Why the Rich Get Richer...

…and the successful become more and more successful.

 I have to confess something to you. While you can definitely glean ideas, tips and important distinctions that will accelerate your progress, there are a few advantages that do separate the superachievers from everyone else that are not easily accessible.

Advantages you cannot simply find in a magazine, book or CD/DVD program, unfortunately.



These three advantages are access to Counsel, Connections and Strategies.

Let me explain briefly.

Counsel—The best in the world have the best in the world advising, consulting and coaching them. It is one of the greatest ways they gain advantage over their competitors.

The best golfer, tennis player, baseball pitcher, singer, even surgeon, CEO and top entrepreneur all invest in highly paid advisors and coaches. Why? This is a massively critical point about high performance.

There is a phenomenon called unconscious incompetence, meaning, you don’t even know when you aren’t doing something correctly or to the best of your ability. It takes someone outside of you to observe, identify, prod and counsel you in order to bring awareness to the adjustments needed take your performance to the next level.

A top CEO once said to me, “You can never pay too much to rent someone’s eyes, mind and experience.”
If you want to take your life to the next level, you, too, will want to seek out the best advisors and coaches to help get you there.

Connections—It is not just who the top achievers in the world know and have access to; what’s far more critically valuable is the high-achieving reference group this provides them.

As human beings we raise or lower our performance to match the expectations and performance level of our reference group.

As Stephen Covey pointed out, if you take a walk with someone whose pace is quicker than yours, it will be uncomfortable at first but you will ultimately (and unconsciously) match their pace. The same is true if someone’s pace is naturally slower than yours—you will slow your pace to match theirs.

The power of associations has been written about many times, but this is one of the great limitations most success seekers have in being able to raise their game and change their life—they aren’t connected to a reference group that can help them reach their goals.

This is why the ubër-successful join country clubs, symphony groups, boards of charity organizations, private dining clubs and other exclusive groups where they can mix with other like high achievers. Then they unconsciously raise their respective game keeping up with each other.

If you want to take your life to the next level, you, too, will need access to a high-performing reference group to associate with.

Strategies & Systems—The top performers in the world have the strategies and systems that allow them to execute at a much higher level than other businesses or people. Most people are constantly floundering, guessing and don’t have a proven plan or strategy to follow at all.

Richard Branson said, “Once you created a success of one business you can create a success in many more by following the same set of principles.” The key is to know those principles.

If you want to take your life to the next level, you, too, will need to know the proven key principles and strategies complete with execution systems.

But how, where, who? Exactly. That’s why I created this…
Having discovered that these three advantages are what continually perpetuates the rich and the successful to becoming even more so, over the past year I have been carefully designing and putting together a HIGH-PERFORMANCE FORUM that launches in January. It is only available to 24 hand selected people. If you’d like to be considered or to learn more go here.

Summary, however you do it, to gain the advantages of the rich, powerful and super-successful:

1. Seek the best counsel, coaches and advisors you can obtain.
2. Find and immerse yourself in a network of high-achieving relationships and associations. 
3. Learn the specific strategies and systems that power the best in the world in becoming the best in the world.

Share your thoughts, questions and observations in the comments below.

When You Attend ANY Ambit Meeting Remember...

An Intelligence Test (2 of 2)

Like all change and transformations in life, the first step of improvement is awareness.

To improve our EQ (emotional intelligence) we first have to find out if we are being a “Jerk at Work” or a "Jerk in our Ambit Business" without our even knowing it.

Here’s what Darren Hardy suggest you do: perform a 360 Review on yourself.

We all think we know ourselves and how we show up in the world. But our perception of ourselves might be one of our greatest limitations. The effect we have on our environment and those around us could be very different from what we think… or want.


One year, Darren Hardy asked several people in his life how he was “showing up” to them. He was flabbergasted by what they told him. "Wow, I had no idea I was “doing that!”, said Darren.  He thought he was behaving one way, but he was being perceived completely different than he imagined.

At first he said he was hurt; then he grew defensive (back in his lower-EQ years). After receiving the same response more than once, he knew he was busted. He then realized why he was having difficulty advancing in certain areas of his life.

This could be happening to you… without you even knowing it. While it might be a scary and possibly painful process, it might also break you through what might be holding you back from your greater potential.

That makes it worth it in the end.

