50 Lessons on the Path to 50

“If a man looks at the world at fifty the same way he looked at it when he was twenty and hasn’t changed, he wasted thirty years of his life.” – Muhammad Ali

Welcome to The Vibe!

The blog that believes age is a MINDSET.

Each week we discuss an IDEA that helps you live a better life.

This week’s topic is 50 Lessons on the Path to 50.

But let’s keep this “turning 50” thing between us.

Deal?

The Vibe: 50 Lessons on the Path to 50

Here are 50 Lessons on the Path to 50.

Some of these are lessons that have stuck with me since childhood.

Others were realized only after MISTAKES and FAILURES.

These IDEAS can help you live a better life no matter what age they are put into use.

The first move is always to separate what’s in your control from what’s not.
Control what you can. Adapt or be indifferent to everything else.
Be humble or the world will humble you.
You are responsible for the energy you bring into the room.
Don’t compare yourself to anyone. Just be better than you were yesterday.
The fastest way to change your life is to change your environment.
No need to look back. You’re not heading that way.
When you mess up, own it. Then make it right.
If you want things to get better, you have to get better.
Life is less about brilliant strategy and all about who wants it more.
No struggle, no progress.
Stand up when someone walks over to speak with you. It shows respect.
Clutter steals your physical space and inner peace. No need to save something for a day that may never come.
Take one more piece of trash off the beach than you brought.
Sometimes the best move is to move on.
Find one thing you’re good at. Go all in. An amazing journey will follow.
The ultimate life hack is an awesome spouse.
Have the courage to say “No”. It’s the key to a great life.
If it’s not a “Hell yeah!”, it’s a definite “No”.
What you don’t do is more important than what you do.
How to sell anything in 1 sentence: Show the other person how they win when they work with you.
Good health is real wealth.
If you haven’t failed at something in a while, you’re just coasting.
It’s better to walk away than lose your temper.
How you spend your time and money tells us what you really value.
Wake up early. There’s magic in the early morning.
Reading with your kids at bedtime is one of the greatest uses of time ever invented.
There’s always a next move, even if it’s just acceptance.
Having the ability to think on your feet is no excuse for showing up unprepared.
3 Lessons from My 3 Favorite Books: 1) Obstacles will either crush you or make you stronger. 2) The fastest way to success is by helping others succeed. 3) Never invade Russia.
No trust, no nothing.
How people respond under pressure reveals their true character.
Show me your friends, I will show you who you are.
When you meet someone of influence, ask them for a book recommendation.
Keep pushing, eventually it will break.
An 8-hour delay in the Phoenix airport can either be the longest day of the year or the most productive. Your call.
We don’t control what happens, only how we respond.
You always have more than two options.
In the long run, it’s cheaper and easier to fix the problem than not fix the problem.
Do less and do it better.
Once you figure out what you stand for, the rest gets a lot easier.
It’s better to be kind than clever.
Cut people some slack. Everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about.
Worrying is wasted energy. Anxiety makes nothing better.
Self-awareness is a superpower.
I used to think being a parent was about teaching and leading. I now realize it’s about listening and learning.
This too shall pass…
All we ever have is the present moment. Be there.
Keep showing up.
What would I tell my 18-year-old self? Hang around people better than you. Put in the work. Be kind. (PS – Lose the mullet). My 18-year-old self would probably just tell me to “F*ck off”.
Each day is a gift.

Your results may vary.

#50For50

Joe Ciccarone

www.SalesVibe.Blog

Groundhog Day

“What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same?” – Bill Murray (Groundhog Day)

Welcome to The Vibe!

The most sanitized blog you will touch all day.

Each week we discuss ONE IDEA that will help you live a better life.

This week’s topic is GROUNDHOG DAY.

And how we can turn a crisis into an OPPORTUNITY.

Good vibes only…

The Vibe: Groundhog Day

What day is it?

This week I had to ask.

It was Saturday.

True story.

Week #3 in progress.

These are surreal times.

Seth Godin wrote, “In the course of just a few weeks the life of every single person on Earth has changed.”

Wow.

Some of our jobs are on the line.

All of us are trying to figure this thing out as we go.

It’s like we’re all Bill Murray in the movie Groundhog Day.

Have you seen the movie?

Just awesome.

Bill Murray plays Phil Connors.

Phil is a weatherman.

He wakes up on Groundhog Day in Punxsutwaney, PA.

