Whatever It Takes

Are you willing to do the things you have to do, so you get to do the things you want to do?  About three months ago, I was having a conversation with my mentor and friend, David Newman.  David is a bestselling author speaker and really great business coach.  And we were talking about my business and, I gave him some information. I said, "Look, I realize that I have to do this, this and this, so I get to coach."  And he said, "Yeah, man, there's this great quote by this speaker named Sam Silverstein."  And he said, "You have to be willing to do the things you have to do, so you get to do the things you want to do."   And I've got to tell you, for the last three months or so that's been ringing around in my head.

This weekend we went to see one of my brother's daughters just graduated from college. Shout out to Angelle Martin - you did a great job.  Her sister was there. Her sister is Noel and she's in the fashion industry in New York City.  And she didn't always get to come home. So we don't get to see her as often.
she sat there with my family and we talked for about 20 minutes about her work and what she's doing and life in New York City.

And it was really interesting.  She's a Stylist, so she dresses people to do commercials for these huge companies and she stays pretty busy.  But we were talking about the grind it takes.  She's been there for 11 years and she wasn't always a Stylist, she was an Assistant Stylist.  And she had to work really hard to make a name for herself and build relationships and make connections in order to do that.  She said, "Look, I have to really grind and pick up the phone. I have to call people in order to get these jobs."  And it really made me think about that quote.

I have to think about another friend of mine who's an actor out in California. He's been out in Hollywood for about 30 years.  I have to believe his job is getting auditions, so he gets to be an actor.  So there's a subtle difference and we all have to think about that in the exact same way in life and in business.

Think about your salesperson.  They have to be willing to do the grind and make the phone calls and do the research, so they get to sell the products.  In life, we have to think about, if I set a goal to lose weight, which I'm not doing very well right now, you've got to be willing to get out there and walk.
You've got to be willing to eat right. You got to be able willing to make sure you get the right amount of sleep.  And lately, I really haven't been willing to do the things I needed. so I've put on a little bit weight,
but I'm getting back to it.

Then, I think about Angelle, who just graduated from college and all of you, your kids and friends and all that that are going to school.  Their job is to get to class and make good grades, so they have to be willing to study and turn those papers in and make it to class, so they graduate. 

And then, I think about you, the entrepreneur.  You have to be willing to become the leader your company needs you to be, so it grows.  So ultimately, you live the life you want to live.  And that's what it's all about.  Because in the end, we get into business for one reason and one reason only.  And the only way to pursue that is to lead your people, grow your company and live your life.