Author: Adam Albrecht

Adam Albrecht is the Founder and CEO of the advertising and idea agency, The Weaponry. He believes the most powerful weapon on Earth is the human mind. He is the author of the book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? He also authors two blogs: the Adam Albrecht Blog and Dad Says. Daughter Says., a Daddy-Daughter blog he co-writes with his 16-year old daughter Ava. Adam can be reached at adam@theweaponry.com.

A simple rule of thumb to get the most out of your people.

When I was a kid I loved the movie Smokey and The Bandit. I was into trucks and Trans Ams. So a movie about those two vehicles racing across America, starring Burt Reynolds and his mustache, was an obvious Oscar winner to me.

I also loved the theme song from the movie, East Bound and Down by Jerry Reed. My favorite line from the song is the classic, ‘We’ve got a long way to go, and a short time to get there.’

Those lyrics still play in my head today. Because as a business owner, and both a football and track and field coach, I have big goals for my teams to accomplish. And I have a short time to make them happen.

Getting The Most Out Of Your People

To get the most out of your people there is a simple exercise to help you budget the time and energy you spend with each of the members of your team.

Grab a sheet of paper. (Yes, they still make paper.) On the left side write down a list of those you manage or coach in order from most productive to least productive. Your productivity rock stars will be at the top. Your ‘Why-are-they-still-here’ person is at the bottom.

Then, to the right of that, create a list, in order, of how much time you spend managing or coaching each of the people you lead.

Now, you are going to draw a good old-fashioned straight line connecting the names on the left list to the same name on the right list.

If you are drawing straight lines, and the lines don’t cross, you are budgeting your time appropriately. If your lines Christopher Cross, you spend too little time with your most talented people, and too much time with your least talented people. It is time to re-budget.

Key Takeaway

Maximize the return on your time invested in your team. This means the most productive people should get the most time and attention. The least productive people should get the least of your time. This rewards good behavior from your best people. And it ensures that your time and energy are invested where they will get the greatest return. Spending more time with your less productive team members sends the wrong signal to your great talent. And it is a waste of time. With rare exceptions, the least productive team members will always generate the least results.

*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.

+For more of the best life lessons I have learned check out my book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? from Ripples Media.

Why I am excited about work and life this week.

I am having a great day. Scratch that. I am having a great week. I am shooting a new commercial this week in Los Angeles. All of the leaves are not brown. And the sky is not gray. This is just the beginning of an amazing filming adventure that will cover 5 states in all 4 US time zones. (The United States has 4 different time zones if you ignore Hawaii Time, Alaska Time, and Hammer Time.)

Some other fun updates from this week:

Let’s do this!!!

Key Takeaway

Great effort, great reading, and great relationships compound. Keep putting in the work. Force good things to life through your actions. Be of value to others. It’s the most valuable thing you can do for yourself, your career, and your happiness.

*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.

+For more of the best life lessons I have learned check out my book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? from Ripples Media.

How to use the power of regret to live your best life today.

Imagine for a moment you got the news that you have one day to live. Just one. And it’s not Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney. (Nice try though.) You have enough time to say goodbye to your closest friends and family. But not enough time to add to your life resume in any meaningful way. I know this is a bummer. It’s supposed to be.

Now, take a moment to reflect.

What do you regret not doing during your time on the planet?

  • Travel?
  • Starting a business?
  • Writing your book?
  • The relationship you left unrelated?
  • Being scared?
  • Not giving back?
  • Not being your true self?
  • Too little time with loved ones?
  • That person you murdered?
  • Not buying life insurance?

The good news is, as far as I know, you have more than one day left.

The even better news is that you now know what to do with your time left. Do those things you would regret not doing now. Or stop doing the things you would regret not stopping now. That way, when you get to the real end of your story you will have more ‘I dids!’ and fewer ‘I wish I hads.’

The Proof

I gave myself this Regret Test on the eve of my 40th birthday. The regrets that surfaced inspired me to start my own business (The Weaponry), write a book (What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say?), travel more internationally, coach my kids’ sports teams, take redeye flights home from work trips to maximize time with my family and donate blood. The Regret Test offered the most important question I have ever asked myself. I encourage you to do the same.

Key Takeaway

Regret is a powerful tool. It helps you recognize the relative value of alternative outcomes. Tap into the power of regret to inspire your next actions. And start doing the things you wish you had done now, before it is too late.

