BLOG #36: THE NEXT ADVENTURE

This Thanksgiving weekend as we all take a moment to be thankful for how incredibly fortunate we are, I want you to do some thinking, some real contemplation, about your next Act. Once the mayhem in the house dies down, and Uncle George is snoring in your favorite Lazy Boy, I want you to take a beverage to the chilly back deck and think honestly about what you want to do for the next twenty years. 
Sometimes life hits us with a thermonuclear warhead, like I have recently encountered, and this forces us to re-think everything: what we believe, what's important to us, and what we're going to do about it. But for most people, the routine and malaise of life just washes them down the river until one day they wake up wondering what happened to their dreams and aspirations. Jimmy Buffet captures it as, "He liked the quiet clean country living, and twenty more years slipped away." 
Odds are if you are reading JAM Views you have accomplished more than most, and, relatively, you have your act together. Yet, you know that you could be doing so much more if you became inspired, or re-inspired. JAM Views readers don't believe that we came down to the planet this time around to earn our pension and finally get some rest. We believe that we came down this time to work off our karma, attack life, and make tremendous progress towards enlightenment! We cannot "go with the flow" if we want to make tremendous progress, and we must accept that life is about constant change. Ancient saints teach that a person "may never cross the same river twice." 
Bob Buford wrote "Half Time: Moving from Success to Significance" to address these issues, and I urge you to hop onto Amazon and order it this weekend. Bob made a zillion dollars in business and then decided to do something totally different. But, Bob didn't have the millionaire guilt, and he didn't leave everything he built to join the Peace Corps or work in the soup kitchens. Bob figured out what he was now passionate about, and then he created a new life plan which built upon his skill set and experience, which served his selfish self-interest (very Ayn Rand), and which would have a tremendous impact on the world before he moved onto his next adventure. He described this effort as Altruistic Egoism which recognizes self-interest as central to the human design and aligns efforts to gain personal satisfaction by helping others. 
How do JAM Views readers believe that we help others? We build companies and provide people jobs, respect and dignity. These beneficiaries then take care of their own families, provide for their children, and support their communities as they pay it forward every day. Legendary management consultant Peter Drucker taught us to "work only on things that will make a great deal of difference if you succeed." Peter also proclaimed, "The beginning of adult life is when you ask the question, 'What do I want to be remembered for?'" 
Now, as you figure this all out on the chilly deck (better refresh your B&B), remember that the more wealth you create for yourself and your own family, the more significant and positive impact you will have on the rest of the world. Don't let the looters and collectivists convince you otherwise. But, you are going to need to make some change, tomorrow. Business advisor Charles Handy instructs us, "It is one of the paradoxes of success that the things and ways which got you there are seldom those things that keep you there." And, we all know Edison's definition of insanity. 
Charles brilliantly details in "The Age of Paradox" how we need to start these Second or Third Acts when we are at our strongest, even if life seems too hectic to take on one more thing. "The right place you start the second curve (path) is when there is time, resources, and energy to get the new curve through its initial explorations and flounderings before the first curve begins to dip downward." In other words, if you want to finally start your own global staffing company to make a significant impact on the world, start the project while you are still leading IBM's HR Department, your stock options have grown in value, and you have a small cushion enabling you to take a risk. Generals in war know that timing will never be perfect, and you will never have all the information you need to make a perfect decision. Nevertheless, you must press through the fog and friction of warfare and make a command decision. Your family, and the world, is counting on you. 
In "The Legend of Bagger Vance," Steven Pressfield wrote, "Life is action, Junah. Even choosing not to act, we act. We cannot do otherwise. Therefore act with Vigor! Stand now, Junah, and take your place. Do honor to yourself and your station!" 
In great detail I have written out my Second Half Plan, and the JAM Views Blog creation was on the list. I have also put a great deal of thought into what I want to be remembered for once I, too, move onto the next adventure. If you'd like a copy, just send me a note. 
This Thanksgiving I am incredibly thankful for many things and some very special people. I know you are also. Now get back in there, get Uncle George out of your chair, and start scribbling down all those Second Half commitments. I can't wait to see a copy! 

