The Bible says “Pride goes before destruction…”

And my guest today learned this lesson the hard way—after having sunk into a deep depression that was ironically spurred by his own achievements.

Jack Lannom is a prolific author and the CEO of People First International. His company devotes itself to creating caring company cultures.

But Jack himself had forgotten to care.

At a time he was rewarded for tremendous hard work with spectacular success, he got too wrapped up in himself. He lost his humility.

Jack tells me that all the signs of hubris and ego showed up in his life.

In his words, he became a prisoner of his own self-importance.

Soon after, he fell into a deep depression that hospitalized him and changed his world.

“Don’t get caught up in pride and press clippings.” @PeopleFirstIntl via @RustyLionAcad

Getting ego out of the way and beating depression

Nowadays, Jack has learned to care enough about others that he’ll talk to anyone and everyone about their dreams.

With more caring behind his conversations, he has come to counsel billionaires going through the same kind of success depression he himself faced.

That’s a far cry from his egotistical heyday, when his conversations with others invariably revolved around himself.

To find out how Jack shifted his life so monumentally and beat the depression that followed his success, listen to this episode. You’ll come to know an extraordinary man now intent on making other men extraordinary too.

Listen to this episode to hear me speak with Jack Lannom about beating depression caused by success and more:

• A pyramid of the five most important things you can say to other people.
• The seven keys to trust.
• Why being promoted in the same circles as big names like Zig Ziglar and John Maxwell made Jack a prisoner.
• How a year of deep depression improved Jack’s life.
• The time Jack realized he didn’t know the author of his own books.
• The unspoken caste system in the U.S.
• Why sanity is a gift from God.
• Advice for beating a bad day.

Read these books to help beat success depression, self-centeredness, and more:

• “How to Win Friends & Influence People,” by Dale Carnegie
• “The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level,” by Gay Hendricks, PhD
• “Psycho-Cybernetics,” by Maxwell Maltz
• “On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life,” by John O’Leary
• “Untapped Potential: Turning Ordinary People into Extraordinary Performers,” by Jack Lannom
• “People First: Achieving Balance in an Unbalanced World,” by Jack Lannom

Do this next to accomplish anything – including beating depression:

I know it sounds cliché, but you can do anything you put your mind to. But you can’t go in with half a mind to do it. Click here to get a free eBook that will teach you how to accomplish anything in five steps.

Does your marketing get you leads, or are you wasting thousands of dollars?

Chances are, my guest this week tells me, you’re throwing money into a black hole.

John “JD” Dwyer is an Australian “marketing enigma” who has experience thinking outside the box for big names ranging from McDonald’s to Blockbuster Video and Woolworths.

His unconventional thinking even managed to score comedian and television star Jerry Seinfeld as the spokesman for the Greater Building Society – a small Australian financial institution.

That marketing coup required a cheeky 2 a.m. phone call, a Crocodile Dundee impersonation, and a killer follow-up email.

You can get the whole story in this episode, as well as the tale of how JD managed to get noticed amid 2 million daily requests for a personal appearance by Michael Jordan.

Listen to this episode to learn about the crazy, unconventional ways JD does business. If nothing else, you’ll get to listen to a man with an awesome Aussie accent give sound marketing advice.

Listen to this episode to hear me speak with JD Dwyer, founder of The Institute of Wow, about thinking outside the box for your business marketing and more:

• Five things every business should do to market better—and how businesses that have implemented those tactics have grown.
• How one restaurant has full capacity seven nights a week because of JD’s outside-the-box marketing tips.
• Why you probably need to redirect your marketing dollars.
• The most important contact info you should have for every customer (HINT: It’s not email.)
• The reason you have a high bounce rate on your website.
• How to bounce back from losing $2.2 million in a single day.
• Why you need to hang out with crazy people.

How to contact JD Dwyer:

You can contact JD Dwyer through his website.

Do this next to think outside the box for your business:

You live your business every day, but are you able to see things as someone else sees them? Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes or Stitcher or join The Lion’s Den., where we impart coaching advice that can help you see your business more like your clients do—and help you move to the next level.

