Connections fuel creativity. The most innovative leaders are interdisciplinary — they synthesize ideas from many sources into new, coherent concepts. Game changers know that great ideas can come from anywhere, and to shift the paradigm, they have to look at things through a different lens. 

That’s why we’ve brought you conversations across the spectrum: to change your perspective and broaden what’s possible.

This quarter we’ve talked to historians, TV hosts, elite athletes, leadership experts, and the country’s leading attorneys. They’re all game changers in their own right, and each brings something different to the table. Find wisdom in their journeys, learn from their mistakes, and see what strategies have stood the test of time. 

We’ve distilled the season into just the golden moments.

In this Best of Q2 episode, we revisit the ideas and conversations that have stuck with us the most. From Stoicism to CrossFit, from the courtroom to a race around the world — these stories will give you the tools to make new connections in your business and inspire you to keep changing the game.

In this episode:

Links and Resources

Author

Michael Mogill, Crisp Video Group, Brian Chase, Ryan Holiday, Marcus Lemonis, Mark Beaumont, John Maxwell, Mat Fraser

"It's only a matter of time before someone that's better than me comes along. Whether that's next year or that's 20 years from now, it's only a matter of time. But that feeling of pride and success is there forever. No one can take that away from me." - Mat Fraser

Survival of the Fittest

The CrossFit Games are the most grueling athletic competition on the planet. To even qualify, you must place in the top 10% of hundreds of thousands of competitors in trials. Events at the finals are not announced before the games. Each competitor must be able to lift hundreds of pounds, run a 5-minute mile, and complete obstacle courses at breakneck speed to even stand a chance. To win one CrossFit Games is a terrific achievement. Mat Fraser has won five. In a row.

Not only has Mat continually bested his opponents — he's trounced them. His margin of victory has increased each year, and in 2020 (his final Games) he nearly doubled the score of the 2nd place finisher. His points totaled almost more than 2nd and 3rd place put together. Mat has since retired from the Games, but he exits on top, completing the most dominant run the sport has ever seen.

Margin Call

Mat attributes his success to the gains he makes on the margins, often outside the gym. Of course, you have to work hard there too, but "everyone's doing what you're doing in the gym," he says. "You need to find the 1% gains elsewhere."

Even if you're working hard, others are too. It's not an edge, it's table stakes.

Indeed, Mat found sustained success when he dedicated his full time to CrossFit — optimizing his sleep, eliminating stress from his life, making his pre- and post-workout routine bulletproof. Mat is living proof that the small things can make a big difference, compounding when they're stacked to create a dominant advantage.

Put into Practice

You may think that since Mat is so dominant, he must be good at everything, but that's not necessarily true — at first. What sets Mat apart is his dedication to perfecting the things that give him trouble. If he doesn't understand a technique, he isn't bashful about asking for help. And once he knows how to do it right, he'll throw himself at it until he's good at it.

To Mat, a weakness is just something to improve upon...until it becomes a strength.

Key takeaways:

Links and Resources

"Growth's not automatic. You don't automatically get better. If you're going to get better, you're going to have to be intentional." - John Maxwell

A Leader in Leadership

John C. Maxwell lives and breathes leadership. A #1 New York Times best-selling author, John has written over 50 books on the subject, which have sold more than 26 million copies worldwide. John was named the #1 leader in business by the American Management Association and topped the list of most influential leadership experts in Inc. Magazine.

Through his companies and The John Maxwell Leadership Foundation, John teaches people how to unlock their potential. Having educated millions of people from every corner of the globe, John's advice is valued across the public and private sectors. All this growth has come from his steady hand at the helm. As he says, "Everything rises and falls on leadership."

Question and Answer

One thing John warns against is leading by assumption. You can't assume that all your employees are motivated by the same thing. Some may be driven by providing for their family, while others might want to work toward the greater good. Some might need words of encouragement, and some might need deadlines.

The way to find out what your employees need is simple: ask them. John says if you ask your team what they need, they'll give you a blueprint on how to lead them.

Let It Go

A leader wouldn't be a leader without a team. John says it's imperative to trust your team and delegate responsibility. If you're managing everything, then your company will be limited by your capacity.

To build bigger, you need other leaders who you trust to do their part. Those leaders will never grow if you're doing their work for them. A great leader empowers and equips his team so that they can become leaders as well. "The only way to grow your company is to grow leaders."

