Knowledge For Men

Tom Cronin spent 26 years as a broker in finance trading inflation swaps and bonds for the banks. After suffering a lot of stress in his job, he turned to meditation to help manage the symptoms. This was life changing for Tom! He recently walked away from the industry at the height of his 26 year successful career to fulfill his mission of spreading calm and stillness across the globe.

The portal to access this stillness is meditation. Tom has been teaching meditation for many years now and has inspired thousands of people all over the world as a teacher, author and keynote speaker to unlock their brilliance and calm with meditation.

1. When You Begin Meditation Learn to Relieve Stress in Your Body

One of the biggest keys to success in meditation is to learn to relax your body. A significant amount of the mental stress that you feel is linked to the physical stress in your body.

When beginning your meditation practice find a quiet, dark room with a comfortable padded chair, sit upright and relax your body. Focus on relieving physical stress before focusing on mental stress.

2. Meditation is the Portal Not the Goal 

Meditation should never be a goal, it is merely a portal to increased health, mental clarity, and spiritual connection. Before begging the practice of meditation, ensure that your focus is an increased quality of life and not to merely sit down with an empty mind.

3. Meditation is Proven to Enhance Your Biochemistry

For many men, meditation is seen as unmanly or cooky, however, numerous scientific studies have proven that meditation positively affects your biochemistry in a way that few other activities can.

Meditation acts in a very similar way to sex, releasing powerful neurochemicals like oxytocin, dopamine, and many other “feel good chemicals”

Regular meditation has also been shown to reduce inflammation, risk of disease and increase mental agility and performance.

4. The Goal is to Leave a Place of Need and Go Into a Place of Service

The ultimate goal of meditation and, in fact, of life is not any one action or goal, but rather a process of leaving a place of need and entering into a lifestyle of service.

Too often, we focus on ourselves and what we can do for us. We focus on our goals, our dreams, our ambitions; and while many of these may be worthy causes, it is advantageous to take time out of each day and simply serve.

Volunteer at a local church, soup kitchen, or children development program, pay for someones lunch, give compliments to a stranger. Live your life with a servants heart and it will not be a life wasted.

Michael Matthews is back for a second round in the Knowledge for Men arena! Michael is the founder of Muscle for Life, author of the bestselling book Bigger, Leaner, Stronger and the CEO of Legion Supplements.

Mike believes in a simple, straightforward, no b.s. approach to achieving the body of your dreams and favors long term consistency over short term intensity in all of his methods.

Mike is currently juggling several projects including a new book, continued work on the site, launching a Legion clothing line and creating a new smart phone app! You can learn more and connect with Mike at muscleforlife.com

1. Be Willing to Hustle

Too many people today want to achieve their dreams without being willing to work for them. If you want to achieve the life that few have, you must be willing to hustle on a level few will.

You will die and pass through history just like everyone else, and unless you hustle and create a legacy worth remembering, you will simply be another statistic. So get to work and be remembered.

2. Create Amazing Rituals

The top performers always have consistent result rituals in place to ensure their success. Experiment with your work, health and relationships to find rituals that work well for you.

Do you work best in the morning or at night? Do you write better after drinking some coffee or wine? Do your relationships flourish when you set aside one day a week for date night?

Look at what other high achievers have done and try to emulate them. If it works, then keep it, if not, discard and try something new.

3. Everything in Moderation

Just because you are working to be successful and build your best life does not mean you should deprive yourself. If you really enjoy watching House of Cards, drinking with your friends on the weekend, or smoking that Rocky Patel cigar every once in a while, then do it!

The key is moderation. Do not allow mindless entertainment and substance usage to become the norm, but rather an occasional treat as a reward for all of your hard work.

4. Don't Just go for money

Following any career path solely because of the money is a one way road to misery. If you want to live a happy fulfilled life, then it is essential that you focus first on finding what you love. The money will follow.

5. Focus on the Basics and Keep Going

Men often try and get into the complexities and nuances of subjects before we master the basics. We can give you complicated speculation on the stock market, but can't manage to save more than we spend. We can tell you exactly how testosterone fuels muscle growth, but can't seem to workout more than once a month.

Focus on mastering the basics and the rest will fall into place.

6. Turn Your Car into a Mobile University

Massive self education (and applying that education) is the quickest way to be successful. Turn off the radio and plug in an audiobook next time you drive to work. Read for half an hour instead of watching tv.

If you take the time to educate yourself now, it will pay back dividends years down the line.

7. Have Realistic Expectations

Greatness takes time. Do not expect to transform yourself over night, but rather embrace the process and enjoy the ride. Success will happen if you work hard, educate yourself and focus on mastery, but realize it will happen over years, not weeks.

Michael  Matthews is back for a second round in the Knowledge for Men arena! Michael is the founder of Muscle for Life, author of the bestselling book Bigger, Leaner, Stronger and the CEO of Legion Supplements.

Mike believes in a simple, straightforward, no b.s. approach to achieving the body of your dreams and favors long term consistency over short term intensity in all of his methods.

Mike is currently juggling several projects including a new book, continued work on the site, launching a Legion clothing line and creating a new smart phone app! You can learn more and connect with Mike at muscleforlife.com

1. Be Willing to Hustle

Too many people today want to achieve their dreams without being willing to work for them. If you want to achieve the life that few have, you must be willing to hustle on a level few will.

You will die and pass through history just like everyone else, and unless you hustle and create a legacy worth remembering, you will simply be another statistic. So get to work and be remembered.

2. Create Amazing Rituals

The top performers always have consistent result rituals in place to ensure their success. Experiment with your work, health and relationships to find rituals that work well for you.

Do you work best in the morning or at night? Do you write better after drinking some coffee or wine? Do your relationships flourish when you set aside one day a week for date night?

Look at what other high achievers have done and try to emulate them. If it works, then keep it, if not, discard and try something new.

