If you want to be like everyone else, do what everyone else does. But, if you want to be in the top 1 percent, you have to think like the top 1 percent, not like the 99 percent.
I recently sat down with Grant Cardone for an incredibly enlightening interview. Cardone has built a $500 million dollar real estate empire, and is the best-selling author of Be Obsessed or Be Average. Cardone is also motivational speaker and sales training rock star.
But it wasn’t always private jets and luxury real estate for Cardone. At one point in his life, he was addicted to drugs and was in the unemployment line.
And everyone loves a good secret. Cardone shared many of his best with me, and now you can use them to build your empire. Here’s what he had to say.
1. Compartmentalizing doesn’t work.
When you are building your empire (or even just one business), it takes major focus and obsession. Instead of being obsessed with negative things, get obsessed about your business. Cardone literally saved his own life by switching from drug obsession to business obsession.
Compartmentalizing your business into strict operating hours doesn’t work if you want to be successful. Successful people don’t just turn off their brain and completely forget about their business for two days over the weekend, or even when they are out for a night at the movies.
“When you drop in on something, to make it successful, there is no balance in that moment. To be obsessed is a good thing, not a bad thing”, said Cardone.
2. You can do many things at once.
Burning out does not happen because you are doing too many things. Look at Elon Musk who is building electric cars while finding a way to go to Mars.
“People burn out because their life is not interesting enough,” said Cardone.
Cardone explained that most people don’t have enough going on to keep them excited. Many people don’t have problems or challenges big enough to make them feel alive, vibrant and excited again like a child experiencing something for the first time.
So the next time someone tells you to focus on one thing and one thing only, ask them if they have heard of Elon Musk, Grant Cardone, or Google.
3. Incredible people find their inner superstar.
One of the most important things I learned from Cardone was that super successful people don’t follow the crowd. Instead, they constantly challenge conventional thinking and wake themselves up when everyone else is doing the average thing.
Find that inner superhero or sports superstar in you– the one that knows they can do incredible things. No matter what, utilize the energy behind those things in your business. It doesn’t mean you have to be a professional baseball player or NBA all-star, but you can use the energy behind that in your business life.
“I wanted to be a catcher. The catcher is the control freak of the diamond; he runs the game. He runs the pitcher; he’s running everything that goes on. So even though I couldn’t be a baseball player, I’m able to still grab that part of me that wants to lead and guide”, said Cardone.
4. People have to know who you are.
Cardone is popular on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube, just to name a few. He’s actually on dozens of different platforms in total. By being on all of these platforms constantly, you get in front of people, and they don’t forget you.
And don’t worry about people not liking you. Inevitably people may not like you, and that’s ok. It’s impossible to build a big brand–whether it’s your company or your personal brand–without getting negative feedback. It happens, and you have to be ok with that.
“I don’t have a favorite platform. My favorite would be that wherever you go, you see my face. I don’t care that you like me or love me or hate me, what’s important to me is that you know me,” said Cardone.
5. Have people around you that are doing well.
If you are the smartest person in the room, maybe you are in the wrong room.
Instead of putting a bunch of ‘yes’ men around you that just want to hang out with someone successful, try surrounding yourself with other rockstars.
Cardone makes a point of surrounding himself with other rock stars so that he is forced to be on the top of his game.
“I want people around me to also be the rockstars,” said Cardone.
At the end of the day, obsession is the name of the game for Cardone. Like Cardone, you can have it all. You can have the dream life with the wife/husband, kids, business empire and true happiness in all areas of your life.
(Sourced from Brian D. Evans via www.inc.com)