Sure, your employees get paychecks from you. But do they have to work for you?

If you have the right kind of employees, they could work anywhere they want.

That means you can’t lean on that paycheck as a big motivator.

After all, money is only the seventh-most fulfilling part of any job—behind camaraderie, being personally motivated to do the work, feeling encouraged and recognized, having a real impact, growing professionally, and interacting with clients.  

Today’s episode is, in a sense, about the third motivator in that list above—feeling encouraged and recognized. In my eyes, that’s basically an attitude of gratitude.

(Just in time for Thanksgiving. How about that?)

You see, being driven has a downside – it’s easy to become entitled. Many men feel that because they’ve worked so hard, the world should revolve around them.

This kind of man stops feeling grateful and starts seeing problems instead. Without an attitude of gratitude, it’s hard to have a smile on your face—no matter how successful you become.

Last week, I went to Kenya and met men who were grateful for everything, even when they seemingly had nothing.

These men were the opposite of the typically American “type A” personality – but they were so happy and grateful!

My experience with them has helped me to be more in-tune with a fine art that’s always been part of my makeup.

I’m sensitive to art, not the science of always being grateful. Via @RustyLionAcad

Click play in the player below to hear Bill and I talk with recurring guest host Phil Bonelli about an attitude of gratitude – and what one could mean for your business, your family, and your happiness in general.

Listen to this episode to hear me speak with Bill and Phil about an attitude of gratitude and more:

• When to plow forward, and when to gratefully accept your outcomes.
• How to impart an attitude of gratitude among your employees.
• The mindset disease that can only be cured with gratitude.
• The time five empty whiskey bottles ‘talked’ to Bill about gratitude.
• A challenge that will help you be more grateful.
• How being grateful for your employees will improve four metrics in your business.
• How to show gratitude for loved ones.
• Two ways to stimulate gratitude in your children.
• How to make your own day by making other people’s days.

Read these books to help develop an attitude of gratitude for your business and loved ones:

• “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: A Fable About Fulfilling Your Dreams & Reaching Your Destiny,” by Robin Sharma
• “The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts,” by Gary Chapman

Do this next to develop an attitude of gratitude in your business:

You’ll be surprised at how much gratitude can motivate your employees. In our experience, showing gratitude for your employees does so much more than a paycheck could ever do. Click here to get our free “Motivating Employees” toolkit and learn what the best leaders and managers do differently to make their employees tick.

How do you turn a breaking point into a breakthrough?

It’s easy – if you take time to decompress.

Decompressing is exactly what Lucas Barra did at a turning point in his career and life.

Lucas is a sales professional, entrepreneur and coach who helps others close more sales with his business, Radical Sales Coaching.

Several years ago, after creating a podcast that started to attract clients, Lucas found himself in a difficult career predicament.

“I was freaked out,” Lucas tells me in this episode. “I got impostor syndrome because I wasn’t sure I could fulfill clients’ expectations – even though I had been doing exactly that.”

Lucas realized he had become addicted to the hard work and hustle of building his business, and needed the time to relax and think over his mistakes and self-sabotage.

So he decided to close his business. Decompressing became his lifeline.

But decompressing didn’t come easy for Lucas. He says it was as hard for him as it might be for an addict to kick drugs.

If you’re at your breaking point, take a week off with time to reset. @TheLucasBarra via @RustyLionAcad. (Tweet this!)

In the end, his decompression time helped Lucas see how to build a sustainable business.

He’s since redirected his efforts toward coaching, and is grateful he did.

Click play in the player below to hear what that hard reset did for Lucas and more.  

Listen to this episode to hear me speak with Lucas Barra, founder of Radical Sales Coaching about decompressing and more:

• How a microphone changed Lucas’s life.
• Becoming a professional at assumptive sales closing.
• What sales pros should focus on instead of techniques.
• Yoga for homeless people.
• What Lucas saw in his Dad he wants to pass on to his kids someday.
• The routine Lucas follows every day that puts him in a more valuable state.
• How legendary basketball coach John Wooden’s death changed Lucas’s life.