3. Everything in Moderation

Just because you are working to be successful and build your best life does not mean you should deprive yourself. If you really enjoy watching House of Cards, drinking with your friends on the weekend, or smoking that Rocky Patel cigar every once in a while, then do it!

The key is moderation. Do not allow mindless entertainment and substance usage to become the norm, but rather an occasional treat as a reward for all of your hard work.

4. Don’t Just go for money

Following any career path solely because of the money is a one way road to misery. If you want to live a happy fulfilled life, then it is essential that you focus first on finding what you love. The money will follow.

5. Focus on the Basics and Keep Going

Men often try and get into the complexities and nuances of subjects before we master the basics. We can give you complicated speculation on the stock market, but can’t manage to save more than we spend. We can tell you exactly how testosterone fuels muscle growth, but can’t seem to workout more than once a month.

Focus on mastering the basics and the rest will fall into place.

6. Turn Your Car into a Mobile University

Massive self education (and applying that education) is the quickest way to be successful. Turn off the radio and plug in an audiobook next time you drive to work. Read for half an hour instead of watching tv.

If you take the time to educate yourself now, it will pay back dividends years down the line.

7. Have Realistic Expectations

Greatness takes time. Do not expect to transform yourself over night, but rather embrace the process and enjoy the ride. Success will happen if you work hard, educate yourself and focus on mastery, but realize it will happen over years, not weeks.

On March 24, 1965, Albert Podell embarked on a 581-day, 42,000-mile, adventure-packed expedition by 4×4 across 30 countries that set the record for the longest auto journey ever made around the world. During the next 50 years Podell visited every one of the rest of its 196 countries.

Albert Podell has a B.A. in government from Cornell, was a graduate fellow in international relations at the University of Chicago, holds a J.D. from NYU School of Law, and has had successful careers as a magazine editor, director of photography, advertising-agency creative director, and trial attorney. He has written 300 magazine articles and wrote the adventure classic, Who Needs A Road.

1. Life is Fleeting Live it Full

Life is precious and short. We all live like life will last forever without realizing its fleeting nature. Embrace the now and live life like you will never live it again.

2. People are Generally the Same

Many first worlders ignorantly assume that the rest of the world is vastly different from us. We assume that they are all extremists and crazies and that anywhere beyond the first world is the no mans land.

What we fail to realize is that humans are largely the same across all cultures. We all want to live long and prosperous lives. We all want to raise our children to the best of our abilities, we all want as much health, wealth, love and happiness as we can fill into our days.

When we open our mind to the similarities that cross all cultural boundaries, we are able to interact much more deeply and intimately with people who are seemingly dissimilar.

3. You Can Live on Less Than You Think

In America, the idea of living with less is a foreign concept. We assume that to survive we need to be making hundreds of dollars a day and filling our lives full of possessions and cheap thrills.

But in the end, we are left with crap we didn't need and shallow, base level experiences. If we open our minds to the idea of embracing minimalism and living with less, then we open our lives to a whole new level of fulfillment.

When life becomes about seizing every moment enjoying every second over accumulating more stuff, we are able to live lives of true abundance and joy.

4. Money and Time are not an Impediment to Travel

If you are creative enough, adaptable enough, and tough enough. You can travel the world on little to no money fairly easily. From staying with locals to camping to hostels, there are a number of ways that you can travel without breaking the bank.

One of the best ways to get started is by looking into work exchanges such as WWOOF or Help Ex where you work in exchange for room and board.

1. The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss

2. How to Travel the World on $50 a Day by Matt Kepnes

3. Vagabonding by Rolf Potts

On March 24, 1965, Albert Podell embarked on a 581-day, 42,000-mile, adventure-packed expedition by 4×4 across 30 countries that set the record for the longest auto journey ever made around the world. During the next 50 years Podell visited every one of the rest of its 196 countries.

Albert Podell has a B.A. in government from Cornell, was a graduate fellow in international relations at the University of Chicago, holds a J.D. from NYU School of Law, and has had successful careers as a magazine editor, director of photography, advertising-agency creative director, and trial attorney. He has written 300 magazine articles and wrote the adventure classic, Who Needs A Road.

1. Life is Fleeting Live it Full

Life is precious and short. We all live like life will last forever without realizing its fleeting nature. Embrace the now and live life like you will never live it again.

2. People are Generally the Same

Many first worlders ignorantly assume that the rest of the world is vastly different from us. We assume that they are all extremists and crazies and that anywhere beyond the first world is the no mans land.

What we fail to realize is that humans are largely the same across all cultures. We all want to live long and prosperous lives. We all want to raise our children to the best of our abilities, we all want as much health, wealth, love and happiness as we can fill into our days.

When we open our mind to the similarities that cross all cultural boundaries, we are able to interact much more deeply and intimately with people who are seemingly dissimilar.

3. You Can Live on Less Than You Think

In America, the idea of living with less is a foreign concept. We assume that to survive we need to be making hundreds of dollars a day and filling our lives full of possessions and cheap thrills.

But in the end, we are left with crap we didn’t need and shallow, base level experiences. If we open our minds to the idea of embracing minimalism and living with less, then we open our lives to a whole new level of fulfillment.

When life becomes about seizing every moment enjoying every second over accumulating more stuff, we are able to live lives of true abundance and joy.

4. Money and Time are not an Impediment to Travel

If you are creative enough, adaptable enough, and tough enough.  You can travel the world on little to no money fairly easily. From staying with locals to camping to hostels, there are a number of ways that you can travel without breaking the bank.

One of the best ways to get started is by looking into work exchanges such as WWOOF or Help Ex where you work in exchange for room and board.

1. The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss

2. How to Travel the World on $50 a Day by Matt Kepnes

3. Vagabonding by Rolf Potts

Nate Broughton is an internet marketing veteran of 17 years who specializes in lead generation and client acquisition. He's built and sold four companies and been involved in several acquisitions with private equity firms. He's now the leader of a movement and company called The Opt Out Life which teaches people all over the world how to design an amazing lifestyle centered around fun and experiences... While still making fantastic money in an industry they love.

