Friends of Dave #201: i am your father.
Stop talking about it and start doing it.
I've gone on a tear over the past few weeks with these preambles, Friends, so this week I'm going to keep this one nice and easy.
And because we are Friends, I'm going to be direct:
Starting today,
Stop coming up with excuses...
Stop procrastinating...
Stop over thinking...
Stop worrying about what other people will say...
Stop blaming someone else...
Stop finding all the reasons why not...
Stop doubting yourself...
Stop waiting for approval or for it to be "perfect"...
Stop fearing the "what if's" or the "maybes" or the possibility of failing...
Stop bullsh*tting people or more importantly, bullsh*tting yourself...
Stop making things complicated...
Stop talking...FOR GOD'S SAKE, stop talking...
Life is too short.
Just keep it simple.
Start doing it.
Whatever your "it" may be.
And do not stop until you are done.
Along those lines, big shout out to two Friends of Dave who recently followed their passions, stopped talking, started doing, and got it done and published books: Terry Chiu and Bill O'Herron. Check them out.
You can catch conversations I had with both of them -- on Terry's DadCo Show podcast from a year ago and this FoD podcast with Bill recorded earlier this year. Both fun discussions I think you will enjoy.
Finally, as I tweeted earlier this week, highly recommend checking out "The Playbook" docuseries on Netflix. Interviews with a diverse cross section of championship winning sports coaches/managers and their rules for leadership and success. Compelling, inspiring, and easy to digest. Watch it.
And now on to the stories below -- some interesting stuff for both the readers and the listeners in the crowd. Have a great weekend!
XOXO
Dave
Think on This...
You Need to Practice Being Your Future Self
If you want to be productive, the first question you need to ask yourself is: Who do I want to be? Another question is: Where do I want to go? Chances are that the answers to these questions represent growth in some direction.
Stop letting the present get in your way.
For Your Day Job...
The Early Pitch Decks Of 21 Startups Before They Became Billion-Dollar Companies See the early pitch decks of 21 unicorn companies (and exited unicorns), including LinkedIn (before it had a dime of revenue) and Airbnb (when it was AirBed&Breakfast).
How To Set Goals In A Way That Helps You Accomplish Them
Think about this: How much more likely would you be to accomplish a goal if it was the only one you had for a given day, month, or year?
When I work with teams, I talk a lot about setting short and long term goals as a framework for staying on track and keeping momentum. Honestly if this is something you already do well, this might not cover a lot of new ground, but I thought this was a decent quick read.
How to Lead With High Emotional Intelligence While Working Remote
Emotional intelligence is crucial in a remote world. Good quick tips highlighting how to display higher EQ.
Sales Mistakes To Avoid In Order To Gain Customer Trust
A mutually-beneficial deal is its own reward but it also gives you a good reputation, which attracts referrals.
Customer satisfaction is the number one measure of sales success and 66% of sales teams track customer satisfaction as their top KPI. Excellent short read looking at mistakes that should be avoided by salespeople in order to gain trust from their customers, deliver a great customer experience and increase retention.
Your Weekly Dose of Randomness...
INFOGRAPH: The Carbon Footprint of the Food Supply Chain — www.visualcapitalist.com According to the largest ever meta-analysis of food systems, the carbon footprint of different types of food in your diet can vary widely.
The 50 Best Movie and TV Show Twists of All Time
Formidable list, though to be honest, the biggest twist is that the neither the case of the "Two Darrins" or the ending of "The Sopranos" did not make it....
A Catchy Remix of 60 Hit Songs That Defined 1993
If you are from that era, this is actually a pretty cool thing to check out, as well as the YouTube channel where you can find more of these from other years.
The banned javelin technique which endangered spectators and shattered records
Interesting to note that javelin catching has not been discouraged...
And The Last Word....
The economics of vending machines — thehustle.co
What makes the vending industry truly unique is its stratification: The landscape is composed of thousands of small-time independent operators — and no single entity owns >5% of the market.
The pandemic has boosted interest in vending machine ownership. Check out this fascinating, in-depth look at the economics, challenges and opportunities behind the vending machine business.
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