"Our life ultimately comes from within." - Ram Butler 

* For more information on Jeff's Books, Blog, and Legal Challenge, please visit www.jeffmartinovich.com. 
* To access JAM Views directly or to subscribe, please visit jeffreyamartinovich.blogspot.com
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THE ART OF HOLIDAY BUSINESS COCKTAILING 

As we enter the holiday party season, I thought it would be best to review the substantial book of guidelines for maximizing our "cocktailing business opportunities." To ensure we deliver top-quality advice I have also conferred with Bob Vukovich, the enigmatic mentor in the soon-to-be-released narrative "Just One More" by Ash Press. Of course, when meeting with Bob, he always demands that you join him for two "perfect martinis, half-Goose, half-Bombay, a whisper of vermouth, and one olive." I respectfully complied and took copious notes. 
Volume is key, not of drinks but of events. Get your buns off the couch, turn off House of Cards, and take advantage of the never-ending holiday opportunities. Business cocktailing is like cold-calling; the more you dial, the more "luck" you receive. By attending more functions, you learn of many more invites, and very soon your charming self is on everyone's invitation list. Ensure that you convey your relevance by hosting your own holiday event, which could be a simple company happy hour, to a small cocktail party at your place, to a wine tasting benefitting your favorite charity, to a major holiday blowout party. Remember that you will quickly become known as "the one with the rolodex," and your influence and access will grow significantly. 
Have a great time! People are drawn to people whom exude positive energy and who have fun just because they can. Laws of attraction are very real, so pay attention. Compliment everyone about everything. Congratulate all of your business alliances on a great year, and especially congratulate your competitors. Class and grace at all times. 
Deflect all cocktail discussions away from you and your business, and focus totally on them and their business (a very rare talent). Consciously search for ways you may use their services, and tactfully mention how your firm might help them with their challenges in the new year. Then when you follow up to help them in the first quarter, your conversation is already "warm." 
You keep forgetting your business cards during the holidays, on purpose. Since you don't have yours when they ask, you must get one of theirs and promise to send them your information. Now you control the connection. As we know, if you just give your card to the lazy masses, the odds of a follow up are slim, because they have to get back to watching American Idol. The next morning you send Tom a quick email, "Tom, greatly enjoyed meeting you at the Children's Benefit. Attached is my contact information as I promised, including my personal cell. I'll follow up after the holidays to see if we can help you with those training difficulties. Happy Holidays! Tom is also now fully integrated into your CRM. 
Look sharp, be sharp, and be on your A-game. View these parties as important interviews and important public-speaking events. As Steve Martin claimed in the movie "Leap of Faith," "Always look better than they do." If the invite says "Black Tie Optional," "Optional" does not apply to you. 
Always bring a small gift for the host, whether a bottle of wine or something unique. The host sincerely appreciates your thoughtfulness, and without a doubt, a check has been placed by your name on the list. Those who know, know. 
Employ every Dale Carnegie chapter in the book at your holiday events. Remember names! Introduce your spouse to everyone whom you cannot remember their name. Introduce Gloria to Susan with, "Gloria, this is Susan who owns Fantastic Printing, and I thought she could possibly help with that new brochure idea. Susan, Gloria's commercial real estate team is the best in the business and can probably help with the office relocation you were kicking around." When Gloria and Susan become fast friends and business associates, they will always remember you as the connector. Spend your holiday connecting and giving referrals, and you will never have to ask for one, yourself. All of these new relationships will build concentric circles and networks, with you at the center. 
Remember to simply repeat what everyone says, and they will then believe you are a genius. When George says, "I took my kid skiing, the powder was incredible." You say, "That's great you took your kid skiing, wow the powder was incredible." "Yes, he even moved up from the blue trails to a black double diamond." "Wow, from the blue trails to a black double diamond!" When George is pulled away by his wife, you can ensure he now thinks you are the smartest guest he has ever met. Studies repeatedly prove that George now labels you with extremely positive attributions from only repeating what he, himself, spoke. 
You must always depart the event a little early as you have another holiday function you promised to attend, if not two. You, of course, graciously thank the host and solidify your strengthened connection. Once home, even though exhausted, you organize the business cards and cocktail napkins you have been given, and you make a quick list of takeaways and follow ups, so that tomorrow you will remember to document the new business opportunities. It may sound robotic, and maybe like more work than required, but this is what separates the A's from the B's (the C's weren't even invited to the party). 
Have a safe and wonderful holiday business cocktailing season. Make good choices, call Uber, and take advantage of the amazing opportunities throughout the season while your competition is coasting. 

