“Envy is an issue of self-worth. When you feel like you’re not enough, you fear you’ll never obtain what others have.”
-Sean Stephenson #Sean365
I’ll take Sean’s quote a step further:
When you experience envy, it will make you ill.
And not being healthy, physically or emotionally, will make it impossible to obtain what you really want.
You need to protect yourself against wanting what others have or “wanting to be them” …and instead, learn how those folks who (you think) you envy can become your greatest resources and advocates.
It begins with admiration taking priority over envy…more on that in a minute.
Quick note on Sean Stephenson…if you don’t know who he is, it is a requirement to know who he is to subscribe to this blog.
Just kidding…but he’s worth knowing about. 🙂
I write a tribute to him every Valentine’s Day…but if you want to celebrate this wonderful man today, you can read this.
And I encourage you to opt in to his daily quotes.
I’m using Sean’s quote on “envy” today to lean into a video I produced during the height of COVID…inspired by Dan Sullivan, the top coach for entrepreneurs in the world…and with my own spin.
When Dan taught an exercise in one of his Strategic Coach workshops (which I attended for over eight years), he began it with the phrase:
“Who you are looking for is you”
I was perplexed.
It initially hit me as an egocentric/self-absorbed concept.
However, once Dan took us through what he meant by it, it had virtually nothing to do with ego…and everything to do with alignment.
Alignment with who you are, what you are looking for in your relationships (both personally and in business) …and how that shapes your own thinking and behavior in the most expansive way.
And looking for yourself in others…while taking what you admire from them that you may not have in spades (yet)…without envy or jealousy…rounds you out beautifully.
Another quote from Sean on this specific topic:
“As soon as I meet someone I admire, I begin modeling what I admire about him or her most.“
Note that he has chosen his words carefully (as Sean always does)… “admire” and “modeling” which have nothing to do with “envying.”
I spent time with Dan some months after that workshop creating a teaching on “Who you are looking for is you” (with his guidance and support) … combined with another concept from my good friend and marketing genius/philanthropist/connector Joe Polish.
Joe’s corollary is:
“You can accomplish anything you want in life with a Genius Network.”
Joe even has a copyright on “Genius Network” (and Dan has one on all his intellectual property including “Who you are looking for is you”).
My take on these trademarked concepts is done with 100% attribution to both magnificent mentors.
And given how these two concepts from two extraordinary results leaders have become landmark ways to think about the people you surround yourself with–to achieve your most rewarding collaborations—I made them part of a video series when I was locked away during the pandemic in 2020.
I think about these ideas all the time—Sean goosed me with his email this week (like he gooses me every day) –and I want to share (once again) a COVID-inspired, three-part video training series I filmed in 2020… in my basement with an I-Phone…titled, How to Surround Yourself with Mentors Who Will Stop at Nothing to Help You Succeed.
Honestly, it started with, “I’m stuck at home…why not use my phone for good and not evil…and maybe film something useful too.”
Obviously, I could never have come up with the content for part two without Dan and Joe’s genius…so they get full credit for the approach I took…and for inspiring me to do parts one and three as well.
I think my angle on this topic is unique…although as you know (if you read my blog posts regularly or if you have read by book, Overdeliver), it’s not about taking credit for the invention…it’s about delivering the innovation and/or being the messenger for that innovation…while giving credit to others for the invention.
You can read “Invention is overrated” to get the Full Monty on that topic.
I mainly wanted to share part two of the three part video training with you today which I titled (with full credit to Dan Sullivan), “Who you are looking for is you.”
But I won’t leave you hanging if you also want to watch parts one and three. 🙂
Part two is a little over 20 minutes…please let me know what you think, especially if you do the exercise I outline in chicken scratch on the whiteboard.
You’ll need to excuse my “COVID hair.” I had 6 months straight of bad hair days between March and August of 2020. I know I was not alone.
If you don’t want to watch it, I can give you two pro tip takeaways from it:
- Find 8 people who you admire for at least one key trait or characteristic and model yourself and rate yourself against those 8 characteristics…which leads to those 8 people being embedded into your persona (assuming you work at taking those things on), without envy or jealousy entering the equation.
- Then go out and find more people with those 8 traits.
It’s not quite as simple as that…there is a step-by-step method to getting there…which I lay out in this video.
You’ll also learn about the 8 people I chose for this exercise—which include some of the greats of marketing and copywriting—Dan Kennedy, Gary Bencivenga, Gene Schwartz…and of course, Dan Sullivan and Joe Polish.
I’m not name dropping…just giving you the process of assimilating the best…from the best.
A bonus is that you will learn one key thing that makes these legends tick based on my personal experience with each one.
So…click on my quarantined face below and check it out:
Warmly,
Brian
P.S. If by chance you watched the video above (“Part Two”) …and you are interested in “Parts One and Three” …I’ve set up the page so you can access those videos underneath the screen shot to “Part Two”
Part 1 is titled: “Who is in Your Corner?”
Part 3 is titled: “Your Mentors Choose You” (an oldie but a goodie). 🙂
Click here to access all three parts.
P.P.S. The three-part video training series was initially used to launch a membership offer to Titans Xcelerator, my virtual (and very affordable) community of 250+ heart centered marketers, copywriters, media buyers, funnel builders, agency owners, entrepreneurs, and business owners.
Titans Xcelerator is an over delivery of content, inspiration and connection…and at an affordable price (with installment plans).
I want to share what I have learned over the past 40+ years with as many people I can find…and share my connections over that period (who are often our guest speakers on the live calls).
Titans Xcelerator was born out of the philosophy detailed inside the video training:
How To Surround Yourself with Mentors Who Will Stop at Nothing to Help You Succeed
It’s based on having people in your corner (dare I say a de facto Board of Advisors and creating a marketing insurance plan), finding like-minded marketing practitioners with skill sets that are deeper and wider than your own (i.e., never being the smartest person in the room or on the Zoom screen) …and it’s a group of potential mentors who will choose you (if you play your cards right as I outline in Part Three of the video series).
The group is currently open to new members …so if you like what you see and hear from my training (not including my hair) …and on the page here…I invite you to join the party.
You’ll read success stories from members over the five (5) years Titans Xcelerator has been in existence…and with an average renewal rate of close to 75% (including many members going on their 6th year), I think that speaks to the quality of what is (over) delivered to members during their memberships.
It’s a group where you come for the information (from the best-of-the-best in direct response marketing) …and stay for the inspiration.
No matter what, click here for the three-part video training which is free.