*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.

+For more of the best life lessons I have learned check out my book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? from Ripples Media.

The key to your personal happiness and the one thing that will prevent it.

One of the greatest studies ever conducted on humans is the Grant Study, also known as the Harvard Human Happiness Study. It has tracked the same people for 85 years. And it has developed a clear conclusion that the greatest influence on human happiness and fulfillment is strong personal relationships. Having close, meaningful relationships with your friends and family will make you happier and healthier, and help you live longer. Which helps explain why Keith Richards and Willie Nelson are still kicking.

But what if the relationship has sailed?

Yet strong and deep personal relationships take work to maintain. You undoubtedly have good friends or family members that you were once close to, but now it has been a long time since you talked. Maybe there was an issue. Or a move. Or you no longer work together. Because many of our strongest friendships develop at work. Which is where I met my wife. And a bunch of other great friends that I didn’t marry.

Yet studies clearly show that resuming and restrengthening your relationships will have a positive impact on your health and happiness.

Hello…

Interestingly, studies also show that the number one reason people don’t reach out to friends, family and former coworkers after long silences is that they worry that reaching out will be awkward.

Which means that worrying about the awkwardness of a conversation with a once close friend or family member is one of the greatest barriers to human happiness.

Really? Awkwardness? (Said the way Allen Iverson said ‘Practice?‘) That’s crazy. And we’re not even talking about real awkwardness. Just the perceived potential of awkwardness.

In reality, most people are thrilled to hear from a friend or family member they haven’t heard from in a long time. Which means that by reaching out you are doing yourself and the person you are reaching out to a solid. Because reconnected and reestablishing meaningful relationships is not only highly enjoyable, it is extremely good for your health and happiness. Which makes you feel like Pharrell Williams in a room without a roof.

Key Takeaway

Strong personal relationships are the key to happiness, health, and longevity. Invest time and energy in your current relationships. Reconnect with friends and family members you have not been in touch with lately. Get over the awkwardness. It will be worth it.

*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.

+For more of the best life lessons I have learned check out my book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? from Ripples Media.

The 5 little words of encouragement I tell myself when things get rough.

Life isn’t easy. It never has been. In fact, things go wrong all the time. And when you are trying to do hard things personally or professionally you will experience bumps, twists, stops, and restarts. It can be maddening. But so is quitting.

When things get hard and the ride gets rough, I always tell myself these 5 simple words:

Just stay on the horse.

Like you, most of the challenges I face don’t involve riding an actual horse.

But many of the difficult things we encounter feel like a bucking horse trying to throw us to the ground.

Things like work issues, relationship challenges, parenting, adversaries, unexpected expenses, illness, and weather. (Did I mention parenting?)

Remember, problems and challenges will keep coming. But they will also go away. You just have to make sure you stay on the horse long enough to enjoy watching the challenges go away.

So don’t quit, Buckaroo. And don’t give up. Tame the challenge. And enjoy the smooth ride on the other side.

Key Takeaway

Just stay on the horse. The bumps are part of the adventure. They make the ride more difficult. But they make the success sweeter. They make the story better. And ultimately, they make you better too.

*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.

+For more of the best life lessons I have learned check out my book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? from Ripples Media.

The great life lesson you can learn from these two stars.

Recently I did my best Alice In Wonderland impression and fell down an internet rabbit hole or two. First I looked up information on NBA star, Damian Lillard, the newest member of the Milwaukee Bucks. Then I looked up info on Travis Kelce, the tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs. Kelce has received a lot of attention lately for his relationship with Taylor Swift. There must be a lot of pressure dating Taylor Swift. Because you know going into it that if you break up there be a song about you. And you also know that you are never, ever getting back together. Like, ever.

Are you ready for this, Travis?

Kelce and Lillard have a lot in common, besides unusual last names. They are both amongst the very best ever to do what they do.

Lillard is a 7-time NBA All-Star. Kelce is an 8-time Pro Bowler. (Those 2 designations are equivalent in their sports. Because in basketball you star, and in football you bowl.)

They both make a shipload of money. Lillard will make $45 million dollars this season. Kelce will make $14 million dollars. (Note: The NBA plays 82 games per season and the NFL plays 17. Which means Kelce is actually paid more on a per-game basis. However, he is also more likely to spend retirement sitting in a dark room struggling to remember his catchphrase. So let’s call it a wash.)