Read these books to help you become a better marketer and salesman:

• “DotCom Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Growing Your Company Online,” by Russell Brunson

How to contact Lucas Barra:

You can get in touch with Lucas through his website or email.  

Do this next to decompress from your high-powered business life:

We take decompressing seriously. Without making space in your life, you can never fully connect to the people you love. For helpful information every week that will remind you to make time for what matters, subscribe to our podcast on iTunes or Stitcher or join The Lion’s Den.

As a business owner, you need to be “on a mission.”

Why? Increasingly, people work to support a cause as much as they volunteer to do so.  

For instance, 60 percent of millennials say a sense of purpose drove them to work where they do.

More people want to do business with cause-motivated companies, as well.

What’s your business cause?

Does your mission statement convey that purpose to your employees in a way that motivates them? To your clients?

To be effective, your mission statement needs to be crafted perfectly—so it both moves your employees to take up your cause, and compels your clients to do business with you.

It’s not just that you need clarity – it’s that you can’t afford to be without it.

Conveying your mission succinctly and powerfully will attract the kind of people you need to your business, help retain them, and push you to develop systems that support your values.

In short, you’ll have a hard time getting anyone motivated – team or clients – without a good mission.

Your mission is your motivation. Use it effectively. Via @RustyLionAcad

In this episode, we’ll help you craft your mission statement to more easily get your team and your clients on board.

Listen to this episode to learn how to craft your mission statement and more:

• How being on a mission affects hiring.
• Why you, as the leader, need to be the first convert to your mission statement.
• Stepping away from your business far enough to clearly see the mission.
• The motivation our team gets (and our clients get) from our own company mission.
• Four questions you must answer in your mission statement.
• Why you can’t write the “War and Peace” of mission statements.
• How to lead with your mission.

Do this next for your company mission:

At Rusty Lion Academy, it’s part of our mission to help you achieve yours. Sign up here to join the Lion’s Den, where we give you free business- and self-improvement videos and access to other content we use with our paid clients.

 

It takes dirt to make grit. George Thomas knows that from experience.

George is a speaker, teacher, marketer, and inbound marketing and brand strategist specializing in the marketing software Hubspot.

In high school, one of his teachers called him out during class just to tell him he would never amount to anything.

Dirt.

Some people take an experience like that and pulverize the dirt into grit. But George didn’t know how.

Within a year, he had dropped out of high school — and he entered a dark period of his life.

“You’re literally listening to a high-school dropout because I listened to one man who said I’d never amount to anything,” George tells me in this episode.

Fortunately for his future, George joined the Navy and started to figure out the secrets of turning dirt into grit.

He nearly died in the Navy, which is a crazy story that’s well worth listening to in this episode. But he took full advantage of his second chance and changed his life through grit, grind, and patience.

“Not all the bad things that happen to you are bad things,” @GeorgeBThomas via @RustyLionAcad (Tweet this!)

These days, George will tell you he has “worked his face off” to become an expert in inbound marketing. He’s become an accredited Hubspot trainer – a title only a handful of people hold.

Shortly after I interviewed George, he realized a four-year goal of speaking at Hubspot’s Inbound conference. There, he shared the stage with well-known people like actor Alec Baldwin, author Gary Vaynerchuk, tennis champion Serena Williams and more.

In this episode, George shares his amazing story of finding grit and patience through a long-term grind that turned him from a high-school dropout into a force to be reckoned with.

“Grit is holding fast to the truth that you’re going to make happen in your life,” @GeorgeBThomas via @RustyLionAcad (Tweet this!)

Listen to this episode to hear me speak with George Thomas about grit, grind, patience, and more:

• The practice any man should use to replace fear.
• A near-death experience in the Navy that opened George up to grinding away at the dirt of life.
• How to reach the “fulfillment line” every day instead of the finish line.
• Becoming effective through grit in your chosen field.
• Why inbound marketing is replacing traditional marketing.
• The difference between hustle and grit, and the rules of a good hustle.
• Lessons learned from a poorly timed $12,000 loss.
• How the grind (and one too many bowls of Cheetos) nearly killed George, and how he’s lost 21 pounds since.