"Lifestyle before money. But money also."

"If there's a will there's a way"

1. Focus on Lifestyle First and Money Second

Money is a tool.

In the right hands, it can serve as a force multiplier to help you live the life of your dreams, enjoy wild adventures, and create a lasting legacy.

However, when it's your sole aim and purpose it will overtake your life and lead you down a dark and lonely road filled with regrets.

As such, Nate's motto and entire company (opt-out life) is built on the ethos of "Lifestyle first but money also."

In life, you will often be presented with two options.

1. The lucrative option
2. The lifestyle option

For example, Nate was offered an executive position with a multiple six-figure salary, a significant amount of equity, and great benefits.

The only problem is that the position required him to drive 60 minutes to and from work five days a week, sacrificing time with his young children and wife.

He turned it down in less than a minute.

Money is great and you should always seek to expand your income and create passive assets.

But it's not everything.

If you find yourself working 80 hours a week to make multiple six figures you need to take a step back and ask yourself, "Is this really worth it?"

Is this how you want to live your life?

2. Get Creative to Achieve Your Dreams

Where there's a will there's a way.

Cliche, I know. But it's true.

Whatever goal you want to achieve, whether it's making a certain amount of money, improving your body, or finding the partner of your dreams, is ahievable. IF you're willing to get creative and find unconventional roads to success.

A great example that Nate shared in the interview is how his business partner moved his family from an inexpensive inland suburb to the exclusive coast of Lajolla.

Even though his partner couldn't afford the mortgage on the house he wanted, he got creative, found a property with a guest home and then rented the home out while simultaneously renting the casita in the back yard.

The result? He cut the rent payments in half and ended up spending roughly the same amount as his previous mortgage.

If you're willing to get creative, there's nothing that you can't do, be, or achieve.

But you must be willing to think outside of the box and cut yourself off from any possibility of failure.

3. Know When to Hold 'Em and When to Fold 'Em

You are going to have to make tough decisions in life.

It's simply a part of the human existence.

And oftentimes, the most important decision that you will make is not whether or not you should start something, but whether or not you should stay with something.

Whether it's a relationship, career, business, or just a boring 'ol workout program, you must understand when a particular endeavor has run its course and when there is still something of value to be gained.

Nate has grown and sold several businesses, and he's found that there's a critical tipping point in each business (typically when it hits $5,000,000 in revenue) where he begins to burn out and lose interest.

Instead of fighting this, he's adopted the "Serial Entrepreneur" approach and will sell his equity or the entire business, once a project passes a certain revenue threshold.

Here's the deal...

Life is short. And there are thousands of things that we all want to try out and we have no way of knowing if they're worth our time until we step up to the plate and swing.

But once you've been in the game for a while, you need to honestly evaluate your pursuits and ask yourself the simple question, "Is this serving me at the highest level?"

If the answer is "No" then cut your losses and move on... IMMEDIATELY.

4. Understand the Seasons of Life (And How they Impact Your Priorities)

It's funny to me how often I have young men reaching out to me in their early 20's bemoaning the fact that they have no money and no clue what they want to do with their lives.

I always have to chuckle at these messages, because these guys are missing the point.

You aren't supposed to be super wealthy and on purpose right out of the gate!

Your 20's are a season in life for pursuing your passions, seeing what sticks, making LOTS of mistakes, and learning as much as you can.

Life isn't supposed to be this massive and nonstop upwards growth curve.

It's a long and bumpy ride filled with different seasons. And one of the biggest keys to success is learning how to capitalize on these seasons and use them to your advantage.

For example, your 20's are a high energy season that is best used to learn marketable skills, live super frugally while building a war chest, and to figure yourself out along the way.

Your 30's are a season that should be devoted to mastery of your chosen craft and the creation of passive income streams that will create lasting wealth and freedom.

And once you have that? Your 40's and beyond are for doing whatever the hell you want.

5. Develop a High-Value Skill Set and Turn It Into Passive Income

It's been said that passive income is worth 10x working income.

And truer words have yet to be spoken.

No matter where you are in life today, one of your top priorities should be the creation and expansion of passive income.

Money is simply a tool to buy freedom. And when you escape from the race of trading your time for dollars and create sustainable passive income, you will have freedom for life.

Imagine going to bed and waking up with an extra $500 in your bank account. What would that do for your life? How would you spend your days differently? What hobbies would you pursue? What relationships would you invest in more deeply? How would your life change if you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that you were going to be ok when the 1st of the month rolled around?

I can tell you from personal experience... It's one of the most liberating feelings a man can have.

Get to work on building passive income streams NOW and your life will forever change because of it.

Nate Broughton is an internet marketing veteran of 17 years who specializes in lead generation and client acquisition. He's built and sold four companies and been involved in several acquisitions with private equity firms. He's now the leader of a movement and company called The Opt Out Life which teaches people all over the world how to design an amazing lifestyle centered around fun and experiences... While still making fantastic money in an industry they love.

"Lifestyle before money. But money also."

"If there's a will there's a way"

1. Focus on Lifestyle First and Money Second 

Money is a tool.

In the right hands, it can serve as a force multiplier to help you live the life of your dreams, enjoy wild adventures, and create a lasting legacy.

However, when it's your sole aim and purpose it will overtake your life and lead you down a dark and lonely road filled with regrets.

As such, Nate's motto and entire company (opt-out life) is built on the ethos of "Lifestyle first but money also."

In life, you will often be presented with two options.

1. The lucrative option
2. The lifestyle option

For example, Nate was offered an executive position with a multiple six-figure salary, a significant amount of equity, and great benefits.

The only problem is that the position required him to drive 60 minutes to and from work five days a week, sacrificing time with his young children and wife.

He turned it down in less than a minute.

Money is great and you should always seek to expand your income and create passive assets.