"All things being equal, people choose to do business with their friends. All things not being equal, people choose to do business with their friends." Jeffrey Gitomer

* For more information on Jeff's Blog, Books, and Legal Challenge, please visit www.jeffmartinovich.com 
* To access JAM Views directly please visit jeffreyamartinovich.blogspot.com
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  POVERTY HAS BEEN ELIMINATED IN AMERICA, BUT...

     Poverty in America is essentially eliminated today in America, but the Government and the media will never report to you the correct economic numbers, as the truth would defeat their agendas and raisons d'etre.  In keeping with our JAM Views mission, you must learn and understand this truth.  Yet, the truth also confirms that although this nearly 15% of our country is not living in poverty, it is living in bondage and servitude to the very people who claim to be their benefactors.
     John F. Early, former Assistant Commissioner at the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Phil Gramm, former Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, have released an updated report on wage and taxes in the country, and I want to explain some of these facts, along with a few other relevant analyses, so you may understand the true economics.
     Following World War II, through capitalism and growth our nation was able to radically reduce the portion of the country living in poverty from 32.1% to 14.7%.  Then in 1964, President Lyndon B.. Johnson declared that his new War On Poverty is "not a struggle simply to support people.  It is an effort to allow them to develop and use their capacities."  What his War actually did was remove this amazing group of Americans from the game and rewards of capitalism, and cause them to become dependent on the Government.  Their drive, hope and stability of the family unit disintegrated in opposite statistical correlation to the tremendous expansion of Government.
     The Census Bureau reports that in 2016 some 12.7% of Americans lived in poverty, virtually unchanged since President Johnson declared his War (sounds as effective as the War On Drugs - Another Post).  But, the Census Bureau, inexplicably, does not count transfer payments when calculating "income."  It excludes food stamps, Medicaid, Medicare to low-income families, Children's Health Insurance, the refundable part of the earned-income tax credit, and 87 other federal and state means-test payments.  If the Bureau counted all income, apples-to-apples, they would have to include this $1.5 trillion allocation, and the reported poverty rate would fall below 3%.
     Flipping the tables and only counting the consumption side, these numbers confirm this 3% exactly.  This number also reconciles with the recent Department of Energy Residential Consumption Survey which tracks the rising spending among poor families on cars, home electronics, cable, appliances, and smartphones.
     Now, if we add the $500 billion of private charitable giving in our country, this 3% drops to 1% - 2%.  Isn't that hard to reconcile with everything the world tells you each evening?  Tom Giovanetti, President of the Institute for Policy Innovation, points out that a family of four earning $80,000 will pay a 15.3% combined rate for Social Security and Medicare, amounting to $12,240 per year on top of their federal and state income taxes.  This is where the $1.5 trillion in transfer payments come from.
     But, by design, the Government and the elites, have coerced this amazing 15% of Americans out of capitalism and into "self-imposed" bondage.  Otherwise, we all would not not believe that we need a Government even 1/10th the current size, and the elites would have 50 million more brilliant Americans competing with them in education, innovation, and leadership of the country.
     White House economists recently confirmed that a person can lose up to 35 cents in food stamps for every extra dollar earned from working.  Two-thirds of adult food-stamp recipients are not disabled or seniors, yet more than 50% of this group reported working zero hours a week while receiving the benefits.  These transfer payments now constitute 84% of the disposable income for the poorest group and even 58% for lower-middle-income Americans.  The poorest group has 37% more families than the middle-income group with a prime-working age head and no one working. The middle-income group has 5-times as many families with two or more workers than the poor group.  What happened to President Johnson' pledge to help everyone become self-sufficient?  He didn't understand Economics 101 like JAM Views members do.  Or, did he?
     I have struggled forever with the question of, "Do all of these bureaucrats, redistributionists, and seemingly well-intentioned people just not understand economics, or are they truly selfish and evil and only promoting their own self-interests veiled as a cause for equality and helping others?"  What do you think?  Please let our Friends of JAM members know your thoughts.  I have been baffled by these ironies, these paradoxes, my entire adult life, my entire career.  If we simply set up financial models which allowed, and required, individuals to work in their own self-interest (Adam Smith), not only would our country's wealth and prosperity exceed all expectations, but all of our citizens would fully participate in the American Dream.
     So now you know that by the true numbers we have eradicated poverty in the United States of America.  Or, have we intentionally, inexcusably, guaranteed its continuance?