Phil has just three problems.

He hates Punxsutwaney.

He hates groundhogs.

And no matter what he does, he can’t make it out of February 3rd.

Every time Phil wakes up, the same day keeps repeating itself.

Sound familiar?

There are some lessons we can learn from Bill Murray as we go through our own version of GROUNDHOG DAY over the coming weeks.

Adapt

After realizing he was repeating the same day over and over, Bill Murray’s character started to adapt.

He decided to use the CRISIS he was in to his advantage.

There was a girl he wanted to impress.

There was a piano he wanted to play.

There was that annoying insurance guy that needed to be punched.

Phil decided to stop fighting the fact that he was stuck in GROUNDHOG DAY.

He started FOCUSING on what he could control.

He learned 17th century French poetry to impress the girl.

He taught himself how to be an ice sculpter.

He even tried to teach the groundhog to drive.

Great success on the first two ideas.

Not so much on the third.

Never Waste a Crisis

Winston Churchill said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.”

Hidden in between all of our conference calls, home schooling sessions, and hand washing we have an opportunity.

This CRISIS gives us the chance to hit the RESET BUTTON.

It gives us the time and space to figure out what’s really important to us.

Author Mark Manson wrote, “… if you’ve ever wished you had time or opportunity to pursue some endeavor—a better body, start yoga, declutter your home, learn another language – this is the time to do it.”

The Chinese symbol for CRISIS is the same symbol used for OPPORTUNITY.

We have an OPPORTUNITY.

We can emerge from this CRISIS as better versions of ourselves.

The fact that we are stuck at home is out of our control.

But how we spend our time?

That’s 100% on us.

The writer Haruki Muarakami wrote, “When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in.”

Our job is to make sure the version of us that walks out of this mess is better than the one that entered.

How?

Maybe it’s keeping that family dinner going.

Maybe it’s time to get serious about our health.

Maybe it’s a chance to get rid of that HABIT that no longer serves us.

A crisis can be an amazing teacher.

We just have to be open to the lesson.

#Groundhog Day

Stay healthy,

Joe Ciccarone

http://www.SalesVibe.Net

Listen Up

“The most successful people I’ve known are the ones who do more listening than talking.” – Bernard Baruch

Welcome to The Vibe!

Each week we discuss one idea that will help you live a better life.

This week’s topic is the power of LISTENING and how listening is the fastest way to connect and INFLUENCE another person.

Thank you for reading The VIBE.

If you think this post is helpful, please forward to a friend.

Let’s do this…

The Vibe: Listen Up

We all lead something.

Some of us coach our kid’s sports teams.

Others run companies that hundreds of people rely on for their livelihood.

While some are the CEOs of their families.

No matter the situation, LEADERS need the ability to connect and gain INFLUENCE to be effective.

No influence, no nothing.

What’s the fastest way to influence another person?

By LISTENING to them.

Learning to Listen

A few years after I graduated college with an accounting degree, I realized something.

I was possibly the worst accountant in the state of Pennsylvania (but that has never been verified).

That career path was just not for me.

After deveopling some SELF-AWARENESS and building up COURAGE, I changed careers.

I jumped into SALES.

Overnight I went from struggling accountant to clueless salesperson.

My livelihood now depended on my ability to sell.

Just one problem…

I had never sold anything to anyone ever.

Things were really looking up.

So I decided to read every book and article on SALES I could find.

I attended every sales training course that came through Philly with the urgency of someone who’s career was suddenly in the balance.

Because it was.

What did I learn?

To be great at SALES you need to posses a SUPERPOWER.

That superpower is LISTENING.

Sales, like LEADERSHIP, is an art.

Rock star SALES PEOPLE, like great LEADERS, all have different styles.

But they have ONE THING in common.

They are awesome listeners.

They have the ability to CONNECT with people by asking meaningful questions, then thoughtfully listen to what that person says.

Asking questions and listening shows you care.

Listening forms a bond between you and the other person.

You get bonus points for not interrupting someone speaking, even when you know what they are saying is off base.

Listening is hard work.

It takes PATIENCE and POISE.

But guess what?

It’s worth it.

And LISTENING works.

Listening may be the most powerful way to connect with another human being.

George Raveling wrote, “What people need most is not a brilliant mind that speaks but a special heart that listens.”

There is no better time to build your INFLUENCE.

Someone out there needs you to LISTEN.

