Tag: self improvement

How to put Charlie’s Rule of opportunities to work for you.

Last week I was talking with my good friend Charlie Wills about business. Charlie and I met through The W-Club, the University of Wisconsin varsity athlete alumni group. Talking with Charlie is a pain in the neck. Literally. Because Charlie is really, really tall. He is a former University of Wisconsin standout basketball player, who played in the 2000 Final Four against the Flintstones. #IYKYK

Today, Charlie towers over the real estate world in Madison, Wisconsin where he has been putting people before profits for over 20 years. Not only is Charlie a close friend of mine, but he is also a client of The Weaponry, the advertising and ideas agency that I lead.

Charlie shared an interesting statistic with me about where his clients come from. He told me that 96% of his organization’s clients come from within their sphere. That includes current and past clients, recommendations, friends, family and acquaintances.

If you are good at math, you also realize that only 4% of opportunities came from outside their sphere. Which is a shockingly small number. In fact, if that number was 4 sizes smaller it would be nothing.

I love the fact that Charlie uses the term sphere instead of network or circle. It’s very basketbally of him. And it gives the group more dimension.

Charlie’s Rule: The vast majority of your opportunities in business and in life originate within your sphere.

This rule, while surprising, is also logical.

People in India whom you have never met and have no real connections to, are highly unlikely to come to you with a life-changing opportunity. (The same goes for the dude from the royal family in Nigeria.) But your past client, your cousin, and the person you know from that thing you do in your spare time are likely to think of you when they need a You-Like person to help solve the kind of problem you are great at solving.

Armed with the knowledge that we all benefit from some variation of Charlie’s Rule, what are you supposed to do about it?

1. Develop more relationships. Whenever you are dealing with success as a percentage game, and it always is, increase the base number. The more people you know the more opportunities will come your way. Because opportunities come to you through humans. Kinda like COVID-19 and invitations to Tupperware parties.

2. Maintain the relationships you have. Not all relationships are equal. The kid you knew from kindergarten who you haven’t spoken to since you stopped napping together in class is not very valuable. So stay in touch with your people. Reach out via phone, email, text, or social media to keep your relationship active. Write a newsletter, blog, or other way to share what’s happening in your life. Social media is great for maintaining relationships across a broad spectrum of familiarity. Use this amazing resource.

Key Takeaway

Your relationships are critical to your success. Remember, Charlie’s Rule says that the vast majority of your opportunities in business and in life originate within your sphere. So bring more people into your sphere. Keep the relationships in your sphere active by staying in touch through any appropriate means. As a result, more good opportunities will find their way to you. Just like Charlie said.

*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.

Remember, what’s obvious to you now is extremely valuable to others.

I met with an entrepreneur earlier this week who has a startup. My friend is in the early stages of his newborn business where you don’t get much sleep and you change a lot of diapers. (Your own.)

As my entrepreneur friend talked about his startup experience, I realized I had advice that would help with each of his challenges. I shared some actions to take, resources to employ, strategies to consider and helpful materials to read. I also shared the relative merits of Zantac, Tums and Rolaids for heartburn and upset stomachs. Because I know what Rolaids spells.

I could tell that my friend found my guidance valuable. Both because he told me it was useful and because he later texted me and said the same thing. (I’m quick like that.)

However, what I shared wasn’t complicated, specialized or exclusive knowledge. It was simply logical common sense. Or so I thought. Until I thought about it more.

The Insight

It’s important to recognize that much of what feels like logical common sense to you today was once completely foreign and unknown.

You improve your logic and common sense every day. It is a byproduct of your experience and education. The more logic and common sense you accumulate the more valuable you become to others, both as a user of your own knowledge and as a coach, mentor or advisor. (Those are all different things. My friend Stacy Sollenberger taught me that in the book Guide Coaching.)

Since you were a wobbly, pooping-you-pants toddler you have collected a lifetime of logic and common sense. You have racked up far more than you know, and in more areas than you recognize. Realize that others don’t know what now feels obvious and commonplace to you. That makes you a valuable resource to people who are one or more steps behind you. You can offer tremendous help when you pass your baton of wisdom to them. (And good job not pooing yourself anymore.)

Examples

-As an entrepreneur, you can share your wisdom with anyone who is behind you.

-As a career haver, you can pass your knowledge to anyone junior to you to help them advance their learnings at a faster pace than they could through their own experience alone.

-As a married human you can share your learnings with anyone considering getting married, newlyweds and others passing through the various phases and challenges of the most important relationship you will ever have. This is true even if you are bad at marriage because you have discovered what doesn’t work. Like Edison said about his lightbulb moment.