Here are a few questions to ask:
 
How do I show up?
 
What do I think people judge or believe about me, right or wrong, when they first meet me?
 
Do I think I really listen to people?
 
Am I defensive?
 
Am I empathetic and do I demonstrate that I care?
 
If there is one thing I could improve to connect better with people, what would it be?

Now, here are a few key tips to this process:

1. Ask those who care enough about you to be (brutally) honest.
2. Give them permission to be candid. Tell them that you need their help and that help requires their frank feedback. The more seemingly harsh, the more constructive it will be.
3. Don’t be defensive, just listen—really listen—and encourage them to explain their answer so you can receive as much outside perspective as possible.
4. Thank them sincerely for caring enough and feeling safe enough in the relationship to be completely forthright and honest with you. It’s as risky and difficult for them to make their suggestions as it is for you to hear them.
5. Select one suggestion to be one of your self-improvement goals for this year.

Now I know this is a big challenge. This process is not for the faint of heart. How committed are you really to your personal development? If not so much, skip this.

If you are really serious about becoming the person who deserves the goals you have for your life, this exercise is essential.

Trust me, I can speak from personal experience; this could be one of the most profound, revealing and life-altering exercises you ever do.

Again, I warn, this can be a bit like ripping a Band-Aid off a wound, but it’s better than the prolonged pain of having it torn off slowly—either way, the bandage has to come off to promote growth.

If you are brave enough to do it, I want to know who you are… and I’d love to know how it went. When you do this with 3-5 people, tell me about the experience. Come back here and tell us on this blog, or catch me on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. I can’t wait to read about your experiences—I’ll be looking for them.

Share your comments, reflections or experiences in the comments below. Use the ‘Share’ button to encourage others to consider taking The Intelligence Test as well.

Vitamins For The Mind - SUCCESS Magazine

This Month's SUCCESS Line-up

This Month's Focus: 

Family & Relationships

Greatness is in the Comeback

“I must be the greatest.”

That is what 22-year-old Cassius Clay (who would become Muhammad Ali) said after defeating Sonny Liston in 1964 to become the heavyweight champion of the world.

But as Ali would prove to us, greatness is not defined in moments of victory; it is defined in the moments after a defeat.  

Greatness is in the comeback.

Three years after winning the championship, Ali was stripped of his title, had his license suspended and was not allowed to leave the country because of his refusal to be conscripted into the U.S. military.

Without a license to earn a living for nearly four years, Ali went broke. His rival, Joe Frazier, who succeeded Ali as champion, had to loan Ali money to fight his court case to get his license reinstated.

That set the stage for “The Fight of the Century” on March 8, 1971, at Madison Square Garden (even Frank Sinatra couldn’t get a ringside seat, although he did see the bout while shooting photos for Life magazine).

In the 15th and final round, Frazier floored Ali with a hard left hook. Ali struggled to his feet, his jaw badly swollen, only to suffer several more stunning blows. The decision was unanimous: Frazier retained the title, dealing Ali his first professional loss.

In 1972 and 1973, Ali lost twice, to Elmo Henderson (who?) and Ken Norton (who broke Ali’s jaw). Where’s the greatness?

Later in 1973, Ali defeated Norton in a rematch, and in 1974 he would beat Frazier in the “Ali-Frazier II” bout. But Frazier had already lost his title to Big George Foreman.

Then came “The Rumble in the Jungle” on Oct. 30, 1974, pitting Ali against Foreman.
Almost no one gave the former champion a chance of winning. At 32, ancient in boxing years, Ali had previously lost to Norton and Frazier, while the fearsome 25-year-old Foreman had knocked out both men in only the second round.

In one of the biggest upsets in boxing history, Ali knocked out Foreman in the eighth round to regain his title against all odds.

Ali, once again, was the greatest.

And he kept on fighting, losing his title in February 1978 to 24-year-old Leon Spinks and then defeating Spinks eight months later to become the first three-time heavyweight champion of the world.

While overcoming terrifying boxing opponents, Ali’s greatest foes were outside the ring—the boxing commission, the U.S. government, the media. Standing true to his principles, Ali became a catalyst in opposing the Vietnam War, racism and religious bigotry. Today, as he fights his own battle with Parkinson’s disease, he’s a champion for research and awareness.