Read these books to help become more fulfilled in your life:

• “Crush It: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion,” by Gary Vaynerchuk
• “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” by Dale Carnegie

How to contact George Thomas:

You can get in touch with George through Twitter or on Facebook.

Do this next to improve your grit:

We’re full of stories of grit and perseverance that will rub off on you. Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher or simply join The Lion’s Den, where you’ll get weekly emails that will lift up your business and your life. When you do, you’ll gain access to 15 hours of proven leadership and business training.

If you want to learn how to take control of your life, you’ve got to sit in the driver’s seat first.

My guest today has learned that through hard experience.

Kyle Bochat is a financial advisor at Strong Gaddy Lee Wealth Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors. He’s also been an independent financial advisor for Edward Jones, a regional director of operations for PruittHealth – and the DJ for a skating rink.

I’ll let that last one sink in for a bit.

Kyle’s family owned the skating rink and he, by default, became the DJ for his family’s business.

But that was when he was just “along for the ride.”  He took control of the wheel after an unexpected life event, and he hasn’t stopped driving since.

Except maybe once – and that’s one of his biggest life regrets.

When his company started to consolidate regions, he could have gotten a pay bump and more responsibility.

But he was unsure of himself, since his fellow regional directors had more experience.

He became a passenger in his own life, no longer taking the kinds of risks his company had come to appreciate. As a result, he was one of the ones who lost his job.

Remember that, Lions: when it comes to taking control of your life, you can’t be a passenger.

“Always be a driver; take control.” Kyle Bochat via @RustyLionAcad (Tweet this!)

Except for that one little hiccup, Kyle has always risen in the ranks – largely because of the way he has driven his life. In this episode, he shares what he’s learned about how to take control of your life and career. It’s well worth a listen.

Listen to this episode to hear me speak with Kyle Bochat about how to take control of your life and more:

• The two practices that will keep you in the driver’s seat.
• The shotgun decision that forced Kyle to take control of his life.
• Two traits that every leader needs (HINT: You should never be too proud to have these.)
• Why a leader isn’t the one who “does.”
• How Kyle earned a major award by knocking on doors.
• A practice to shut down self-doubt.
• Tips on leaving a generational impact.
• The two “habits of highly successful people” that Kyle lives by.

Read this to learn how to take control of your life:

• “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change,” by Stephen R. Covey

How to contact Kyle Bochat:

Call Kyle on his direct line at 770-533-5126 or send him an email.

Do this next to perfect how to take control of your life:

Starting to take control of your life is as simple as mapping out your personal success journey.

Our free live web training will, in about 60 minutes, give you the tools you need to chart that map. Click here to register.

 

 

The old axiom states that money doesn’t buy happiness, and it’s true. You can hit a low point in life even if you earn high paychecks.

Today’s guest is a powerful illustration of that principle.

Dan Lok is a Canadian serial entrepreneur who owns or is involved with 21 companies.

He emigrated to Vancouver, British Columbia, from Hong Kong at age 14, and stumbled into entrepreneurship when he saw a neighbor struggling with a heavy mower and offered to mow the man’s lawn.

The man paid him $20 and, after a brief negotiation, agreed to have Dan back weekly to mow. Dan also secured use of the mower for other people’s lawns – and his first business came to life.

And so did Dan’s life of riches and fulfillment.

Sort of.

That business failed. So did 12 more he started. He accumulated a mountain of debt and joined what author Robert Allen likes to call the NFL club. (No Friends Left.)

It was do-or-die time—so he “did” instead of die.

And he did. Big-time.

But, even though he was making tons of money, he sank into a deep depression anyway.

Money didn’t buy him happiness. In fact, he says he was happier when carrying a heavy debt load with no friends who would return a call.

Find out in this episode what helped him figure out what makes a fulfilling life.

“Focus not on success, but significance.” Dan Lok (@danthemanlok) via @RustyLionAcad

Listen to this episode to hear me speak with Dan Lok about building a fulfilling life and more:

• How you can be unfulfilled in life even though you have buckets full of money.
• Which trait is the enemy to progress.
• What you can learn from a man who lives in a 15th-century castle.
• Why your financial goal probably doesn’t have enough zeroes.
• The four stages of success – and why you should aim for the highest stage.
• The one person you shouldn’t focus on in your business.
• The brutally truthful conversation that set Dan Lok free.
• What all knowledge leads toward.