Key takeaways:

Links and Resources

"We're talking about a minority of brokers, of course. But when you've got over a million advisors in this country, even a small percent can cause some devastating harm." - David Meyer

A Full Recovery

David Meyer is a nationally-esteemed attorney and founding principal of the firm Meyer Wilson. He specializes in representing victims of investment fraud, people who have lost their life savings by entrusting them to unethical and speculative financial advisors. Over two decades, David has recovered millions of dollars from fraudulent investors for his clients.

The very first investment fraud case he took as a 28-year- old ended in a $261 million dollar class action verdict against Prudential Securities for over 200 retirees. It was the largest jury verdict in Ohio history, and all the plaintiffs recovered 100% of their losses. Since then, David has represented over 1,000 individual investors across the country.

The Best Defense

Trust is essential for financial advisors. Their clients don't know nearly as much about investing — that's the reason they need a financial advisor in the first place. But sometimes, financial advisors abuse that trust. When that happens, ordinary people can lose a lifetime's worth of work overnight.

David says the easiest way to level the playing field is to look up your broker on brokercheck.org. This will tell you if they have any outstanding complaints against them from the SEC and can prevent you from ending up with an untrustworthy advisor. If you receive a notice of a problem from your broker's supervisor (so-called "happiness letters"), David recommends immediately contacting a third party, as the brokerage will act to protect its own interests, not yours.

Planned Obsolescence

Even though he's made a name for himself as an investment attorney, David ultimately hopes that fraud decreases to a point where clients won't need him anymore.

To this end, he's written a book called “The Investor Protector” detailing stories from his years observing financial misconduct. The book includes basic financial education and practical advice so that you can protect you and your loved ones. He calls it "body armor" for retirement savers.

And if he gets fewer clients because of it? That's fine by him. He just wants to make a difference.

Key takeaways:

Links and Resources

"I want to just have one opportunity in my life to put all my cards on the table and say, ‘What is what is the ultimate?’ I was almost to the point where I didn't mind if I failed, because I just wanted the opportunity to just go, ‘What is my Everest?’ What if it was if all the unknowns were taken care of? What is humanly possible? I'm all in. Very few people in their careers have the opportunity to go all in. Most of us just get by and try and get through our emails. It's such a privilege to be able to say, ‘I'm all in.’" - Mark Beaumont

Breaking Away

Mark Beaumont is a Scottish cyclist, investor, broadcaster, and entrepreneur — though none of those titles really do him justice. Mark is the world record-holder for fastest circumnavigation of the globe on a bicycle, having completed the feat in just 78 days. He has made a career of daring adventures, like cycling the Americas or rowing across the mid-Atlantic. He has also broadcast his expeditions, producing documentaries for Global Cycling Network and the BBC, as well as books that chronicle his journeys. In 2019, Mark was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to sport and charity.

All that would be impressive on its own, but Mark is also a committed father and businessman. He joined Eos Advisory, an angel investment group that funds innovation to deal with societal issues, as a Partner in 2019. In addition, he has worked as a Corporate Ambassador with private equity house LDC since 2007.

Ahead of the Pack

Mark's capacity for endurance is matched only by his creativity. He's said many times that he's not the best cyclist in the world; he's simply the one who has the imagination to dream up crazy rides, the audacity to believe he can do it, and the organization to make an exceptional plan.

He attributes this creativity to his boyhood, growing up homeschooled on a farm in Scotland. There, he developed an independence of thought and a trust in himself. Mark knows the values that guide him, and he follows them whether they lead to the Arctic, the Atlantic, or the south of Africa.

Clear Eyes, Full Heart, Can't Lose

Though Mark's accomplishments have taken him around the globe, he's never forgotten that his inspiration lies close to home. The clarity of purpose that comes from Mark's commitment to family, work, and community, has spurred him to his many accomplishments.

These priorities allow him to live to the fullest even when he isn't on an exotic expedition. During COVID lockdown, Mark devised a plan to run every street in his hometown of Edinburgh with his 6-year-old daughter — that's over 500 miles!