Two Stars

But the other thing they have in common may surprise you. Coming out of high school they were both considered 2-Star athletes.

Damian Lillard proves that even if you are a 2-Star high school athlete you can still make $45 million a year and get to live in Milwaukee.

This means that the experts who evaluate potential college talent rated them both as 2-star prospects in high school. That’s not on a 2-point scale but on a 5-point scale. Said another way, there were 3 tiers of athletes considered better than them.

Yet, here they are. Both make millions of dollars playing their sport at the highest level and are considered amongst the very best at what they do. They make headlines. They date superstars. And perhaps more noteworthy, they are causing dudes like me to check out their Wikipedia pages on their lunch break.

Key Takeaway

Don’t believe the lack of hype. Believe in yourself and your abilities and skills. Believe in your self-improvement journey and potential. Believe that your mind is your most powerful weapon. Your mind determines what you are really capable of. It is not where you start that matters. It is the work you are willing to put in to get to where you want to go. Your will is the great equalizer. Until it is the great surpasser.

*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.

+For more of the best life lessons I have learned check out my book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? from Ripples Media.

How to respond to your imperfections like a manufacturing facility does.

I am trying to get better all the time. But the reality is that I am not always better.

I’m building good habits. But I still have bad habits too.

I try to be patient and kind. But I still get angry, lose my temper, and say naughty words.

I try to be a doer. But too often I procrastinate. (Although sometimes I don’t procrastinate until later.)

I try not to let my phone take attention away from my family and friends. But then I’ll find something hilarious on social media, or wonder about the Wordle word, or get a notification about the famous person from the 80s who got eaten by a snake, and just have to click on it to find out if it was David Coverdale.

Why? Why?

Tell em that it’s human nature.

But I keep trying.

And I don’t let my lesser actions and behaviors define me. Or confirm that I am not actually getting better. I know I am.

Instead, I always think about those signs you see in a factory that count the number of days they have gone without a workplace injury. They are reminders of your accumulated success. And encouragement to keep the streak alive. And presumably the people too.

So I have counters in my head, on my phone, and on pieces of paper around my house tallying my successful days doing or not doing various things. The streaks feel good. So I focus on extending them and not breaking the chain. But when I do, I reset the clock, start again, and try to go longer, if not forever.

Key Takeaway

Self-improvement is directional. It is not about absolutes. Increase the number of days and times you do the right things the way you want to do them in your head. Do the good things more. Do the bad things less. Focus on building your streaks. A winning streak is an uninterrupted sequence of successes. That should always be your goal. Just keep adding days. Go as long as you can without messing up. The goal is to be better for the rest of your life. But if you break the chain, always start a new chain and try again.

*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.

+For more of the best life lessons I have learned check out my book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? from Ripples Media.

Why our football team rebranded the water boy this season.

There is a boy on the 7th-grade football team I coach named Josh. He’s a good athlete. He can run the ball well, he’s a strong receiver, and he’s a great defender. He plays both running back and linebacker. And he is one of the most energetic and enthusiastic kids on the team. And I have a special affinity for energetic and enthusiastic types.

While Josh has a broad range of valuable football-related skills, one thing he doesn’t do very well is ride a bike. And unfortunately at the beginning of the season, Josh fell off his bike and broke his arm. Boo. He has been in a light blue cast, that extends to his upper arm since the second week of the season. I expect he inherited this biking inability from his father, Mike, whom I have known since we were athletes at the University of Wisconsin.

Despite the broken wing, Josh and his positive attitude come to practice every day. He helps the coaches run drills. He plays practice quarterback and hands off the ball for running back drills with his good arm. He cheers. He encourages. He laughs at my jokes. He has all the valuable intangibles.

On Saturdays during our games, Josh is in charge of the water. On most teams, this role is called the waterboy. But I never liked that term. It has always felt diminutive, even before Adam Sandler and Fonzy’s hilarious hit movie Waterboy. (You can do it!)

The role of keeping our players hydrated during games is extremely important. And Josh approaches the role with such enthusiasm that I felt we needed to rename the position.

So on game days, we don’t call Josh the waterboy. We call him Aquaman.

The name is fun. It feels as important as the job really is. Just like the superhero Aquaman, Josh and his bottles of magic liquid have special powers that are used for good. Those bottles of water that Josh brings to his teammates on the field and on the sideline help the players in their moments of greatest need. In fact, there are many times during a game when the players need Aquaman more than they need the coaches. (Don’t tell Josh I said that, or he may get a big head and his bike helmet will no longer fit. And he needs that helmet.)