But it's not everything.

If you find yourself working 80 hours a week to make multiple six figures you need to take a step back and ask yourself, "Is this really worth it?"

Is this how you want to live your life?

2. Get Creative to Achieve Your Dreams 

Where there's a will there's a way.

Cliche, I know. But it's true. 

Whatever goal you want to achieve, whether it's making a certain amount of money, improving your body, or finding the partner of your dreams, is ahievable. IF you're willing to get creative and find unconventional roads to success. 

A great example that Nate shared in the interview is how his business partner moved his family from an inexpensive inland suburb to the exclusive coast of Lajolla. 

Even though his partner couldn't afford the mortgage on the house he wanted, he got creative, found a property with a guest home and then rented the home out while simultaneously renting the casita in the back yard. 

The result? He cut the rent payments in half and ended up spending roughly the same amount as his previous mortgage. 

If you're willing to get creative, there's nothing that you can't do, be, or achieve. 

But you must be willing to think outside of the box and cut yourself off from any possibility of failure. 

3. Know When to Hold 'Em and When to Fold 'Em 

You are going to have to make tough decisions in life.

It's simply a part of the human existence. 

And oftentimes, the most important decision that you will make is not whether or not you should start something, but whether or not you should stay with something. 

Whether it's a relationship, career, business, or just a boring 'ol workout program, you must understand when a particular endeavor has run its course and when there is still something of value to be gained. 

Nate has grown and sold several businesses, and he's found that there's a critical tipping point in each business (typically when it hits $5,000,000 in revenue) where he begins to burn out and lose interest. 

Instead of fighting this, he's adopted the "Serial Entrepreneur" approach and will sell his equity or the entire business, once a project passes a certain revenue threshold. 

Here's the deal... 

Life is short. And there are thousands of things that we all want to try out and we have no way of knowing if they're worth our time until we step up to the plate and swing. 

But once you've been in the game for a while, you need to honestly evaluate your pursuits and ask yourself the simple question, "Is this serving me at the highest level?"

If the answer is "No" then cut your losses and move on... IMMEDIATELY. 

4. Understand the Seasons of Life (And How they Impact Your Priorities) 

It's funny to me how often I have young men reaching out to me in their early 20's bemoaning the fact that they have no money and no clue what they want to do with their lives. 

I always have to chuckle at these messages, because these guys are missing the point. 

You aren't supposed to be super wealthy and on purpose right out of the gate! 

Your 20's are a season in life for pursuing your passions, seeing what sticks, making LOTS of mistakes, and learning as much as you can. 

Life isn't supposed to be this massive and nonstop upwards growth curve. 

It's a long and bumpy ride filled with different seasons. And one of the biggest keys to success is learning how to capitalize on these seasons and use them to your advantage. 

For example, your 20's are a high energy season that is best used to learn marketable skills, live super frugally while building a war chest, and to figure yourself out along the way. 

Your 30's are a season that should be devoted to mastery of your chosen craft and the creation of passive income streams that will create lasting wealth and freedom. 

And once you have that? Your 40's and beyond are for doing whatever the hell you want. 

5. Develop a High-Value Skill Set and Turn It Into Passive Income 

It's been said that passive income is worth 10x working income. 

And truer words have yet to be spoken. 

No matter where you are in life today, one of your top priorities should be the creation and expansion of passive income. 

Money is simply a tool to buy freedom. And when you escape from the race of trading your time for dollars and create sustainable passive income, you will have freedom for life. 

Imagine going to bed and waking up with an extra $500 in your bank account. What would that do for your life? How would you spend your days differently? What hobbies would you pursue? What relationships would you invest in more deeply? How would your life change if you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that you were going to be ok when the 1st of the month rolled around? 

I can tell you from personal experience... It's one of the most liberating feelings a man can have. 

Get to work on building passive income streams NOW and your life will forever change because of it. 

About a week ago, I was up late at night indulging in one of my favorites vices.

YouTube.

As I made my way through the plethora of cute cat videos, angry political rants, and jaw-dropping montages of people doing awesome things, I came across a 3-minute video from Gary Vaynerchuk.

A video that, I believe, has the power to change thousands of lives.

As I watched this video over and over again, it made me realize something.

Despite that fact that everything he touches seems to turn to gold (and hundreds of millions of dollars), the "King of Crush IT" is just a normal human being like you and me.

Sure, he's a social media giant, marketing guru, entrepreneur extraordinaire, and pathological hustler.

But it's pretty clear when you watch videos like this one that Gary is not a freak of nature or some sort of anomalous human being with superpowers that we mere mortals can only hope to possess.

He's just a normal everyday dude who understands exactly how the game is played.

Tony Robbins, world famous high performance coach and success expert has made a fortune meeting, dissecting, and explaining top performers, and as he says, "Success leaves clues".

In today's article, I'm going to dive into many of the "Clues" that Gary has left over the course of his almost three decade long entrepreneurial journey.

While you might not like everything that you hear, I can promise you that if you are willing to pay attention, be humble, and learn from one of the best in the world, you can put yourself in a position where success becomes all but inevitable.

Sound like a plan?

Good. Let's dive in.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Gary Vaynerchuk or his story, here's a (very) condensed synopsis so that you understand why you should care about his tips for success.