Muhammad Ali recently celebrated his 70th birthday and, while he’s lost his share of fights, what makes him the greatest is that he kept on fighting. He inspires me to do the same.

Great highlight videos here ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvDok3kjB7c  )and here ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3CMz6ZFKF4 ) .

I recommend this documentary ( http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Muhammad_Ali_The_Whole_Story/70029526 ) or this one as well ( http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Facing_Ali/70119410 ).

No matter whether you are standing tall in victory or can still taste the blood of defeat in your mouth, I hope this special comeback post inspires you to keep fighting, too.

YOU are the greatest!!!!!

Vitamins For The Mind

Give people honest and sincere appreciation. Take a page from Catherine the Great’s book: “Praise loudly, blame softly.” Catch people doing things right and acknowledge them. Congratulate others on their accomplishments; celebrate others’ victories. Find at least a dozen ways to compliment, congratulate or appreciate someone else’s work, contribution or successes EVERY DAY.

Daily Mojo

"It's kind of fun to do the impossible." -Walt Disney 

*I challenge you to do something "impossible" today! What will it be?

An Intelligence Test (1 of 2)

Hello...Kevin D. Walls here. You probably know by now Darren Hardy is my personal development adviser; and if you went to the Ambit Simulcast you he was raised by a single father who was a university football coach by profession (and personality). His dad was only 24 years old when Darren was born so he only knew how to parent like he coached.

Like Tom Hanks said in the movie A League of Their Own, “There’s no crying in baseball!”

Well, there is definitely no crying in football… so there was no crying in Darren's household.

You got used to hearing two things in his house: either “Stop your sniveling and tough it out” or “Keep crying and I’ll give you something to cry about!” The last one always baffled him. If he was already crying he probably already came up with a pretty good reason.

Anyway, the point is he was taught to control his emotions, to disconnect from what he was feeling and handle most situations mentally.

I have found many people of my generation, and most definitely those before me, were raised with very similar beliefs. The term “emotional” came to mean weak, out of control and even childish.

“Don’t be a baby!” we say to the little boy who is crying on the playground. “Leave him alone! Let him work it out!” and we admonish the little girl who runs to help the little boy.

On the other hand, our abilities to memorize and problem-solve, to spell words and do mathematical calculations, are easily measured on written tests and slapped as grades on report cards.

Ultimately, these intellectual abilities dictate which college will accept us and which career paths we‘re advised to follow.

However, this is the conundrum we are discovering: intellectual intelligence (IQ) is usually less important in determining how successful we will become than emotional intelligence (EQ).

We all know people who are academically brilliant and yet are socially inept and unsuccessful. What they are missing is emotional intelligence.

This will become more and more true in the structure of this new economy; according to Mr. Hardy. Mr. Hardy says, "We are now living in a more social economy, where transparent communication, authenticity and social proof are the key values.

Success in the new economy is far more relational than it is intellectual. And when it comes to human relationships, it will be your emotional intelligence, not your intellectual intelligence, that will become your advantage."

Research vets this out:
The U.S. Air Force started selecting recruiters primarily based on their EQ scores and not their academic background. They found a three-fold increase in success by those they hired based on EQ scores alone. This gave them an immediate gain of $3 million annually, and led to the secretary of defense ordering all branches of the armed forces to adopt this procedure in recruitment and selection—something you  might consider as well when recruiting for your business.

Partners in a multinational consulting firm were tested for the difference in their EQ. Those who scored higher delivered $1.2 million more than their counterparts—a 139% incremental gain.

Jobs of medium complexity (sales clerks, mechanics) are 12 times more productive if they have high EQ. Those in the most complex jobs and who are top performers (insurance salespeople, account managers) are 127% more productive than an average performer.
At L’Oreal, sales agents with high EQ sold $91,370 more than other salespeople did, for a net revenue increase of $2,558,360—plus they were 63% less likely for turnover.

Bottom line is competency research in over 200 companies and organizations worldwide suggests success at work is about one-third technical skill and cognitive ability while two-thirds is due to emotional competence.

In top leadership positions, over four-fifths of the difference is due to emotional competence.

Now that you know how important this topic and competency is, in the next post Mr. Hardy will offer you a suggestion on how to test if you are being a “jerk at work/business” and in other areas of your life. You might be surprised at what you didn’t know about yourself!

