Ensure you are doing work you love, or actively seek a new role or understand why you’re unhappy, because fighting your job prevents exceptional performance.
Commit to being on a constant and progressive learning curve throughout your life, continuously seeking knowledge and understanding in all areas.
View failure as a badge of honor and an inevitable part of the journey; get back up, keep trying, and don’t let past failures deter you from striving for greatness.
Approach business with a monopolist mindset, aiming to be the absolute best and eliminate competition rather than just coexist with it.
Understand that success is multifaceted, composed of many small accomplishments and parameters that add up to a complete picture, rather than a single definition.
Actively combat mediocrity in yourself and your interactions, seeking to be challenged and pushed by people who demonstrate genuine interest and passion.
Do not dwell on past mistakes or successes; instead, view them as history and actively build upon those experiences for future growth.
Focus on winning in business, not on popularity, as the primary objective.
Cultivate a habit of voracious and diverse reading across many disciplines, quickly scanning and identifying articles for in-depth review to stay broadly informed.
When reading, focus on headlines and the opening and closing paragraphs of articles to quickly grasp the main points and context without reading cover-to-cover.
To gain a balanced perspective, consume news from multiple sources (e.g., CNN, Fox, Sky News) to identify different spins and biases.
When consuming news, actively filter out the writer’s opinion from factual reporting, unless it is explicitly an op-ed piece.
Engage in continuous learning, especially by interacting with young innovators and founders, to stay current and relevant in your field.
When seeking advice or learning, prioritize understanding others’ failures and the conditions under which they occurred, to avoid making similar mistakes yourself.
Be aware that AI tools can reflect the biases of their programmers; critically evaluate the information provided by different AI sources.
Always tell the truth; if you don’t know an answer, admit it and commit to finding out, rather than making something up.
Refrain from bad-mouthing non-clients’ products or anyone else, as negativity makes you look weak and unappreciative; if you have a problem, address it directly and privately.
Actively cultivate a positive environment by avoiding negative talk and bad-mouthing, aiming for a more reserved and constructive approach.
Be efficient in communications and view relationships as valuable “collections” worth investing time in, especially if they are two-way.
Base hiring, investing, and networking decisions on a genuine interest in the people you meet, seeking out those who are interesting and engaging.
Stay informed about various careers, functions, interests, and hobbies to facilitate engaging conversations and connect with diverse individuals.
Always agree to meet someone recommended by a respected individual, even if initially disinclined, as it can lead to unexpected opportunities.
Uphold trust as the most important element in human relationships and avoid betrayal, as it can be deeply damaging and difficult to recover from.
After experiencing betrayal, avoid generalizing distrust to everyone; instead, show resilience by getting back on your feet and re-engaging, even if with increased caution.
After experiencing betrayal, become more discerning and sensitive about who you choose to trust, strengthening your personal boundaries.
Make it a policy to avoid discussing politics at the dinner table to prevent conflict and maintain a more harmonious social environment.
Structure client relationships with multiple agents to ensure comprehensive support and prevent client loss if they tire of one individual.
Prioritize responding to associates before clients or buyers to foster internal empowerment and ensure everyone is up-to-speed.
Operate without ego regarding roles or information sharing, allowing clients to be the focus of the “ego business” while maintaining internal humility.
Develop passion, deep understanding, numerous ideas, strong connections, openness to critique, humility (avoiding arrogance), succinct communication, and enthusiasm to increase chances of success.
Understand and strategically utilize leverage as a critical principle in building a business, enabling effective delivery for clients, marketing, sales, and negotiation.
View “packaging” – the strategic combination of disparate elements – as a fundamental aspect of life and business, constantly seeking to put elements together effectively.
Understand that momentum is not instantaneous but must be consciously built step-by-step, like laying a foundation, and requires continuous effort without quitting.
Once momentum is being built, commit to not quitting, as continuous effort is crucial for its sustained growth and success.
Recognize momentum as the single most important factor in all endeavors, from personal interests to business and sports.
Generate momentum through extraordinarily hard, industrious work, deep education in your field and its peripheries, understanding competitors, and strategic recruitment.
In every meeting, consistently ask about outstanding individuals, top performers, or those who have excelled, to proactively identify and recruit the best talent.
When you need a task completed reliably, delegate it to the busiest person you know, as they are more likely to get it done than someone with ample free time.
Maintain a record of those who helped you early in your career and actively assist them when they face difficulties, ensuring they receive a job or financial support.
When helping someone in need, prioritize restoring their dignity by finding them work, rather than just providing financial aid.
View confrontation as a necessary tool in your toolkit, especially when defending friends, family, or clients, and be fiercely loyal to those who have helped you.
In technology, never discount any possibility, as the rapid pace of innovation means almost anything can happen.
Advocate for electing political leaders (mayor, governor, president) who have at least five years of experience running a business, demonstrating practical management skills.
Reflect on reallocating a small percentage (e.g., 10%) of intense business time to family, hobbies, and personal interests, trusting momentum and team support to maintain business progress.
Proactively block out personal time on your calendar to ensure it is protected and not inadvertently filled with other commitments.
Begin by making small, intentional reductions (e.g., 2%) in work time to dedicate to personal pursuits, even when dopamine from success encourages constant work.
Define success primarily by having an amazing family, recognizing it as your ultimate legacy.
Prioritize and protect your nuclear and business families with privacy, avoiding public discussions or bad-mouthing to the press.
Seek fulfillment and define success by the act of building things from scratch, whether businesses or other creations.
Prioritize and cherish family gatherings like Thanksgiving, valuing them as opportunities for connection without the pressure of forced gift-giving.
Do not believe or be fazed by publicity, good or bad, or “power lists,” recognizing that power and public perception are ephemeral and fleeting.
Disregard what critics say about you, and instead, focus your energy on proving them wrong through your actions and success.
Adopt a mindset of resilience, understanding that if one endeavor doesn’t work out, there is always another opportunity (“another rodeo”) to pursue.
Actively embrace knowledge by reading and indexing it in your head for context to empower yourself, but avoid using it to be argumentative or deceitful.
Actively diversify your interests beyond your primary field, engaging with different communities (e.g., art, theater, intellectual) to develop depth and breadth.