• Born November 14, 1975 (a good Scorpio) in Babruysk, BSSR, Soviet Union. Moved to the US at age three, living with 8 other family members in a studio apartment in Queens, New York.
• The family then moved to Edison, New Jersey. Growing up, Gary had a lemonade-stand franchise. He also made thousands of dollars trading baseball cards on weekends.
• Joined his family's retail liquor business at age 14. Took control in 1999 after graduating Mount Ida College with a bachelor's degree. Changed the name from Shopper's Discount Liquors to Wine Library.
• By 2005, he had taken the business online and annual sales catapulted from $3 million to over $50 million.
• Started Wine Library TV on YouTube in 2006. It went viral with daily wine reviews, tastings, and advice. He retired from video blogging in 2011.
• Started VaynerMedia in 2009 with his brother, a social media-focused digital agency. In 2016 VaynerMedia grossed $100 million providing social media strategy services to Fortune 500 companies.
• Invested in Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo, Tumblr and many other early tech phenomenon.
• Started VaynerRSE – a $25 million investment fund focusing on consumer technology, incubator, and angel funding.
• Founded VaynerSports in 2016, entering the sports marketing and agency business, one of Gary's first loves.
• Estimated net worth of over $150 million. Has his sights squarely set on his first billion and ownership of the New York Jets. He's only 41 as of this writing.

Oh, and he's also happily married with two children.

Now that you understand a little bit more about his story, let's dive into Gary's advice for creating a level 10/10 life.

To find the first set of "Clues" to help me understand Gary's rise to fame, I looked no further than the Knowledge for Men podcast and one of the earlier interviews that Gary did with Andrew.

During this interview, Gary left 5 "Takeaways:"

1. Learn to Love the Hustle – This is a consistent theme you will see among high-achievers. Pure and simple, they work harder than the also-rans. As Gary said in the podcast, "There's not one minute (of his day) not allocated to…..ACTION!"
2. Only Operate From Strengths – Outsource your weaknesses. Focus on what you're naturally good at and what you enjoy the most.
3. Focus on the Long Term – I will talk about this one later, but this is one of Gary's main points and is the topic of the video above. Especially if you're younger, you have all the time in the world to be successful. Don't think you have to change the world overnight.
4. Become Self Aware – Know yourself: What are you good at? What do you suck at? Own them both equally. What is "Your Skill?" As Gary said in the podcast, once you know your skill, "go attack it."
5. It's All About the Journey – There is no destination. It's all about a lifetime of growth.

Before you go any further into this article, I strongly recommend that you take 32 minutes out of your day and listen to Andrew's interview with Gary.

Here's the link again: http://www.knowledgeformen.com/podcast-gary-vaynerchuk/

It will kick your ass and inspire you to take more action than you ever thought possible.

And it will also give you a deeper understanding of Gary's story and process as we proceed through this article.

Gary's schedule starts before dawn and runs non-stop until after midnight.

This was the only world Gary knew growing up.

He watched his parents work hard every day in the family business and, as a young man fresh out of college, he wasn't partying, chasing girls and "hanging out," like most of his peers.

He was working.

Seven days a week. Fifteen hours a day. For seven straight years.

Today, with over $150 million in assets, many companies and a staff of over 1,000, you'd think he would throttle back.

But that's about as likely as a snowball surviving a detour through hell.

In other words… It a'int gonna happen.

Gary hustles intensely every day.

He knows that billionaire status, ownership of the New York Jets, and a life beyond imagination are all well within his wheelhouse, and he's not stopping to smell the roses.

His intense energy and sheer hustle are clues to his success.

How many people do you know who surf Facebook at work?

You won't find Gary doing that unless it's specifically serving a client.

Chatting in the breakroom? Are you kidding? No time for that.

Long lunch hours? He eats on the run or during a meeting where he's advancing something, somehow.

Every single second of the day is booked with only that which serves his higher goals.

You won't find him wasting a single minute. The intensity you hear in the podcast is how he runs everything: meetings, conversations (on or off-line), and strategy sessions.

And if you want to achieve similar results in your own life, then you need to be willing to take similar action.

Action Steps:

1. Score Yourself: Give yourself a score right now on your intensity/efficiency/hustle factor? From 1 to 10, where are you?

2. Write down 5 ways you can improve immediately. Five action steps you'll begin now to emulate Gary's hustle and intensity.

Gary has a knack for spotting technological trends early.

In fact, his entire empire has been built on the foundation of spotting and maximizing digital trends and technological advancements.

Gary was one of the earliest investors in countless tech companies.

He was also one of the pioneers of using social media for business and was one of the first proponents of using YouTube for content marketing and Snapchat for business promotion… Ideas that were completely ahead of their times.

But here's the cool thing about all of this.

Gary doesn't have some sort of clairvoyance or weird ability to read into the future.

He's simply educated himself about the world and technology and he bases his business decisions upon this understanding.

If you want to gain a similar ability to spot trends and pivot accordingly, then I recommend you check out a book from New York Times columnist, "Thank You For Being Late".

For about a third of the book, Friedman outlines the modern digital revolution. An early chapter is titled, "What the Hell Happened in 2007?" where he explains how the iPhone, Facebook, Twitter, Airbnb and many other life-changing technologies all came to the masses in 2007.

He discusses the future of AI, robotics and many other futuristic trends that aren't even prominent yet, predicting that we are in the infancy of a massive modern technological explosion.

And Gary agrees with his prognosis wholeheartedly.

The future is closer than you think and after the dotcom boom, it should be apparent to everyone reading this that if your businesses isn't evolving alongside technology, then it's dying.

Action Steps:

1. Score yourself on your digital proficiency. 1 to 10, where are you? How vast is your understanding of digital strategies? Do you know how to build a website? Are you building a tribe on social media? Are you effective with SEO, getting your posts and videos ranked?

2. If you're not at least a 7 in all areas, what action-steps do you need to take today to improve your digital toolbox? Write them down now, while this is fresh. What do you need to learn? Where can you find the information? (Try YouTube and Twitter first) How will you apply it? What tools do you need? Map out a digital strategy for the next 12 months and get started today.

Most of you will lose because you're trying to take shortcuts. Slow and steady wins the race. You're only competing with yourself. ~Gary Vaynerchuk

As he says in the video at the beginning of the article, this is Gary's top key to his success.

He's in it for the long haul which is why he has succeeded at far greater levels than people who are merely interested in the next 12 months.

Go to the 1:22 mark in the video. Imprint this in your consciousness and never forget it:

We live in an instant-gratification, want-it-now culture.