Read these books to help become more fulfilled in your life:

• “The Surrender Experiment: My Journey into Life's Perfection,” by Michael Singer
• “The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be,” by Andy Stanley

How to contact Dan Lok:

You can get in touch with Dan through his website or via his YouTube channel.

Do this next to find a fulfilling life:

It’s easier to find a fulfilling life when you map out your path to significance.

Our free live web training will, in about 60 minutes, give you the tools you need to chart that map. Click here to register.

Luck is deceptive.

Most people view luck as something you either have or you don’t – a gift the universe lays at your feet.

But luck is something you can influence a lot more than you might think.

You want to know the easiest way to get lucky?

Work like you are lucky. Most people who don’t consider themselves lucky haven’t embraced the mentality that will bring them luck.

The Roman philosopher Seneca understood this when he said “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” Me, I like to put it this way:

Luck lies on the road less traveled. Via @RustyLionAcad (Tweet this!)

Some people understand that – and seize every opportunity to get lucky that they can. Others back off and choose unlucky paths instead.

In this episode, I expound on 11 steps you can use to get luckier. I’ll also tell how I’ve seen these steps create luck in my business – and my life – and those of many of my clients and colleagues.

Listen to this episode to learn how to get lucky:

• How goals and luck intertwine.
• Preparing yourself to take advantage of the situation when opportunity strikes.
• The A, B, Cs that will lead you to your lucky place.
• Luck’s ties to resilience.
• Why luck won’t come to you if you don’t strike out in new directions.
• The emotion most people feel before they get lucky (Hint: Happy Halloween!)
• Why listening to your gut is a study in learning how to get lucky.

Do this next to learn how to get lucky:

Remember, luck isn’t something that the universe dumps at your feet. You have to position yourself to find and embrace those lucky moments when they happen. That requires effort.

Fortunately, our free live web training can help you map out where you want to go in business and in life, so you’re ready to move when your luck improves.

Click here now to register.

 

An author once compared a man’s mind to a garden – you can let the weeds creep in or plant beautiful thoughts while weeding all the while.

In other words, you can change your mind or change your mindset with the right work ethic and wisdom guiding you.

That’s especially true if you want your mind to prosper over time.

“You can change what you are and where you are by changing what goes into your mind.” @TheZigZiglar via @RustyLionAcad

That’s why H. Guthrie Chamberlain hosts the Wisdom Trek podcast, where he can help change your mind by planting seeds of wisdom over time.

He leaves it up to you to do the weeding.

As a small-business owner for more than 30 years, Guthrie once had to change his mind about business in a heartbreaking way.

The change of mind moved him from a retail technology business with 50 employees, through the dark days of the dotcom bubble burst, and into a lifestyle consulting business called Venture Consulting Group.  

The change of business represents a complete change of mind for Guthrie, who once saw success as something different than he understands it now.

Click play in the player below to hear his incredible story and learn a little wisdom along the way.

Listen to this episode to hear me speak with H. Guthrie Chamberlain about changing your mind with wisdom and more:

• How to bounce back from any personal or business disaster.
• Transitioning from a growth business to a lifestyle business.
• Why you shouldn’t separate your life and business.
• Controlling distractive influences in your life.
• Guthrie’s numb fingers and numb heart when he had to close his technology business.
• Growing up with 9 siblings in a farmhouse with one bathroom – and what it taught Guthrie about unconditional love and hard work.
• A factory you can take with you anywhere.
• Hitting midlife at age 60.

Read these books to help change your mind for the better:

• “As a Man Thinketh” by James Allen
• “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less” by Greg McKeown

How to contact H. Guthrie Chamberlain:

You can get in touch with Guthrie through either of his websites, venturecg.com or wisdom-trek.com

Do this next to change your mind:

You change your mind when you change the way you map out your success journey. Our free live web training will give you tools to see your life and business differently – in about 60 minutes.

Click here to register.