-As a parent, you can pass along great insights and approaches to both new parents and parents who are passing through phases you have already passed through, like the valley of the shadow of death. Or raising 3-year-olds.

Key Takeaway

As you accumulate knowledge and experience it can camouflage itself as common sense. It is not. It just feels like logic because it has become an obvious truth to you. Recognize the value of your earned wisdom and share it with those trailing behind you on the learning curve. It will help them accelerate their own growth and impact. It will help them accumulate wisdom that will increase their value to the world. And as the people you share your knowledge with pass your baton of wisdom to others your positive impact on the world compounds without end.

*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.

When you feel the heat of inspiration it’s go time!

I have heard countless times that time is our most valuable commodity. I believe this. After all, you can’t buy it. It constantly running out. And despite what Mick Jagger said, it’s not really on your side. (No it’s not.)

But right up there alongside time on the Mt. Rushmore of Most Valuable Commodities are inspiration and motivation.

They light your fire. Like Jim Morrison.

They lead to growth and improvement.

They create the empire state of mind that builds empires. Like JAY-Z and Alicia Keys.

They change the world.

Yet to be effective, both inspiration and motivation require you to act. To move. To do! Do! Do! (Not da-da-da.)

Unfortunately, both forces burn bright for a moment, then the moment’s gone. Like dust in the wind.

Which means when you feel the powerful heat of inspiration and motivation you have to go.

You have to cook while the heat is on, Glenn Frey.

You have to jump on the action you feel inspired to take.

Take steps to start that business.

Start writing that book.

Plan that remodel.

Create that art.

Build the prototype.

Plan that travel.

Create that event.

Get to the gym.

Enroll in that class.

Reach out to that person that could change your day. Or your life.

Acting on the heat of inspiration is how I started The Weaponry.

It’s how I wrote What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say?

And it is how I worked out last night at 10 pm after a 15-hour work day.

Key Takeaway

Take advantage of those precious sparks of inspiration and motivation. They don’t last long. But if you take action while your mind is in the red, the impact can be felt long after your time is up.

*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.

10 Questions I’m asking myself in my most important performance review.

My daughter Ava graduated from high school a month ago. It opened an interesting new chapter for our family. By all accounts, we are a close family. And we have been since Ava, the first of our 3 children, was born. Next month Ava will leave home to attend college at The University of Wisconsin in Madison. To have a member of our nuclear family of 5 leave the reactor is going to change things. And I hope I don’t Chernolbyl.

There are a lot of exciting unknowns ahead that are fun to ponder. What will her career path be like? Who will she meet along the way? Where will she live? Will she make enough money to put me in the good retirement home and buy me the fancy cremation?

But as I prepare for Ava to leave home next month I find myself reflecting. I’ve asked a lot of questions about the past 18 years and how I have performed in my role as a parent. I’ve given myself a performance review. And I am sharing it with you.

Ava and I after she broke her high school’s 44-year-old discus record.