Key takeaways:

Links and Resources

"If you're in this for money, you're doing it for the wrong reason. I'll say that straight up, and I will argue all day long about that — because I was chasing the money before, and that's what put me on the couch. I was motivated by money and not by service to the clients, not service to my teammates, and not to service to my community." - Greg Ward

A Strong Foundation

Greg Ward is the Founding Partner of The Ward Law Group, a personal injury firm based in the Miami Lakes area. Along with his co-Founding Partner and wife, Jany Martinez-Ward, Mr. Ward litigates across a broad range of practice areas, including insurance coverage, bad faith, and complex contractual matters. Their practice, based in South Florida, serves clients in English and Spanish.

Greg himself graduated cum laude from the University of Baltimore School of Law, gave the commencement address, and received the Law Faculty Award for Outstanding Graduate of the Class. He is licensed to practice in Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, and U.S. Federal Courts.

The Golden Rule

Empathy is key to Greg's law practice. As someone who has struggled financially in the past, Greg knows how important every dollar is to his clients. He tells stories of sleeping on his couch because he could only afford a bed for his daughter and searching the parking lot of a gas station for coins to pay for a soda.

His wife and co-partner in the firm, Jany Martinez-Ward, emigrated to the U.S. from Cuba as a teenager with just a backpack and her one-year-old brother in her arms. Both Greg and Jany bring compassion from their experiences to their cases. The firm serves primarily Spanish-speaking clients, many of whom are immigrants, some undocumented. Whoever walks in the door at The Ward Law Group knows they will be treated with respect and their case will be taken seriously.

Get Your Priorities Straight

Though he's seen incredible success, Greg is not in it for the money. He makes sure that much of what comes in gets reinvested in the community through donations to his church and local organizations. He also volunteers his time advising entrepreneurs and leading business seminars.

Instead of focusing exclusively on the finances, The Ward Law Group is centered around a series of core values, headlined by service to the clients and the community. Every decision is made through the prism of, "How will it affect my clients?" Greg knows that money is simply the outcome of great service, and that even though it's his business, it's all about the client.

Key takeaways:

Links and Resources

"The reality is that human beings have all sorts of qualities, abilities, and traits available to us. But what ends up happening is because of this story and this narrative of who we think we are, we end up acting through the exact same person over and over again, telling us stories about what we think we can and cannot do. The Alter Ego is the thing that just allows these abilities to more freely come out of you so that you can truly kind of lead the life that you most want." - Todd Herman

Coach of the Year

Todd Herman is the founder of Upcoach and Herman Global Ventures, a WSJ best-selling author of “The Alter Ego Effect: The Power of Secret Identities to Transform Your Life,” and creator of the award-winning "90 Day Year" program for leadership and skills development. He has been coaching elite athletes, executives, and entrepreneurs for over two decades and has helped thousands through his work. In addition, HGV was named one of the Inc. 500 fastest growing companies in America.

Through his work with Olympians and top athletes, Todd has developed a multitude of mental strategies to achieve peak performance, which he has brought to the world of business.

Finding Your Superman

Perhaps the most notable of Todd's mental strategies is the Alter Ego Effect. After all, he wrote a whole book on it! In his career, Todd has seen that the narratives we construct about ourselves can be limiting. For example, if you don't consider yourself to be outgoing, how will you get onstage to deliver that keynote address?

Todd recommends creating another version of yourself — one that is strong in the areas you lack — and activating it in times of need.

Drawing on the science of enclothed cognition and other psychological phenomena, Todd explores how simply perceiving ourselves differently can have a measurable effect on our performance across a host of categories.

Your Own Worst Enemy

In addition to the Alter Ego, Todd uses a concept called "The Enemy." This can be your ego, a negative idea of yourself, or the words of an old bully from your past. But at the root of it, it's the story or habits that get in your way as you pursue your goals. These maladaptive behaviors can seem amorphous and therefore insurmountable. One of Todd's methods is to give the Enemy a name and a form. By doing this, you contain these habits into something tangible that you can subsequently manage.

You can't fight something until you can see it clearly.