"The lessons of history show conclusively that continued dependency upon relief induces a spiritual and moral disintegration fundamentally destructive to the national fiber."  -  President Franklin D. Roosevelt

* For more information on Jeff's Books, Blog, and Legal Challenge, please visit www.jeffmartinovich.com
* For direct access to JAM Views or to become a subscriber, please visit jeffreyamartinovich@blogspot.com
* My thanks always to the WSJ, Forbes, Fortune, and the above-noted authors.
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21st CENTURY LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATION

     It's strange what things we remember from our childhood, the things that many times stand out for no apparent reason. For me, one of those seemingly unimportant events, which I remember as vivid as if it occurred yesterday, was when my father, an aeronautical engineer by training, said to me, "Once you are out of school for a few years, you will likely never use the technical skills you learned earning your degree. Everything becomes about dealing with other people, managing other people." And, how correct he was.
     Yet, why are we all so terrible at communicating with other humans, even when we, intellectually, know exactly what we should say and what we should not say? Since this skill set is paramount to our business and life success, JAM Views periodically focuses on the tips and guides for effective communication. This talent is just like all the rest; we think certain lucky people just naturally have it, and most of the rest of us do not. But, in fact, this great talent is an acquired skill learned with great focus, great effort and innumerable mistakes and failures along the way. The list of reminders is probably infinite, but let's just touch on 10 quick ones this week:

1. Become a Dale Carnegie expert. As many of you know, "How to Win Friends and Influence People" has been required reading for every organization I have had the privilege to lead, to include investment firms, restaurants, charities, and even federal prison classrooms. Let's address two easy concepts here. First, remember and use people's NAMES. The sweetest sound to another is the sound of their own name. Stop using the weak excuse that you are "bad at remembering names." People in your company, civic groups, and neighborhood will be shocked that you now remember their names, and your status, likeability, and wealth will skyrocket simply from this new skill. Second, give others a fabulous reputation to live up to. If you constantly tell your spouse how amazing they are, your children how brilliant they are, and your employees how exceptional they are, they will be. They want to believe that you are correct, and they will, eventually, do everything possible to emulate your opinion. Then when you constantly reiterate this opinion of them to the full company, the community, and the entire industry, your people will naturally rise to the reputation you have cemented for them. It is magical to watch.