And they want you to LEAD.

#ListenUp

Until next week,

Joe Ciccarone

SalesVibe.net

Build Your Monument

Deeds, not stones, are the monuments of the great. – John Motley

In RJ Palacio’s book “Wonder”, August ‘Auggie’ Pullman is a 5th grader trying to fit in to his new school.

There’s just one problem.

A chromosome problem.

Auggie was born missing one.

This condition caused his appearance to be unlike anyone else’s in the school.

Palacio describes Auggie as “an ordinary kid with an extraordinary face”.

“Wonder” tells the story of how this 11 year old deals with being singled out, excluded, ridiculed, ignored and noticed everywhere he goes.

All because he doesn’t look like everyone else.

Could you imagine?

The book is INSPIRING and funny.

And at times uncomfortable.

But like all good books, it teaches a LESSON.

Acts of KINDNESS stand larger than stone monuments to the people we help.

One of the fun characters in the book is Auggie’s English teacher, Mr Browne.

Each month Mr Browne inspires his students with a PRECEPT.

Here’s October’s Precept:

“YOUR DEEDS ARE YOUR MONUMENTS”

This quote, which Mr Browne told the class, “was carved on the tomb of an Egyptian Pharaoh”, describes a timeless truth:

Actions speak louder than stone.

What we DO becomes our legacy.

Our DEEDS have a BIGGER impact than anything we SAY or THINK.

Life is about taking action.

And our ACTIONS give us our best chance to impact the lives of others.

This idea reminds us of that great line from Maximus in the opening scene of the movie Gladiator, “What we do in life echos in eternity.”

Every KIND ACT we do is another stone cast into our legacy.

Mr Browne challenged his students to write down what October’s PRECEPT meant to them.

Here’s what Auggie wrote:

“We should be remembered for the things we do. The things we do are more important than what we say or what we look like. The things we do are like MONUMENTS. They’re like the pyramids the Egyptians built to honor the pharaohs. Instead of of being made by stone, they’re made of memories. YOUR DEEDS ARE YOUR MONUMENTS.”

Time to build.

#BuildYourMonument

-Joe Ciccarone

http://www.SalesVibe.Net

Enough

“The greatest misfortune is not to know contentment.” – Dao De Jing

Kurt Vonnegut and Joseph Heller were attending a party at a billionaire’s estate on Shelter Island, NY.

Heller, the author of Catch 22, one of the most acclaimed novels of the the 20th century, was asked a question.

Vonnegut: “Joe, how does it feel that our host made more money yesterday than ‘Catch-22’ has earned in its entire history?”

Heller replied: “I’ve got something he will never have.”

Vonnegut: “What on earth could that be, Joe?”

Heller: “The knowledge that I have ENOUGH.”

Ambition is a double edged sword.

What fuels our ambition is the same thing that keeps us from enjoying what we have.

The need for ‘MORE’ can crush our HAPPINESS.

It stops us from feeling GRATITUDE for the gifts we already have.

Even after we aquire ‘MORE’, the next level always comes into sight.

Ryan Holiday wrote, “It’s delusional to think that doing more of the same will bring about a different result. The need for more will keep you from being happy.”

HAPPINESS and GRATITUDE can’t be found externally.

They come from within.

Over 2,500 years ago Lau Tzu wrote, “When you realize that nothing is lacking, the whole world belongs to you.”

There’s no denying there are some things we need MORE of in our lives.

But they are those intangible soft skills that can’t be bought or shown on a balance sheet:

EMPATHY.

GRATITUDE.

SELF-AWARENESS.

More TIME with the people we care about most.

Nothing we BUY or SELL can ever take the place of these.

Because what’s essential is invisible to the eye.

On his death bed, Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart and Sam’s Club, was the richest person in the world.

As his family gathered around his hospital bed during his final moments, Walton looked around the room and said his last words, “I blew it.”

No need to blow it.

Stay ambitious.

Keep showing up.

Please give us your best work.

Just make sure to measure what matters.

#Enough

-Joe Ciccarone

http://www.SalesVibe.Net

Be Bold

“Freedom lies in being bold.” –

Robert Frost

2,500 years ago, the Greek philosopher Democritus wrote, “Boldness is the beginning of action. But fortune controls how it ends.”

At first glance, this sounds like a copout.

Be bold…

But know that the final outcome is out of our control.

Do we control our own destiny?

Or does fortune?