But this attitude doesn't work in wealth-building.

In fact, it's the opposite attitude that will yield the results you really want.

In George S. Clason's classic best seller, "The Richest Man in Babylon" he beautifully illustrates the concept of compounding, a factor that applies to investing and to business.

Compound your time. Compound leverage. Compound your influence and reach. Compound your best talents. Compound your team. Compound everything you do.

That's what Gary did, and it's his biggest tip for achieving success.

Compounding is the slow-and-steady way to wealth. The key ingredient is time and hustle.

As Gary says regularly, "The key is macro patience and micro intensity

Work your ass off in the moment and don't slow your efforts down for a second.

But realize that your effort and hustle probably won't pay off for another 7-11 years.

And the sooner you can accept that fact, the sooner you will be able to truly pursue and achieve your goals.

And always remember that regardless what age you are, you have time.

Even if you're older, you still have time.

Ray Kroc didn't meet the McDonald brothers until he was 52. Then, it took a couple years to get the franchising off the ground, so what you see today didn't begin until its founder was in his mid-fifties.

Look at Bob Proctor, the seminar leader and author of "You Were Born Rich." At 83, he still travels the world in his private NetJets plane, holds multi-day seminars and bounces onto the stage like someone 30 years his junior.

In ten years of compounding your talents in the digital world, you could literally build an empire of reach, influence, customers, fans, and wealth.

Study what Gary did and put his steps to work in your own life now.

Action Steps:

1. Give yourself a score on patience from 1 to 10. How patient have you been in your career up to now and how patient would you describe yourself today?

2. What can you shift from short-haul thinking to long-haul thinking? Take inventory of your strategies and outline a 1-year, 5-year, 10-year and 20-year plan. If you do nothing else, jot down (somewhere where you can get back to it) "where would I like to be in…." There is tremendous power in writing things down and tucking them away. It triggers your subconscious to start moving in those directions. Try it!

3. Pick up "The Richest Man in Babylon" and read it.

Regardless of where you are on the journey, there is always more to learn. Some little nugget could shift your thinking and your actions, generating thousands or even millions of dollars.

Gary Vaynerchuk is full of such nuggets, and (thanks to his total embracing of all things digital) he has left a huge breadcrumb trail for us to follow. (Thanks, Gary!)

Ask yourself, can you crank up your intensity, your efficiency, and your hustle?

Are you up to it?

I was talking to some guys in a money-oriented mastermind this week and their #1 complaint was falling into complacency. If you are in that trap today, take massive action to get out of it now!

What steps will you begin right now to up your game?

Then ask yourself how you can boost your digital presence. Whatever you do, even if it's a local mom-and-pop retail or service business, think of a way you can increase your social media tribe, reach more people, add more value, and find new ways to sell online.

There are 8 billion people out there, and regardless of what continent they live on, most are not that far from a browser, and thus from YOU! Embrace the digital world like Gary has. Remember, as Tom Friedman says, we're only in the first inning.

And most importantly, be in it for the long haul.

If you've found yourself going after the quick buck, stop it right now! Follow what other successful people like Gary have done and play the game over your entire lifetime.

Success leaves clues. Find and follow them.

P.S. If you are interested in getting Gary's hustle factor for yourself, the quickest way that I've found to achieve these levels of success is with a high performance coach. To learn more about our high performance coaching program, click here.. I promise that you won't regret it.

About a week ago, I was up late at night indulging in one of my favorites vices.

YouTube.

As I made my way through the plethora of cute cat videos, angry political rants, and jaw-dropping montages of people doing awesome things, I came across a 3-minute video from Gary Vaynerchuk.

A video that, I believe, has the power to change thousands of lives.

As I watched this video over and over again, it made me realize something.

Despite that fact that everything he touches seems to turn to gold (and hundreds of millions of dollars), the “King of Crush IT” is just a normal human being like you and me.

Sure, he’s a social media giant, marketing guru, entrepreneur extraordinaire, and pathological hustler.

But it’s pretty clear when you watch videos like this one that Gary is not a freak of nature or some sort of anomalous human being with superpowers that we mere mortals can only hope to possess.

He’s just a normal everyday dude who understands exactly how the game is played.

Tony Robbins, world famous high performance coach and success expert has made a fortune meeting, dissecting, and explaining top performers, and as he says, “Success leaves clues”.

In today’s article, I’m going to dive into many of the “Clues” that Gary has left over the course of his almost three decade long entrepreneurial journey.

While you might not like everything that you hear, I can promise you that if you are willing to pay attention, be humble, and learn from one of the best in the world, you can put yourself in a position where success becomes all but inevitable.

Sound like a plan?

Good. Let’s dive in.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Gary Vaynerchuk or his story, here’s a (very) condensed synopsis so that you understand why you should care about his tips for success.

• Born November 14, 1975 (a good Scorpio) in Babruysk, BSSR, Soviet Union. Moved to the US at age three, living with 8 other family members in a studio apartment in Queens, New York.
• The family then moved to Edison, New Jersey. Growing up, Gary had a lemonade-stand franchise. He also made thousands of dollars trading baseball cards on weekends.
• Joined his family’s retail liquor business at age 14. Took control in 1999 after graduating Mount Ida College with a bachelor’s degree. Changed the name from Shopper’s Discount Liquors to Wine Library.
• By 2005, he had taken the business online and annual sales catapulted from $3 million to over $50 million.
• Started Wine Library TV on YouTube in 2006. It went viral with daily wine reviews, tastings, and advice. He retired from video blogging in 2011.
• Started VaynerMedia in 2009 with his brother, a social media-focused digital agency. In 2016 VaynerMedia grossed $100 million providing social media strategy services to Fortune 500 companies.
• Invested in Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo, Tumblr and many other early tech phenomenon.
• Started VaynerRSE – a $25 million investment fund focusing on consumer technology, incubator, and angel funding.
• Founded VaynerSports in 2016, entering the sports marketing and agency business, one of Gary’s first loves.
• Estimated net worth of over $150 million. Has his sights squarely set on his first billion and ownership of the New York Jets. He’s only 41 as of this writing.