Key Takeaway

Names matter. They affect the way you think. They affect the way you feel. If you want more out of a role, consider the title you use for it. If you want people to love your product, service, process or place, carefully consider the name you give it. Perception is reality. And a more attractive name creates a more attractive brand. And better brands get better results.

*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.

+For more of the best life lessons I have learned check out my book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? from Ripples Media.

How to make your wishes come true by adding this special ingredient.

I have always wanted great things in my life. Personal and professional success. A happy marriage to a hottie. A loving family. Adventurous travel. Good health. And an endless supply of cheese curds.

I pray about these things. Okay, not the cheese curds. Because I assume God already knows. But it helps to feel that I have expressed the things I want in life to a higher power who has the ability to influence how the ball bounces and how the cookie crumbles.

However, there is an African proverb that says:

When you pray move your feet.

It’s a great reminder that it’s not enough to ask for what you want.

You have to take action. You have to force your dreams to life.

Work. Do. Act. Build. Make. Go.

That’s the best way to ensure you get the things you pray about.

Key Takeaway

The Lord helps those who help themselves. Don’t just dream, wish and pray. Take action. Because the more action you take the more likely your prayers are to be answered.

*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.+For more of the best life lessons I have learned check out my book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? from Ripples Media.

How even a short life can have a long impact.

Over the past year, I have known a surprising number of people who have passed away far too young. Some of them were truly young, in their teens and twenties. Others were older, but healthy, vibrant, and active. There were no warnings that their earthly adventures were about to end. No time for goodbyes, thank yous, I love yous, or a hastily drawn treasure map of the coffee cans of money buried in the backyard.

It’s a reminder to live each day fully, and richly. To make a positive impact on others every day. It’s a reminder to tell your friends and loved ones how much they mean to you. You need to chase your dreams now. Find a job you love now. Use your vacation days and your frequent flyer miles. (Or your frequent train rider miles if you don’t fly.)

But just because a life is short doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a long-term impact. Believe me, I know. Check out the following newspaper article that I have kept for decades:

We have received sad news from Lafayette, where farmer Fred Albrecht got hit and killed by lightning during the strong storm on Tuesday evening. This happened while he was standing in the kitchen surrounded by his children; one child, 1-1/2 years old, he was even holding by the hand. The lightning bolt immediately killed the man. Fred Albrecht was almost 30 years old and leaves behind a wife and three children, which are young.

-Post Cresent

Fred Albrecht, the man in the article above, died when he was in his twenties. He was healthy and full of life and hope. But he was killed, in his home, by a lightning strike. He wasn’t even flying a kite. It was just a freak accident. He never saw it coming.

Yet Fred had an immense impact in his short life. You see, the article above is from 1875. And Fred was my Great, Great Grandfather. One of those 3 very young children he left behind was my Dad’s grandfather, Herman Albrecht. And Fred is the reason my kids know the saying, “Albrechts and lightning don’t mix.’

The man seated behind that Tom Sellek mustache is my great grandfather, Hermann Albrecht, Fred’s son.

Fred Albrecht immigrated from Germany to the United States in his twenties and had his children here. If it wasn’t for Fred’s adventurous spirit to cross the Atlantic to a new world for a better life, I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t be anywhere. And you wouldn’t be reading this story right now. Which means that you were impacted by Fred Albrecht too.

Making An Impact

But you don’t have to have children to have a long-lasting impact. You also have a long-lasting positive impact by the great example you set, and the encouraging words you offer. There are long-lasting impacts of kindness, friendship, and love. You have a long-lasting impact when you teach someone a skill or lesson. You have an impact when work hard and when you model a positive behavior or attitude for others to emulate. And you have a long-lasting impact when enjoy your life. And when you make people laugh. Especially if they spray milk out of their nose. That’s a gift.

Key Takeaway:

Even the longest lives are short. But the impact we have while we are here can last a very long time. So be kind. Be helpful and supportive. Be interesting. Make people think. Set a great example to follow. Work hard. Make people laugh. Have fun with others. Be a friend. Make others feel loved and safe. Pay it forward. Leave a positive mark. It can change the world forever.

*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.+For more of the best life lessons I have learned check out my book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? from Ripples Media.