Yes, to both.

We have the power to take BOLD ACTION.

But we don’t control the ending.

We can throw a perfect pass, but the WR can drop it.

We can have our best year ever, but be beat by someone who had a better one.

You can execute an amazing sales call, but can’t force the customer to take action.

Ryan Holiday wrote, “We control the beginning of things, but not the reciprocation. We can make the pitch…but fortune controls whether its accepted.”

So, no need to be a control freak.

Just take the NEXT STEP.

Make it BOLD.

Handle your end of the bargain.

The rest takes care of itself.

#BeBold

-Joe Ciccarone

http://www.SalesVibe.Net

22 Paths

“I’m not saying that you have to be a reader to save your soul…I’m saying it helps.” – Walter Mosley

The morning we spent together in Madison was a special one for me.

It was privilege to speak to such an impressive group of people.

I am grateful for the TRUST you gave me investing 2 hours of your time.

Below is a list of the source material that the Sales Vibe course is based.

I included a brief summary following each book.

They come from some of the BIGGEST thinkers out there.

These books are an opportunity,

It’s chance to steal some of the best IDEAS, TACTICS, and STRATEGIES that can help you rock out SALES and LIFE.

Here are 22 PATHS you can explore.

MINDSET

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. The most powerful person on earth writes notes to himself on how to be a better person . Think about that for a second.

GRIT: The Power of Passion & Perseverance by Angela Duckworth. The secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a special blend of passion and persistence. Duckworth shows why GRIT eats talent for breakfast.

The Only Sales Guide You’ll Ever Need by Anthony Iannarino. Iannarino writes “To succeed in sales you need three things: a Mindset, a Skillset, & a Toolset.” Same goes for life.

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck. This book made the term “mindset” hip. Greatness is created, not born.

The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday. Holiday distills ancient stoic wisdom into 1 actionable thought each day. Holiday is the modern day Sun Tzu.

The Little Gold Book of Yes! Attitude by Jeffrey Gitomer. Gitomer is the best sales trainer on the planet. He also wrote one of the best books on how to create a winning attitude.

Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink & Leif Babin. Willink spent two decades training & leading US Navy Seals in combat. He shows how the lessons learned on the battlefield can be applied to the boardroom. #GetAfterIt

Secrets of Closing The Sale by Zig Ziglar. Ziglar is famous for saying “You will get all you want in life if you help enough people get what they want.” Written in 1985, it’s still one of the greatest sales books ever.

SKILLSET

The Art of Exceptional Living by Jim Rohn. Tony Robbins was working as a janitor when he met Jim Rohn. Rohn taught him these principles to lead an exceptional life. Gold.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. Covey’s book is one of the top 10 read books on Amazon. He boils the secrets of success down into 7 habits.

The Daily Stoic Journal: 366 Days of Writing and Reflection on the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday. This is the follow up to Holiday’s Daily Stoic book. This is one part journal, one part life lessons based on stoic philosophy. It’s part of my daily routine.

The Little Red Book of Selling by Jeffrey Gitomer. This book is the best selling sales book of all time. You can put Gitomer’s ideas in to action 30 seconds after you read them.

The Little Black Book of Connections by Jeffrey Gitomer. Gitomer teaches how to connect, engage, and get invited back. Hint: “Start friendly, or don’t start at all.”

Good To Great by Jim Collins. “If you have more than 3 priorities, you don’t have any.”

Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport. Newport has been called the Marie Kondo of technology. Newport shows how technology is neither good nor bad. It’s our responsibility to control our screens, before they control us. This book shows how.

The Very Little But Very Powerful Book on Closing by Jeffrey Gitomer. Gitomer shows you how to close sales that build relationships and create partnerships. This short book also gives you some killer questions that will move the sales process forward.

The Lost Art of Closing by Anthony Iannarino. A salesperson job is to ask for and obtain commitments. This book shows you how to be a closer.

TOOLSET

The Sales Bible by Jeffrey Gitomer. The Sales Bible is the most complete book on selling ever written. Fantastic.

Power Questions by Andrew Sobel. I read books then give them away. I kept this one and refer to it before BIG meetings. It’s filled with killer questions.

This Is Marketing by Seth Godin. A gamechanger on how to approach sales & marketing. Godin shows you how to do work that matters for people who care.

Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. “Strength and growth come only through struggle and effort.” Timeless wisdom.