10 Questions I asked myself as my child prepares to leave home.

  1. Did I spend enough time with Ava? The answer here is complex. Yes, I spent enough time with my daughter. As her high school track and field coach I got far more quality time with Ava than most parents do. Yes, I will always want more. But our time was enough to create a strong bond, to teach, learn and laugh together. I will miss our time together and hope she comes home regularly so we can enjoy more.
  2. Did I set a good example? Yes and no. Certainly, I set a good example in many ways. I was an involved parent in all areas of her first 18 years. I showed her how to work hard, how to make friends and how to make money. But I could have set a better example of how to keep your cool. To be slower to anger when frustrated. I could have used fewer naughty words in front of her. And I could have been stricter about her using naughty words. (But sometimes naughty words express feelings best.)
  3. Did we create enough memories? Yes. This one is a slam dunk. We piled up the memories. Holidays, travel, traditions, sports, adventures, and all the funny unique things along the way. If there is one area of parenting I think I got right, this is it.
  4. Did I pass along my values? Yes. My wife Dawn and I place a high value on values. Our family has The Albrecht’s 5 Most Important Things. My kids know they need to be Smart, Nice, Brave, Funny and Adventurous. We preached this constantly and underscored the importance of each value. When there was some sort of misstep or shortcoming it could always be connected to not adhering to one of the 5 Most Important Things.
  5. Did I make her laugh enough? I’m pretty sure I met my quota. We laugh a lot at our house. It’s one of my favorite things. Ava has a strong sense of humor and we can find lots of reasons to laugh. Even when looking back at the things that were originally painful or embarrassing.
  6. Did I teach her to say I am sorry? I think so. Dawn and I are good at this. It’s important to demonstrate that when you hurt someone’s feelings, were rude, mean or insensitive you should acknowledge it. Even when it was unintentional. And saying you are sorry helps change the whole memory of experiences and relationships, because we rewire the memory once there has been a positive resolution. But just because we taught Ava how to say I’m sorry doesn’t mean she will. She’s stubborn.
  7. Did I teach her enough about money? Yes. I read Rich Dad. Poor Dad. to Ava when she was in elementary school, my dear Watson. I have emphasized the importance of knowing the difference between an asset and a liability. Ava has had a job since 6th or 7th grade. She leaves home with a bank account at The UW Credit Union. She has her own credit card that she uses monthly for small responsible purchases to build her credit. She owns stock in 4 different companies and has seen the value of investing. She knows she needs to make her money work for her, and not just work for money. (If you need to become smarter about money I suggest reading Rich Dad. Poor Dad., Think and Grow Rich, and The Richest Man In Babylon. All of them are easy and informative reads.)
  8. Did I take advantage of the opportunities over the past 18 years? I think so. We spent quality time together. We adventured and traveled. I coached Ava throughout high school. Which created many opportunities to learn about hard work, goal setting, determination, disappointment, resilience and the joy of winning and attaining goals. But we never did a Daddy-Daughter Dance. I probably need more time to see what opportunities I missed.
  9. Is she prepared for her next chapter? Yes. She is about as prepared as a well-cared-for child can be before leaving home. Had we neglected her and forced her to raise herself she may be more prepared for everything to come next. But she would also likely have resentment and other scars. So I think we found a happy medium.
  10. What might I do better with my 2 teenage boys still at home? I could be more patient. Slower to get frustrated or angered. I could teach them more life skills. Tire changing, basic plumbing and electrical work. How to ask your waiter to replace the food that wasn’t quite right.

Key Takeaway

We all take on many roles. It’s valuable to reflect on our performance in each to become better parents, spouses, friends, neighbors volunteers and any other job we take on. It is not through experience, but through reflecting on our experiences that we gain wisdom. So make sure to take time to look back. It ensures that you will be even better at your roles in the future.

I think this girl is going to be alright.

*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.

It’s halftime of 2024. Time to evaluate your progress and make adjustments.

Today marks the midpoint of 2024.

We have completed 6 months. We have 6 months left. And because this is a leap year, you can actually divide the year into neat 183-day halves. Today is like that point in the song I’m Gonna Be where the singer had walked 500 miles, and he still has to walk 500 more just to be the man who walks 1000 miles to fall down at your door, having crushed his daily step goal.

This is an important day to check in with yourself and evaluate how your 2024 is going.

At Halftime 2024 are you winning? Are you losing? Do you know the score? Do you even know how to keep score?

Whether you wrote down specific goals or just had a general sense of how you wanted the year to go, it’s time to reflect and compare your 2024 to the 2024 in your head.

If you have no idea how to evaluate your 2024, because it didn’t come with a simple Yahtzee-like scorecard, here’s a sample checklist of mine you can use.

In 2024 How Am I Doing?

  • Physical Health
  • Finances
  • Personal Growth
  • Personal Life
  • Career
  • Business
  • Life Goals
  • Travel
  • Spiritually
  • Core Relationships
  • Mental Health
  • Community
  • Presidential Election Decision (Oy…)

If you are where you want to be in those areas, congratulations! You are having a great 2024. You will start the second half of the year in a strong position. Carry that momentum into next year. Or better yet, build on it. And give yourself a headstart on a great 2025. (And if you are feeling great about your vote for president right now I would love to see your decision tree.)

If you are behind where you want to be in 2024, the good news is the year is only half over. There is plenty of time to create a great year. But the best way to make that happen is to use halftime as an inflection point. Which means it is time to Reflect, Refocus, Recommit and Re-energize yourself for a strong second half.

3 books to consider ordering today as part of your 2024 game plan:

  1. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
  2. The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller & Jay Papasan 
  3. What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say?: 80 Important Life Lessons The Universe Is Trying To Share With You by Adam Albrecht

Key Takeaway

Midpoints are a great time to evaluate progress. Take a few minutes today to compare the year you are having to the year you want to have in key areas of your life. If you are not having the year you want, now is the time to make changes. Remember, time is your most valuable asset. Don’t waste it. Take advantage of the next 183 days. And make this your best year ever.

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

The best way to respond to those who are better than you.

There’s a good chance that you are not the best at what you do. At least not the very best in the whole wide world. After all, there are 8 billion people squished on this planet. Which is why the line at the deli sometimes takes so long.

You will often find yourself surrounded by people who are better than you are at all kinds of things. Dancing, basketball, school, entrepreneurship, parenting, juggling, wearing clothes, or wearing no clothes.