Oh, and he’s also happily married with two children.

Now that you understand a little bit more about his story, let’s dive into Gary’s advice for creating a level 10/10 life.

To find the first set of “Clues” to help me understand Gary’s rise to fame, I looked no further than the Knowledge for Men podcast and one of the earlier interviews that Gary did with Andrew.

During this interview, Gary left 5 “Takeaways:”

1. Learn to Love the Hustle – This is a consistent theme you will see among high-achievers. Pure and simple, they work harder than the also-rans. As Gary said in the podcast, “There’s not one minute (of his day) not allocated to…..ACTION!”
2. Only Operate From Strengths – Outsource your weaknesses. Focus on what you’re naturally good at and what you enjoy the most.
3. Focus on the Long Term – I will talk about this one later, but this is one of Gary’s main points and is the topic of the video above. Especially if you’re younger, you have all the time in the world to be successful. Don’t think you have to change the world overnight.
4. Become Self Aware – Know yourself: What are you good at? What do you suck at? Own them both equally. What is “Your Skill?” As Gary said in the podcast, once you know your skill, “go attack it.”
5. It’s All About the Journey – There is no destination. It’s all about a lifetime of growth.

Before you go any further into this article, I strongly recommend that you take 32 minutes out of your day and listen to Andrew’s interview with Gary.

Here’s the link again: http://www.knowledgeformen.com/podcast-gary-vaynerchuk/

It will kick your ass and inspire you to take more action than you ever thought possible.

And it will also give you a deeper understanding of Gary’s story and process as we proceed through this article.

Gary’s schedule starts before dawn and runs non-stop until after midnight.

This was the only world Gary knew growing up.

He watched his parents work hard every day in the family business and, as a young man fresh out of college, he wasn’t partying, chasing girls and “hanging out,” like most of his peers.

He was working.

Seven days a week. Fifteen hours a day. For seven straight years.

Today, with over $150 million in assets, many companies and a staff of over 1,000, you’d think he would throttle back.

But that’s about as likely as a snowball surviving a detour through hell.

In other words… It a’int gonna happen.

Gary hustles intensely every day.

He knows that billionaire status, ownership of the New York Jets, and a life beyond imagination are all well within his wheelhouse, and he’s not stopping to smell the roses.

His intense energy and sheer hustle are clues to his success.

How many people do you know who surf Facebook at work?

You won’t find Gary doing that unless it’s specifically serving a client.

Chatting in the breakroom? Are you kidding? No time for that.

Long lunch hours? He eats on the run or during a meeting where he’s advancing something, somehow.

Every single second of the day is booked with only that which serves his higher goals.

You won’t find him wasting a single minute. The intensity you hear in the podcast is how he runs everything: meetings, conversations (on or off-line), and strategy sessions.

And if you want to achieve similar results in your own life, then you need to be willing to take similar action.

Action Steps:

1. Score Yourself: Give yourself a score right now on your intensity/efficiency/hustle factor? From 1 to 10, where are you?

2. Write down 5 ways you can improve immediately. Five action steps you’ll begin now to emulate Gary’s hustle and intensity.

Gary has a knack for spotting technological trends early.

In fact, his entire empire has been built on the foundation of spotting and maximizing digital trends and technological advancements.

Gary was one of the earliest investors in countless tech companies.

He was also one of the pioneers of using social media for business and was one of the first proponents of using YouTube for content marketing and Snapchat for business promotion… Ideas that were completely ahead of their times.

But here’s the cool thing about all of this.

Gary doesn’t have some sort of clairvoyance or weird ability to read into the future.

He’s simply educated himself about the world and technology and he bases his business decisions upon this understanding.

If you want to gain a similar ability to spot trends and pivot accordingly, then I recommend you check out a book from New York Times columnist, “Thank You For Being Late”.

For about a third of the book, Friedman outlines the modern digital revolution. An early chapter is titled, “What the Hell Happened in 2007?” where he explains how the iPhone, Facebook, Twitter, Airbnb and many other life-changing technologies all came to the masses in 2007.

He discusses the future of AI, robotics and many other futuristic trends that aren’t even prominent yet, predicting that we are in the infancy of a massive modern technological explosion.

And Gary agrees with his prognosis wholeheartedly.

The future is closer than you think and after the dotcom boom, it should be apparent to everyone reading this that if your businesses isn’t evolving alongside technology, then it’s dying.

Action Steps:

1. Score yourself on your digital proficiency. 1 to 10, where are you? How vast is your understanding of digital strategies? Do you know how to build a website? Are you building a tribe on social media? Are you effective with SEO, getting your posts and videos ranked?

2. If you’re not at least a 7 in all areas, what action-steps do you need to take today to improve your digital toolbox? Write them down now, while this is fresh. What do you need to learn? Where can you find the information? (Try YouTube and Twitter first) How will you apply it? What tools do you need? Map out a digital strategy for the next 12 months and get started today.

Most of you will lose because you’re trying to take shortcuts. Slow and steady wins the race. You’re only competing with yourself. ~Gary Vaynerchuk

As he says in the video at the beginning of the article, this is Gary’s top key to his success.

He’s in it for the long haul which is why he has succeeded at far greater levels than people who are merely interested in the next 12 months.

Go to the 1:22 mark in the video. Imprint this in your consciousness and never forget it:

We live in an instant-gratification, want-it-now culture.

But this attitude doesn’t work in wealth-building.

In fact, it’s the opposite attitude that will yield the results you really want.

In George S. Clason’s classic best seller, “The Richest Man in Babylon” he beautifully illustrates the concept of compounding, a factor that applies to investing and to business.

Compound your time. Compound leverage. Compound your influence and reach. Compound your best talents. Compound your team. Compound everything you do.

