfect Moment: Capturing Life’s Greatest Gifts

· It came from a particular moment he shared with his son, Austin

· While they were fishing, Austin, at eight years old, said one of Andy’s all-time favorite quotes, “The reason I like to fish is because when everything is still and quiet your whole self is full of hoping, and whether you catch anything or not, you get to hope. It’s a great feeling isn’t it? Hope, I mean. It’s next best to excitement.”

· Later on, when he and Austin were throwing the football, Austin pointed out why the moment was just perfect, something Andy had totally missed

How many perfect moments have we missed?

· We spend so much time focusing on what’s wrong, that we rarely notice when things are great

· The book is designed to help readers notice and create perfect moments in their own lives

· You will be able to create more memories that your family will remember forever

Here’s how you get the ebook:

· Go to AndyAndrews.com/Perfect to get the book

· All you have to do is type in your e-mail and a link to download the ebook will be sent to you immediately

· You’ll also get added to the Andy Andrews VIP e-mail list, so you’ll get each blog post and all the podcast notes delivered right to your e-mail

· If you’re already on the e-mail list, you’ll get the book sent to you automatically in a few days

Questions for Listeners

· After reading The Perfect Moment, have you noticed any perfect moments in your life? We want to hear about them!

o Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

o E-Mail: [email protected]

o Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

o Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

Andy answers some amazing questions from listeners, including a 1st grade teacher and an anonymous listener with an insightful question about adversity.

Amanda, a 1st grade teacher, wanted to share how Andy’s books have affected her life positively

• She had the opportunity to incorporate The Boy Who Changed the World into a social studies lesson and her students loved it

• Andy says it’s not about what’s in the book; it’s about what you do with what’s in the book

• Surprisingly, The Boy Who Changed the World has been really popular with high school graduates

• Public schools, especially in small towns, are dying to have adults come in and read to the kids. It’s an awesome opportunity for you to make a difference in the lives of other people

An anonymous listener asks how to help a close friend gain perspective. Can a lack of adversity be a hindrance to gaining perspective?

• Yes, a lack of adversity can be a hindrance to perspective

• When things are going great with your finances, marriage, etc. people tend to not dig as deep for answers

• This is a perfect example of what we tell people about adversity—adversity is not necessarily a bad thing. It will shape you into something better

• Many people don’t understand the battle between “good” and “the best.” When things are good, we tend to not strive as hard and struggle and push past a certain point

• Finding your purpose is the best motivation to push past good and attain the best. Your purpose will ignite your passion

We all have periods when there is no adversity, hopefully. When Andy is in a comfortable place, he has to intentionally remind himself of the purpose he wants to fulfill.

• He asks himself, “What is it that I want to affect, that I want to create, that I’m after, that I want to help?”

• Then, he asks, “Who do I have to become to be the kind of person people will listen to? Who do I have to become to be the kind of person that my family needs me to be?”

• Asking those questions will give you a tremendous amount of responsibility and control over every aspect of your life

If you’re interested in reading what In the Loop host Andy Traub (A.T.) writes, check out his blog at TakePermission.com. Andy (Andrews) highly recommends his blog post “5 Things to Do When Leadership Leaves”.

Questions for Listeners

• Have you volunteered time to read to young children at school? We’d love to hear about your experience!

o Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

o E-Mail: [email protected]

o Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

o Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

This week’s guest, Michael Hyatt, is the former CEO and current Chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishers. He is also an author and speaker and blogs every day at MichaelHyatt.com. You can also follow him on Twitter. He and Andy discuss why building a platform for yourself is more important (and easier) now than ever. You also get to hear Andy sing part of his famous “Happy Birthday” song!

Andy would not have a career as an author if it were not for Michael

· He was the CEO of Thomas Nelson when Andy was attempting to publish The Traveler’s Gift

· Michael showed Andy’s manager, Robert, how to write a great book proposal for The Traveler’s Gift

· Andy gave the manuscript to Michael’s wife, Gail, which led to the contract for the book

Michael’s new book, Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World, is being released on May 22, Andy’s birthday

· Andy says this is one of the few new books that will actually break new ground for readers

· This is the book Michael wishes he could put in the hands of every author he ever had to turn away as a publisher because they didn’t have a platform

· The game has changed because it’s easier now than ever to have your own platform thanks to the Internet and the rise of social media and blogging

· This book will show you, step-by-step, how to build your platform

· This is a book for anyone who thinks they may want to write a book, for anyone who wants to increase the membership in their church, for anyone who wants to become a speaker or performer

One problem today is that so many people are waiting to be picked. They think no one will ever notice them.

· Because of the tools available to us now, that excuse is gone

· If you want to know how to utilize those tools, Platform will show you how

· The best time to build a platform is before you need it

· The best time to build one was 10 years ago, the second best time is today

If you purchase Platform during the first week of its release, you can e-mail the receipt to Michael and you will receive $375 worth of free bonus content. For more information, go to MichaelHyatt.com/Platform.

Questions for Listeners

· What topics would you like to hear covered in future episodes of In the Loop?

o Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

o E-Mail: [email protected]

o Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

o Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

Chris LoCurto is the host of Dave Ramsey’s EntreLeadership podcast, which Andy was a guest on a few weeks ago (you can listen to the episode here). You can find Chris at http://ChrisLoCurto.com and www.twitter.com/ChrisLoCurto.

Andy asks Chris: “What is the coolest thing going on your life right now?”

• Chris says teaching business owners and leaders the information from EntreLeadership is the most exciting thing for him

• Andy thinks EntreLeadership is an important book because it gives business owners a direction that they previously couldn’t put into words

The lesson from EntreLeadership that has the biggest impact is personality styles

• We give direction the same way we like to receive direction

• If you try to give someone direction that way they don’t like to receive information, you’ll never get through to them

• As a leader, it’s your job to learn how to communicate to people in a way they will understand, not theirs

• Responsibility is great because it gives us hope and control over situations

When you can change the culture of where you spend your most time (for most, your workplace), it starts changing the way you look at everything:

• Your family

• Your kids

• What you do on your weekends

When your home life, finances, or personal fulfillment is suffering, it’s inevitable that your work performance will also suffer

• This is why Andy’s message works for companies in every industry

• Regardless of your profession, the principles of leadership and entrepreneurship apply to you, because we’re all in sales

Questions for Listeners

• What’s the best example of leadership you’ve ever seen?

o Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

o E-Mail: [email protected]

o Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

o Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

Comedian Ken Davis is the special guest on this week’s episode of In the Loop. Things get funny quickly, but there are also key moments of inspiration that make this an episode you won’t forget.

How did Ken and Andy meet?

• They met during Andy’s early years in comedy

• He opened for Ray Charles and Roseanne Barr opened for him

• Andy describes Ken as a model for him because he’s a comedian who appeals to both Christians and non-Christians

Ken has a movie, Fully Alive, that will be released on DVD soon

• It’s all about living your life with intention

• We should not sleepwalk through life, just waiting for things to happen to us

• We have to be intentional about creating the life we want by making intentional choices

Quote from Ken: “Life doesn’t have a winner’s circle—it just has a finish line.”

• How do you want to go through the finish line?

• We need to stop watching other people live and get out and experience things for ourselves

Ken explains how and why he lost 60 pounds

• Because of the weight, he was no longer to effectively do the things he was created to do

• He signed up for a triathlon before he’d lost a pound

Questions for Listeners

How are you living a life of intention? How do you want to go through life’s finish line?

Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

E-Mail: [email protected]

Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

Twitter.com/AndyAndrews