The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday. “What stands in the way becomes the way.” Struggling through something? This is your book.

Lists can be overwhelming.

Tame it by picking just one.

Then find one idea from that book that resonates with you.

Challenge yourself to put that idea into your daily routine.

Day by day.

Step by step.

That’s the formula.

Go…

#22Paths

-Joe Ciccarone

http://www.SalesVibe.Net

Game Changer

“In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.” – Einstein

Change is everywhere.

That’s a good thing.

It means you’re still alive.

And in the game.

No need to FIGHT what’s new.

Embrace it by asking this question:

What’s the opportunity?

This question is a GAME CHANGER.

It will change your MINDSET.

It can change your life.

#GameChanger

-Joe Ciccarone

http://www.SalesVibe.Net

Drop the ‘F’ Bomb

“Starve your distractions, feed your focus.” – Unknown

It was July 9^th 1997.

Steve Jobs was leaving his “personal wilderness”.

This was the day Jobs returned to the company that fired him.

Jobs retook the role of Apple’s CEO.

It was a dark time for Apple.

The company was almost bankrupt.

Apple’s customer base (and Wall Street) were jumping ship.

Apple had lost its way.

The pressure was on Jobs to deliver.

What was Jobs’ FIRST MOVE as CEO?

Did he lay off 30% of Apple’s workforce?

Did he travel the country making promises to analysts?

Did Jobs try to sell the company?

None of the above.

Jobs first move was so SIMPLE that it shocked many inside and outside of Apple.

Jobs dropped the “F Bomb”.

He FOCUSED Apple.

Jobs stripped Apple down to only four core products.

Apple would discontinue everything else.

All of Apple’s resources would be FOCUSED on its best products.

Job’s said in an interview, “It means saying ‘No’ to the hundred other good ideas. You have to pick carefully…Innovation is saying ‘No’ to 1,000 things.”

Jobs gives us a powerful one-word SUCCESS STRATEGY:

FOCUS.

He shows us a killer TACTIC to execute this strategy:

SAYING “NO”.

It means saying “No” to:

Low value meetings and conference calls.
Invitations to events with marginal friends that gobble up your time and money.
Being constantly distracted by social media.

Where there is no FOCUS, distraction reigns.

DISTRACTION has killed more careers than any recession ever could.

The irony is not lost that one of the universe denting products Job’s FOCUS strategy helped Apple create was the iPhone.

Which may be the greatest distraction device in human history.

But that’s a subject for another day.

Seth Godin wrote, “If it’s going to distract you from the work that truly matters, pass.”

Take pass on what’s no longer relevant.

Lean in to what really matters.

BLOW UP your distractions.

Dent your universe.

#DropTheFbomb

-Joe Ciccarone

http://www.SalesVibe.Net

Growin’ Up

“God have mercy on the man who doubts what he is sure of.” – Bruce Springsteen, Brilliant Disguise

In “Springsteen on Broadway”, Bruce Springsteen’s epic 3-hour journey through his life and music, The Boss tells a REMARKABLE story about his relationship with his father.

Springsteen reveals he sang many of his songs through the eyes of his dad.

Springsteen’s father lived a life very different from Bruce.

His dad was a blue collar, hard drinking, factory worker who struggled through life and his relationships.

Springsteen says, “My father was my hero. And my greatest foe.”

Just days before Bruce’s wife gave birth to their first child, Springsteen’s dad drove over 500 miles and arrived unannounced at his front door.

Bruce said his dad wanted to “Apologize…and warn me of the mistakes he made, so I would not make them myself.”

Springsteen calls this the greatest moment he ever had with his dad.

His dad wanted to change from a GHOST to an ANCESTOR in his life.

What’s the difference?

ANCESTORS show the way forward.

Ancestors create a path.

They make life better for those that come after them.

We build on their work.

We stand on our ancestors’ shoulders.

GHOSTS are the opposite.

Ghosts are focused on themselves.

They have very little or even a negative impact on your life.

They are easily forgettable.

Ghosts pass by and quickly disappear.

Almost like they were never there.

These RELATIONSHIPS also exist in our PROFESSIONAL LIFE.

What kind of path are your leaving for others to follow?

Who is better off because you showed up?

Will you be missed when you’re gone?

The world needs more ANCESTORS.

We’ve heard enough GHOST stories already.

#GrowinUp

-Joe Ciccarone

http://www.SalesVibe.Net