That’s what Gary did, and it’s his biggest tip for achieving success.

Compounding is the slow-and-steady way to wealth. The key ingredient is time and hustle.

As Gary says regularly, “The key is macro patience and micro intensity

Work your ass off in the moment and don’t slow your efforts down for a second.

But realize that your effort and hustle probably won’t pay off for another 7-11 years.

And the sooner you can accept that fact, the sooner you will be able to truly pursue and achieve your goals.

And always remember that regardless what age you are, you have time.

Even if you’re older, you still have time.

Ray Kroc didn’t meet the McDonald brothers until he was 52. Then, it took a couple years to get the franchising off the ground, so what you see today didn’t begin until its founder was in his mid-fifties.

Look at Bob Proctor, the seminar leader and author of “You Were Born Rich.” At 83, he still travels the world in his private NetJets plane, holds multi-day seminars and bounces onto the stage like someone 30 years his junior.

In ten years of compounding your talents in the digital world, you could literally build an empire of reach, influence, customers, fans, and wealth.

Study what Gary did and put his steps to work in your own life now.

Action Steps:

1. Give yourself a score on patience from 1 to 10. How patient have you been in your career up to now and how patient would you describe yourself today?

2. What can you shift from short-haul thinking to long-haul thinking? Take inventory of your strategies and outline a 1-year, 5-year, 10-year and 20-year plan. If you do nothing else, jot down (somewhere where you can get back to it) “where would I like to be in….” There is tremendous power in writing things down and tucking them away. It triggers your subconscious to start moving in those directions. Try it!

3. Pick up “The Richest Man in Babylon” and read it.

Regardless of where you are on the journey, there is always more to learn. Some little nugget could shift your thinking and your actions, generating thousands or even millions of dollars.

Gary Vaynerchuk is full of such nuggets, and (thanks to his total embracing of all things digital) he has left a huge breadcrumb trail for us to follow. (Thanks, Gary!)

Ask yourself, can you crank up your intensity, your efficiency, and your hustle?

Are you up to it?

I was talking to some guys in a money-oriented mastermind this week and their #1 complaint was falling into complacency. If you are in that trap today, take massive action to get out of it now!

What steps will you begin right now to up your game?

Then ask yourself how you can boost your digital presence. Whatever you do, even if it’s a local mom-and-pop retail or service business, think of a way you can increase your social media tribe, reach more people, add more value, and find new ways to sell online.

There are 8 billion people out there, and regardless of what continent they live on, most are not that far from a browser, and thus from YOU! Embrace the digital world like Gary has. Remember, as Tom Friedman says, we’re only in the first inning.

And most importantly, be in it for the long haul.

If you’ve found yourself going after the quick buck, stop it right now! Follow what other successful people like Gary have done and play the game over your entire lifetime.

Success leaves clues. Find and follow them.

P.S. If you are interested in getting Gary’s hustle factor for yourself, the quickest way that I’ve found to achieve these levels of success is with a high performance coach. To learn more about our high performance coaching program, click here.. I promise that you won’t regret it. 

Former Air force Captain Bryan Reeves is the Co-founder/Director for The Center for Mindful Education, where he's taught mindfulness to people with autism. He co-founded "Operation Mindful Warrior" to help bring mindfulness to military veterans (who are currently committing suicide at a shocking rate)

Bryan serves on the Executive Board of the Global Alliance for Transformational Entertainment (G.A.T.E.). Founded by John Raatz, author Eckhart Tolle and actor Jim Carrey, GATE is an organization of entertainment and media companies and professionals – actors, producers, filmmakers, musicians and more – working to influence the entertainment and media industry to produce and distribute transformational content that inspires global audiences for the benefit of all.

Bryan currently resides in L.A. working as a transformational life and relationships coach.

"Follow your highest excitement"~Bryan Reeves

1. It Is Essential That You Learn to Collaborate

We live in a world full of people determined to go it alone. We look at others with differing ideologies, religions, or political standing as lost causes that will never be reached instead of seeking to use our uniqueness together to create something incredible.

Learn to see and bring out the best in people regardless of your differences, learn to work with others and use your differences to create a future that could never have been built alone. Work together with others and create a future that you would be proud to raise a family in.

2. Surround Yourself With People Who Won't Take Your Crap

As much as we love to surround ourselves with yes men (or women) it is imperative to our personal growth that we are around people who push us and call us out on our bullshit. Build a social circle full of people who aren't afraid to challenge you and make you uncomfortable.

As Jim Rohn said "You are the average of the five people whom you associate with most." If you want to live a world class life, then associate with people who will push you in every area.

3. Acknowledge That You Could be Wrong

As you work to build the life and relationships of your dreams, approach every issue with the thought that you might be wrong. Nietzsche, the famous philosopher once said that "Conviction is the enemy of truth." Never allow your need to be right to blind you to the truth.

Realize that you may be wrong, accept it and look to collaborate with others who can help guide you to the truth.

4. Be a Leader in Your Relationships

As a man, embrace the masculine energy in your relationships and take charge (most of the time). Decide where to go out on a date, set the time, lay down the ground rules of the relationship. Women cannot be fully in their feminine unless you are in your masculine and for this to happen you must be present and taking charge, leading the encounter to new and exciting heights.

5. Success Doesn't Make the Man

Money, cars, girls, none of it makes you a man. To be a true man, an authentic man, you must be totally fulfilled and in love with yourself. Be who you are, pursue a life of purpose that excites you every morning. Do things because you damn well want to!

Never forsake dreams or aspirations for a paycheck or relationship. Follow your highest excitement, do what makes you happy and impact others while doing it.

6. If You Aren't Thriving Today It's Pointless

Goals are amazing. Plans are great. But nothing is certain. Life is a precious gift that can be taken at any moment. Live life in the moment and be passionate about the life you are living today. Because the life you are stressing about creating may not be there tomorrow.