Key takeaways:

Links and Resources

"It's not one little thing. It's a lot of continued, consistent effort to get where we are. But I think for other people, they sit there and go, ‘Well, I can't do that.’ You may not be able to do everything we're doing today, but you could do one thing, and after that, you can build to other things. I think that's the opportunity that people could really grow from.” - Bob Tharp

A Full Trophy Case

Bob Tharp is a Founding Partner of Meriwether & Tharp, an 8-figure family law firm in Atlanta, as well as a nationally-recognized family attorney in his own right. He has earned awards for his work with clients, including being named Family Law Monthly's 2016 Family Lawyer of the Year and a Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers Magazine for the past 6 years.

Bob has also taken the lead on M&T's extensive content generation efforts and has overseen the creation of thousands of educational materials, including podcasts, blog posts, white papers, and speaking engagements. This too has garnered him awards, including the Omni, Muse, W3, and Communicator awards for his work on the M&T website and library of resources.

Consistency is Key

How do you get where you're going? One step at a time. Bob is a champion of persistent, steady progress. He starts each morning by evaluating his analytics to see what areas of his business can be improved and what processes can be optimized.

Since launching the firm in 1998, Bob has increased the company's value year over year for 23 straight years. Meriwether & Tharp has also been listed on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in America for 4 years in a row.

The Pursuit of Perfection

Self-improvement is a core value for M&T, and it infuses every aspect of their business, from how they train their lawyers to the resources they provide clients.

And it's not just lip service for Bob — he lives and breathes it. He's always striving to make himself and his practice better. It's what keeps him engaged. He's constantly creating new goals to make M&T the best firm it can be.

Key takeaways:

Links and Resources

You'll never change the game if you don't think outside the box. That's why game changing attorneys don't blindly follow the status quo to get ahead — they look to leading business owners and entrepreneurs from all industries to elevate themselves and their practices.

So far this year, we've spoken to game changers in all sectors. Publishers, biohackers, giftologists, hoteliers, and of course a few world-class attorneys have shared their experiences about how they got to the top of their respective fields. They’ve given up their best secrets to tell you how to take your law firm to the next level and beyond.

In this Best of Season 2: Q1 roundup, we take a second look at some of the most poignant moments and prominent guests Michael has encountered on the podcast. Join us as we rediscover the habits, strategies, and mindsets of the architects of some of the most influential and disruptive businesses and law firms of the 21st century.

In this episode:

Join us for all these insights and more on this Best of Season 2: Q1 episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast.

Links and Resources

"I can think of probably 20+ deals where I've lost $35-$40 million. Gone! I never see it again. And in many cases, I look back on my older self five, six, seven years ago, and I would say that some of that was largely my judgment — trusting in people that I shouldn't have or investing in people that I shouldn't have. And I'm here to tell you once and for all, I have zero regrets. Zero!" Marcus Lemonis

Every Experience is a Learning Opportunity

Everyone hits setbacks. Whether they're big or small, we all have a choice. Either we can let our failures stifle our progress, or we can use them as an opportunity to learn and grow. While this mindset is simple in theory, holding yourself to this philosophy only gets harder as the mistakes get bigger. That’s why it takes a special kind of person to spot the silver lining when mistakes start costing millions.

Marcus Lemonis is a business titan, philanthropist, and star of CNBC's “The Profit.” Over his years of entrepreneurial pursuit and investing, Marcus has accumulated tremendous knowledge on what it takes to grow businesses and steer them in the right direction. But his learning isn't all from book study. They're lessons he's learned from decades of experience running his own businesses and helping others with theirs, which he shares for free on his online learning center.

Recruiting: The Key to Improvement

Onboarding new talent can be a great way to meet the demands placed on your firm as it grows. While there's nothing wrong with your hiring process being a reactionary activity, recruiting can also be a tremendous growth-driving factor.

We discuss which key activities Marcus focuses on to drive growth in his businesses. He tells us about his method of always being on the lookout for new talent and why being aware of your own deficiencies is a great place to start when you're on the search for your next hires.

Optimistic Investor or Deal Junkie

Over the many seasons of “The Profit,” Marcus has invested over $75 million in numerous businesses, to varying degrees of success and failure. Even after being sued by business owners for not achieving their goals, he is returning yet again to the show to try to help others rescue their companies.

Marcus tells us what it is that brings him back to “The Profit” to put his own money on the line again and again. He also shares what he's learned from his years of helping others and reveals what he believes to be the foundation of any good business.

Key takeaways:

Links and Resources

Author

Michael Mogill, Crisp Video Group, and Marcus Lemonis