How were you raised? Praised for intellectual accomplishments or emotional development? Share your experiences in the comments below.

Who You Going to Vote For?

I’m not talking about for president of the United States.

I’m talking about president of your goals, dreams and potential.


If you had to run for re-election…

What has been your performance track record over the last three and a half years?


You made some promises back then—to your family, yourself and your God.

Did you deliver?

What would the pundits say about your performance?

What would the critics point out as your shortcomings?

In a debate, what examples would someone use against you when you were hypocritical to what you say you stand for, when you flip-flopped on your values, when your policies and plans failed and you didn’t follow through on your campaign promises?

During this political season, the radio waves, cable lines, blogosphere and every cocktail and dinner party is abuzz with criticism of one guy’s track record over another. That’s all fine and well, but maybe you should look as critically at our own track record.

If we spent as much time, energy and TV, radio, blog and conversation time assessing our own track record and what we need to do differently to improve our own economy, healthcare, etc., as we do talking about other people’s track record and what they should be doing differently to fix the economy, healthcare, etc., we would be contributing to the solution instead of continuing to whine and complain about the problems (that they can’t fix anyway—only you can!).

So, if you take an honest review of your track record performing on your goals and dreams, would you have a hard time making the case to be re-elected? Is it time to cast a new vision for your future and refresh your campaign stance going forward? What are you going to do differently, starting today?

We are a ridiculous people…

Why do we tear down those who dedicate themselves to building us up?

We did it to Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. and even Jesus Christ.

Why do we do this? It’s ridiculous.

Notice I say “we” as we are ALL capable of this and we all do it at times. We need to drive this side of our nature into a small corner and amplify the side that sees what’s right, good and positive about people, circumstances and causes.

There is an old Cherokee tale tells of a grandfather teaching life principles to his grandson. The wise old Cherokee said, son, on the inside of every person the battle is raging between two wolves. One wolf is evil. It’s angry, jealous, unforgiving, proud, and lazy. The other wolf is good. It is filled with love, kindness, humility, and encouragement. These two wolves are constantly fighting the grandfather said. The little boy thought about it and said grandfather, which wolf is going to win? The grandfather smiled and said which one ever you feed.

Sure there is always fault to find. No one or no thing is perfect. If you look for it you can find faulty brush strokes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Instead you should step back and take in the majesty of the entire ceiling. Look for, be inspired by and support the beauty in the totality of the movement.

Also know that as YOU ascend the ladder of success the bad wolves will come barking. Understand that it is just their jealous, angry and envious nature yapping. See them through the eyes of your good wolf. Be empathetic and forgive them for they know not what they do. Too much nourishment has been given to the wrong wolf for far too long.

I ask you, members of the TeamBlitz Community, to sweep your own front porch first as an example to the rest of the world. Celebrate people’s successes. Amplify the good side of your nature. Put your attention and spotlight on what’s positive and good about people and circumstances around you—particularly if those people have dedicated themselves to doing good things for others.

As an entire species we need to nourish the good wolf side of our nature and starve the jealous, angry and envious wolf that battles inside us.

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Daily Mojo: "The greatest good we can do for others is not to share our riches with them but to reveal theirs to them." -Zig Ziglar

*I challenge you to help someone reveal something great about themselves today!

This week target the heart of your customer, not his wallet.

Congratulations TeamBlitz's Newest Executive Consultant (EC) Carl Scott, Jr.

Please help me congratulate one of TeamBlitz newest Executive Consultant (EC) Carl Scott Jr.!!! Carl became EC at 3:57PM February 29, 2012 during the Madman Blitz, however, his blitz started long before the promotion. 

Has built a solid team, by using the most under used tools in our Ambit arsenal "FREE ENERGY"!!! He's a manager at Mazda and looking to retire this year and really unleash the REAL power of Ambit. Be sure to see and hear more from this Champion very soon.

Check out his video clip from TeamBlitz TV:

SC- Thomas Sarno Taking A Sabbatical From Leadership...

Due to the increasing demands of his Ambit Team and his MLM Coaching demands. Thomas will have to take a Sabbatical from our Team Blitz Leadership Team.

Congratulation, Thomas, on your team growth. We thank you so much for your commitment, service. We wish you the best. You will be greatly missed. Take care. Hope to see you back should your time allow.