2. Outside of those rare moments when you must correct unacceptable behavior, in private, everything else must be positive, all of the time. As the leader, the world is constantly watching you, especially when you least expect it. For the Boys and Girls Club to raise enough money to build the state-of-the-art center for the kids, and for your investment firm to outbid Goldman Sachs to handle Uber's IPO, the only option is to be wildly optimistic. Michael Lewis wrote of Israeli psychologist Amos Tversky, "Amos willed himself to be optimistic, because he had decided that pessimism was stupid. When you are a pessimist and the bad thing happens, you live it twice."

3. The Buddhists and Siddha Gurus know that people feel you much more than they see you or hear you. This is a little difficult to understand initially, since we are conditioned that we communicate through our voice. But, we are beings comprised of pure energy, deep inside every cell and atom in our body. When we are communicating with another person, or with an auditorium full of shareholders, we are bombarding them with our energy, positive or negative. They like us, believe us, and want to do business with us because of this energy. Most of the time they don't even understand what we are talking about, or what the PowerPoint slides explain, but they want to do business with us because of how we make them feel. You cannot fake this energy. For it to be positive, welcoming, compassionate, and full of hope and excitement, you must truly believe this in yourself. You must develop a strong, positive, courageous self-belief for you to then be able to exude this energy and lead others.

4. Oldie but a goodie - Every correction must use the Sandwich Theory. "Bob, thank you for working all weekend on this report for the Board of Directors. I so appreciate your commitment to the team. Now, unfortunately, in this analysis we've used the wrong parameters and assumptions which radically skew the conclusions. I am going to need you to pull an all-nighter to fix this before the meeting. And, listen, even though we stumbled on this project, I want you to know that I greatly appreciate the effort you are putting in. I can truly see it rubbing off on a number of your partners in the AI group."

5. The goal is to accomplish the mission. It is not to focus on "the principle." 99% of the world is unprincipled, yet they constantly argue for themselves, or hold a grudge against someone else, "because it's just the principle of it!" Get over it, forget it, and focus on the goal.

6. Repeat what they say. Aside from the fun we have at cocktail parties repeating back to people exactly what they say to us (Another Post), reiterating back just a little of exactly what your co-worker or investor spoke to you, verbatim, neurologically produces in their brain feelings of validation, trust and teamwork. Try it this week, and watch their reaction.

7. At the end of a meeting or conversation, reiterate and write down exactly what is expected, by whom, and when it is due. This extra 30-seconds saves contracts, relationships, and companies while the rest of the world leaves everything "floating." Lack of execution destroys all great intentions.

8. Don't speak in cliches, and don't say what everyone expects a normal manager to say. Start meetings exactly on time, and don't say to the latecomer, "Nice of you to grace us with your presence Ms. Murphy." When introducing the speaker at the charity ball, don't say, "And, without further adieu." Be original. Don't be predictable. Don't allow others to place you in the standard, mediocre box.

9. Leadership by example communicates more than one hundred years of speeches or memos could ever accomplish. To reiterate a quote from last week's post, "I can't hear what you're saying, because I'm too busy watching what you're doing."

10. Every communication must bring us back to our mission, our purpose, our goal. I, as the leader, must examine all of my statements to ensure they are congruent with our values and our game plan. Our communications must be laser-focused, consistent and constantly drive home why we are here. The superfluous commentary and distractions need to be deleted. Our company's culture "Cool-Aid" needs to be re-emphasized at every quarterly meeting and every annual retreat. All communications bring us back to the understanding of why, together, we started this journey in the first place.

     This week let's all promise to pause, breathe, and focus on exactly what we are communicating to the world. We may be surprised at how much success a little focused effort in this area will bring. Practice, Practice, Practice.

"Every now and then the things I lean on lose their meaning, and I find myself careening." - James Taylor

** For more information on Jeff's Blog, Books, and Legal Challenge, please visit www.jeffmartinovich.com
** To access JAM Views directly or to become a subscriber, please visit jeffreyamartinovich.blogspot.com
** Subscribe to JAM Views