You will get what you appreciate. If you show gratitude when people do things you like, you will get more of it.

This isn't some new age spiritual concept. This is simple human psychology. People want to feel appreciated. They want to feel they are making a difference.

When you say thank you with sincerity, they feel that. It means something to them. It feeds their soul. And they'll want it again.

If you have someone who has gone 10% down the road to where you want them, show gratitude if you want them to reach 100%.

What does not work is berating them. If someone gives you 10% and all you can say is "not good enough," you'll never see that other 90% because they'll remember how you made them feel.

A great example of this is the way that some people will attack their own political allies. Someone will post that they condemn white supremacy, maybe face some blowback for even that simple act, but they they get people who they are trying to support declaring they are not good enough.

This doesn't inspire more engagement. It inspires disengagement.

Gratitude feeds the heart and soul, and people will do a lot for it. Deploy gratitude and you'll be grateful for the results you see.

For more information about Michael Whitehouse, visit www.guywhoknowsaguy.com

For as long as I can remember people have said "the only constant is change." Before Covid, before 9/11, people were saying that the only constant is change.

In front of us we have a contentious election, climate change, trade war, and who know what else.

I'm not worried about it. The reason I'm not worried is that I have not tied myself to any particular outcome or resource. I have committed my self to resilient thinking.

Whatever happens, I'll look at the situation and ask what the best move is from that position, then take it.

The greatest gift I can give to my daughter is that level of resilience. This kid will see the turn of the next century, and I can only imagine the changes she'll see.

My job is to teach her the self-reliance and resilience to adapt and weather whatever may come.

The world is always changing, but it is easy to find something that works and to allow our resilience to fade. If change has caught you flat footed and knocked you on your butt, let's talk. I can help. Visit www.guywhoknowsaguy.com and schedule a call with me. I'll share some ideas to adapt and thrive, even in 2020.

I have had everything I needed to be a professional coach for at least the last 6 years.

I have been coaching people informally with good results for over 20 years. The technology I depend on has been available for years. Why did I only become a professional coach in 2020?

Because I didn't start.

I didn't believe I could do it.

I didn't want to risk the rejection of trying and failing.

In retrospect, every excuse I gave was absurd. It is clear to me now, and it was probably apparent then. Yet I waited.

What changed is that someone taught me a simple strategy and said "You should be a coach." I believed him and it made all the difference.

What is it that you know that you are meant to be but aren't starting?

Let's talk. For anyone watching this video, I'll do a free, no obligation half hour coaching session. Let's talk about what you could be doing and if it makes sense to start. If it does, I'll tell you to do it.

That's it. If that's all you need to change your life, then I'll be grateful for the opportunity even if you don't spend a penny with me.

We are all meant for greatness. If you would like to talk about how to find your greatness, Click here to schedule a free coaching session.

Like most people, I used to struggle to get back to sleep if I woke up too early. Then I realized that there's a better way.

I created The 4 AM Rule. It's simple. If I wake up after 4 AM, I get up. I might need a nap later, but I find that I'm more alert and able to face the day doing this than if I toss and turn and try to force myself back to sleep.

This morning, I woke up a bit after 4. I recorded this video, showed, juiced, did pushups, produced an episode of The Guy Who Knows A Guy Podcast, then posted this. It's 7 AM when I post this.

I might take a 15 minute nap, but that's THREE HOURS of productive time. Three hours of productivity in place of three hours frustrating, tiring, tossing and turning. Pretty good trade.

What do you do if you wake up an hour or two early?

Check out my other podcast, The Guy Who Knows A Guy Podcast.

There are other ways to buy things than money.

Some of the most valuable things I have gotten for my business have been conducted though some kind of exchange of value.

Most excitingly, I have taken Kendra Schou on as an apprentice. She is doing some great work for me in exchange for being part of my program.

I am also working with some amazing people on collaborations which will create incredible opportunities that are only possible by brining the strengths of many people together.

If you think about value beyond cash, you will realize that there are amazing opportunities in your life.

If you want to talk more about building mutually beneficial relationships, or if you're looking for a great assistant, visit www.guywhoknowsaguy.com and schedule a 10 minute call with me.

Systems determine outcomes.

Often I can look at a system and predict the outcomes they will generate. Last night when I heard the format of the presidential debate, I turned to my wife and said, "This is going to be a brawl."