When you find yourself surrounded by people who are better than you at something, use it as a source of inspiration, not intimidation.

Recognize how much more potential you have.

Study those who are better than you. They are an excellent resource. They are showing you what is possible. Borrow their approach. Steal their moves. Or be inspired by their originality.

You can be overt or covert in your approach. You can spy on them in secret. Or you can approach them and ask for their advice. Both work. I know. I’ve experimented. But if you get too close, the spying in secret is more likely to end with someone calling the cops. #thingsIlearnedthehardway

It is a gift to be exposed to those better than you. They force you to reevaluate and recalibrate. Allow yourself to be propelled by their positive peer pressure.

But to benefit from exposure to people who are better than you, you have to adopt a growth mindset. You have to believe that you are capable of more and better. When you do, the superior doesn’t make you feel inferior. It expands your mind and helps you see what you are capable of achieving.

Key Takeaway

Seek out other people who are better than you are. Surround yourself with them. They are a gift. They demonstrate what is possible. They provide a model for you to follow. It is your mindset that interprets the greatness in others as inspiration or intimidation. Always choose inspiration. It is the source from which all great improvement flows. Follow its path. And soon you will find others following you.

Writer’s Note:

At the Nike Outdoor National Track & Field Championships 2 weeks ago my daughter Ava threw against some of the best competition in the country. She had her second farthest throw ever in the discus. When I told her how proud I was of how she performed on the big stage she’s said. ‘When you find yourself surrounded by people who are better than you at something you have to use it as a source of inspiration, not intimidation.’ Which was the inspiration for this post.

+ In the cover photo for this post the man to the left of the podium is my legendary college track coach Ed Nuttycombe. It was a great full-circle moment for me to watch Nutty hand my daughter Ava her medal at the Myrhum Invite meet earlier this spring.

*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 nice surprise at the end of my long day of trains, planes and automobiles.

Recently I had a long day of travel to the West Coast. It started with a 1-hour round-trip drive to drop off our Border Collie Lola at her Pet Lodge. Then we had a 1.5-hour drive to Chicago. Followed by a train ride from the remote parking lot to the terminal at O’Hare International Airport.

My family and I arrived 1.5 hours before our flight was scheduled to take off. But then the flight was delayed by 3 hours. Finally, after a 4.5-hour flight, we landed in the Pacific Northwest. (Note how adding the word Northwest dramatically changed the meaning of that last sentence.)

After we landed we proceeded to the rental car counter, picked up our car (not literally), and drove 30 minutes to the hotel. It had been quite a day. When I walked into the hotel I approached the front desk with a big smile and enthusiasm, which is my default mode. Immediately the two staff members at reception lit up and commented on how they loved my energy. Especially since it was well after 10pm.

The person checking me into my room asked to see my ID. I enthusiastically handed him my new license, which I had just renewed the week before. He exclaimed that I really brought the energy in my license photo too. The other person behind the front desk chimed in about it and mentioned that her driver’s license was from Hawaii. Which allowed me to drop some McLovin references. And we all had a SuperGoood laugh.

As we finished the check-in process the clerk handed me my room keys. They were to an upgraded room on the top floor of the hotel. Then he handed me my parking pass and said, ‘No charge for the parking tonight. Thank you for bringing such great energy to our hotel tonight.’

Key Takeaway

Your personal energy is one of the most valuable assets you can share with other people. You don’t have to be a rockstar or a motivational speaker to make people feel good. Just share your energy and your good attitude. It elevates moods. It transforms situations. It reminds us all what life feels like at its best. When you share your energy with the people around you, it helps them do the same. And the ripple effect helps make the world a better place. Heck, you might just get a better room and free parking out of 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.

My two-word formula for success at anything.

I have spent my whole life alphabetically advantaged. Adam Albrecht appears near the top of every list whether you decide to organize people by first name, last name, or the more rarely-used, 3rd letter of the first name.

I love my initials. AA. I sign my emails and notes with -AA. It’s symmetrical and primary. It would work well as a name for a ranch. (The kind with cattle, not the kind that Paul Newman makes.)

My favorite batteries are AA. My favorite company swag comes from American Airlines. And if I ever become ambitious enough to start drinking alcohol, and then ambitious enough to stop drinking alcohol, I am going to join AA, and wear all of their swag. I’ll be the most non-anonymous AA member of all time.

But AA is not just my initials. It is also shorthand for my formula for success.

That simple yet powerful formula is Action & Analysis.

To be successful you have to take Action. You have to verb. You have to do. You have to try. Action is the fuel that creates results.