It's not a matter of how the moderator handled it or what the candidates did. The system was structured in a way that was guaranteed to minimize productive discussion and maximize conflict.

It is natural when something does not go as we wanted to blame people for not doing their jobs right or some other factor. More often than not, however, the source of the failure is actually the underlying system.

It's easier to yell at someone for screwing up than to do the hard thinking and planning to create a good system to generate good results.

Think about the last time things went wrong for you.

Who or what did you blame?

What as the underlying system or rules?

How did they contribute to the failure?

Systems determine outcomes.

If you enjoy the content I create, why not sign up for my newsletter. Visit www.guywhoknowsaguy.com/subscribe to register.

I want you to discard the limitations you place on yourself as to what is possible.

Too many people limit themselves to a restrictive concept of work as the traditional wage for hours employer relationship. In this relationship, you are generally paid less than you are worth, waste a great deal of productive time, and are at the mercy of your employer.

On the other hand, a contractor is paid a specific fee for a specific deliverable which usually results in higher pay for less time.

Even if you are an employee, having a contractor mindset can shift the way you approach pay negotiations, work situations, and assignments.

To talk more about shifting your mindset, visit www.guywhoknowsaguy.com and click the link to schedule a 10 minute conversation.

What if I told you that you could make the same money as you do in your job in half the time or less?

Sounds like a sales pitch, doesn't it.

But it's totally doable. Think about how much time you waste in the office: meetings, chit chat, coffee breaks, meetings, and all the rest.

When you are an employee, they are buying your time.

When you are a consultant, they are buying your results.

Don't sell your time. Sell your results. You'll be amazed at the opportunities that opens up for you.

Want to learn more about this? Comment below, or subscribe to my newsletter for more great information and invitations to upcoming workshops. www.guywhoknowsaguy.com/subscribe

Yesterday, I said that I give everything away free. That sounds like a pretty wacky business model. How does it work?

This is what my programs will be looking like over the next few months.

First, the free content: these videos, The Guy Who Knows A Guy Podcast, Blog articles, etc.

Second, low cost education programs: Webinars, recorded programs, networking events. $5 to $50 for some great education.

Third, the Guy Who Knows A Guy Academy. For just $49 per month, you get access to a community of ambitious people, as well as access to all the education programs as well as indirect access to me. Even better, you have the whole community to support you and to be a part of.

Next is group coaching. Less expensive than one on one coaching. You're in a cohort with other students. 3-6 other people working to become their best selves and live their best lives.

At the highest level, you can work with me one on one. We work together to develop a program directly optimized for your needs, your life, the way your mind works.

I have no desire to sell anyone on any more than they need. If you can take my free content and take action, that's awesome. I'm happy for you. If a couple of courses gets it done for you, great. If the Academy works, that's good.

But for those who need a bit more hands on support, a bit more accountability, that is why the coaching programs exist.

It all starts with a conversation. Want to chat for ten minutes or so and see if I can help you? Visit my web site and click on the link to schedule a call.

I give away everything I know for free...

...and that's why people are willing to pay me for it.

I sell two things: information and mindset.

Information is impossible to contain, and trying to do so can be maddening. If you give someone a PDF, they can share it. If you give them an audio file, they can share it. Digital content is easily distributed.

So I share information for free and hope people share it.

If you read all my blogs and watch all my videos and listen to all my podcasts, you will know everything I know and could, in theory, act on it.

The challenge comes in execution.

How do you put it all together?

How do you make a plan?

How do you keep your head right to stay focused?

How do you maintain your confidence?

Knowing and doing are very different things. This is why I have a few coaches myself, to help me with the doing.

And that is where I provide value, in helping people to execute.

If you are trying to jealously guard your intellectual property so no one steals it, then you will probably also prevent people from buying it. Chances are that what you make is similar to what someone else makes, and theirs is easier to get. This is a scarcity mindset.

On the other hand, if you have an abundance mindset and you share, you'll discover that you have more to offer than that piece of IP you made six months ago. Your creativity. Your energy. Your spirit. That is the true value you offer.

Your content is just a sample of the deep well of awesomeness you have.

Do you have awesomeness to share with the world but you're afraid people will steal it? Let's talk.

Visit www.guywhoknowsaguy.com and click the calendar to schedule a free no-obligation call, or just comment below.