But once you have taken Action, you have to perform an Analysis. You need to study the results. You need to evaluate the outcome. You need to learn what worked and what didn’t. You have to learn which jokes landed, and which ones were only funny in your head. (It was the 3rd- letter-of-the-first-name thing wasn’t it?)

Then you adjust your aim, reload, and fire more action at your target. Then analyze again. And repeat.

Action & Analysis is a simple formula for success. It has been proven in action, and through analysis. And it never fails.

Key Takeaway

To become the best version of yourself you need Action and Analysis. Do what you think you should do. Then analyze the outcome. Adjust according to your learnings. Then take action again. Success leaves clues. Failure steers us. Reflecting on experience leads to wisdom. Repeat the process over and over and over. All the way to success. -AA

*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’m launching my good newsletter, and how to sign up.

In 2015 I began writing a blog to share what I was learning as I started the new advertising and ideas agency The Weaponry. I wrote about entrepreneurship, startups, advertising and marketing. But I also shared lessons I was learning about self-improvement, professional development and positivity. Because if you have a blog you can write about anything you want. Even the strange people you meet at Piggly Wiggly.

People seemed to like what I was writing. And my blog readers encouraged me to write a book. So in 2021, I published my first book titled What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? Which lead to speaking opportunities across the country. The whole experience was a good reminder, as Michael Jackson said, that you wanna be startin somethin. (You gotta be startin somethin.)

I have been blogging for more than 8 years now. In fact, this is the 987th post I have published. According to WordPress, my blog has been read in 187 countries. Including almost all the countries you’ve ever heard of except North Korea. Clearly, I am no Dennis Rodman.

Sharing the insights and ideas I have discovered with the world is my way of paying forward all the knowledge and good fortune that has come my way. But today I have a problem. And it goes beyond North Korea.

The Problem

Most people discover my writings through a social media distribution channel. These channels include Facebook, TwiXter, WordPress and LinkedIn. The problem is that I don’t own any of those platforms. Which means that Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Jimmy WordPress and ‘Linky’ Linkenstein decide whether or not to share my posts with you to read and benefit from. In fact, if you are not reading this post it is likely because those gatekeepers are keeping us apart. (And while obviously, you are reading this post, there are billions on this planet who are not.)

The best way around this challenge is to create a newsletter that enables me to share worthwhile lessons, stories and positive thoughts directly with you and the billions of literate humans on Earth.

I have been thinking about this for several years. I have even crafted examples of the newsletter and gathered an initial email distribution list. But I have never sent out a newsletter.

It’s Go Time

I recently had another birthday. (Yay me!) This spurred significant self-reflection. And one of the things that I reflected on was my unborn newsletter. I resolved to begin publishing it right away.

So that is what I am doing.

Adam’s Good Newsletter

I am excited to announce the introduction of Adam’s Good Newsletter. It will contain the articles I write each week. Plus it will include a range of other fun and quick elements like:

  • Book reviews and recommendations
  • Pictures
  • Stories
  • Quotes I find helpful
  • Things I’m digging
  • My personal book writing updates and previews
  • Other things I don’t know I am going to share

The goal of writing this newsletter remains the same as all of my other writings:

To help people learn a little, laugh a little, and lift a little.

To sign up for this email newsletter please send your email to adam@theweaponry.com with the subject: Newsletter. Or just respond wherever you read this post. I’ll get the message. And as long as I also get an email address, you are in like Flynn.

I plan to share one new issue each week. Although it may be every other week or monthly as I figure out a sustainable rhythm.

As with the blog, the books, and the business, I am excited to see where this goes.

Thanks for reading. I always appreciate your time.

-AA

Remember that even your small steps move you forward.

There are days when you can put massive effort towards your goals.

You have time.

You have energy.

You have inspiration.

You ate your Wheaties for breakfast.

You’re cranking the Rocky theme song on repeat on your Airpods, headphones or boombox.

Those are days that you feel like you are taking one giant leap forward for you-kind.

But…

On other days you don’t have the same resources.

Your schedule is challenging

Your energy is low.

You can’t find your Airpods. And your boombox is out of batteries.

Your motivation has secretly been replaced with slowtivation or notivation.

On those days, lower the bar.

Do something small.

Invest a few minutes instead of hours.

Move forward a few inches instead of miles.

Read a page, not a book.

Spend a few quality minutes not the full day.

Remember, small steps save the day.

And they set you up for bigger, better steps forward tomorrow.

Key Takeaway

Don’t be an all-or-nothing person. All-or-something keeps you moving forward. Do what you can. Support your habits. Maintain your momentum. Tomorrow, you will be glad you did.


*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.