I read a great quote the other day that said "No one can copy your relationship with your customer.  They can have all the competitive intelligence that is available, but no one can copy that relationship."  I would further expand this to cover your partnerships and other business relationships.

I was reminded of this first hand at a recent event we hosted for our clients, partners, and friends of Grasp.  Every year, there is a very large global conference that we participate in.  But instead of doing what everyone else does, in just getting a booth at the trade show, we actually invest heavily into creating the most unique experience and enjoyable time that we can give to everyone.  We have become known for it over the years to where people reach out to be "the first" on the list to attend each year.

At this particular event, we rented out a 1920's hidden speakeasy that only seats 40 people at a time for the evening.  We had done this once before at the same venue years ago and it was a big hit.  But, this time it felt different - in a good way.  I was truly amazed at all of the prominent people in the industry that sought us out and made us a priority.  One major executive, a long time friend, actually left the party his company was hosting with him being one of the main hosts, and made it a point to stop by because "Grasp always throws the best events and has the most iconic atmospheres."  I was flattered that he chose to take the time out for us.

You cannot buy these types of relationships - they have to be built over time by being consistently genuine to who you are and how you foster those relationships.

As I thought about it further and watched the crowd that gathered with so much joy, it really dawned on me how important and powerful great relationships are...and the ROI that they mean to you as a person and your business.

It doesn't take money to create a great relationship.  It takes courage.  What do I mean?  Well, it means that you have to have the courage to be your true self at all times.  It means that you have to have the courage to truly care for people beyond business and invest in them.  It takes courage to see the long game and play it as most great relationships are built over years, not days.  And lastly, you have to have the courage to be honest in the relationship - even if the truth sometimes hurts.  This is tough for people to do, and be, in business, as they feel they have to come off a certain way or put on a certain persona to succeed.  

The truth is that you cannot build a great relationship with everyone because by nature some people are just not going to get along - no matter what they do or how much they try to fake things or kiss someone's ass.  You are much better off being honest and true to who you are and investing in the relationships that you do have and continue growing them.

We had about 150 or so attend our event and as I looked around the room, those 150 people were the ones most responsible for our success at Grasp over 20+ years.  Think about that, 150 people in 20 years, have made the biggest impact on the success of a multi-million dollar company.  It truly is amazing what the power of a relationship can accomplish and the ROI it can bring over the years.  Ask yourself, how can you better invest in your relationships because at the end of the day, they are most important asset you have.

I saw a list of books the other day that someone put out and every one of them was what I would consider a life-changing  or must-read book.  I liked it so much I wanted to share them with you.  If you read all 15 of these books, you will have a changed life and be on an even better path for having done so.  Enjoy!

15 Books That Can Change Your Life

1. The Seasons of Life - Jim Rohn
2. The Power of Positive Things - Norman Peale
3. Awaken the Giant Within - Tony Robbins
4. Rich Dad Poor Dad - Robert Kiyosaki
5. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen Covey
6. Think and Grow Rich - Napolean Hill
7. How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie
8. The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
9. The Richest Man in Babylon - George Clason
10. The Monk Who sold His Ferrari - Robin Sharma
11. 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth - John Maxwell
12. Outliers - Malcom Gladwell
13. The 48 Laws of Power - Robert Greene
14. The 4-Hour Workweek - Tim Ferris
15. The Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle

If you've accomplished a big goal or bucket list item, you know how it feels.  It is a big achievement.  And probably like me, you feel once you've done it, that you can go to even higher levels or push yourself further.  Even more important are the lessons you learn in gong through the experience.  I recently competed my first Half  Ironman and am already am planning my second one as well as preparing to do a full.  For those that don't know, a Half Ironman is a 1.25 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride, and a half marathon (13.1 miles) - 70.3 miles in total.  A full Ironman is 140.6.

As I reflected on the experience, some really great lessons for life and business stood out to me and I wanted to share them with you.

Lessons Learned from My Ironman:

• Planning and preparation makes a huge difference
  • You have to think through every scenario and know what you will do, as best as you can before getting into the race.
  • Once in the race, things will happen that you cannot plan for, but if you are prepared and ready, it is much easier to deal with.
  • Life and business are like this as well.  You have to plan and prepare, get the direction you want to go right, but understand  and be ready for the unknowns and challenges that will come.
• Expect the unexpected (good and bad)​
  • One big lesson I learned was around salt.  I was running ahead of my planned time after getting off the bike, but halfway through the run, I started to cramp up and my legs starting locking up.  I was well hydrated and had plenty of Gatorade, etc. and was really puzzled.  It was then that I asked someone about it an aid station and then said I needed salt - even more than what Gatorade was providing.  So, I got some pure salt from another racer (who was prepared) and over the next few miles I was able to get back to running and finish things out.  If I had planned for salt intake, I probably could have finished at least 20-30 mins earlier.  It is amazing how something so small makes a huge difference.
  • This translates well to life and business in that things will hardly ever go as planned and you have to be ready for the unexpected, but not get emotionally wrapped up in.  Focus on what you can control and what you need to do to finish/win/reach the desired outcome – and then execute.
  • Always be ready and think logically – not emotionally.  I could have stopped the race, but instead, I asked what I needed to do and then implemented it allowing me to finish.
• Training is not the same as the real thing
  • I think we all know this, but a race like the Ironman really shows it.  Practice is not the same as the real thing.  Practice is great, but the best way to learn is to get out there and figure it out, fail, succeed, learn, and keep going.
  • You learn best by doing and going through the experience. (see above on my salt lesson)
• You can always do better - Perfection is unattainable, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t strive for it
  • Every one of us can succeed at higher levels than we are now.  We know it deep down and we feel it.  Embrace it and go for it. 
  • Based on what I learned in the race and properly preparing for salt intake, etc.  I know I can shave 30 mins off my time next time.
• You find allies and partners in the most unexpected places
  • My Apple watch died halfway through the bike course, so I was flying blind in knowing my pace, time, etc. 
  • I found an ally and it made a huge difference.  I was able to find someone who was going the pace I know I needed to ride at asked for their help in allowing me to pace off them.  They would update me every so many miles, so I knew I was hitting the targets for the ride.
  • In life and business, there are partners and allies in the most unexpected places - always be open to finding them.
• You win in your mind before you win anywhere else
  • I finished my race around 1pm, got my stuff, went home, and slept for a hour.  I got up and realized that I forgot to get my morning bag and went back over at about 4:30 pm to get it.
  • Everyone was gone – there were maybe 10-15 people still around, cleaning up and taking everything down. 
  • That is when I saw it – 3 bikers and a heavyset woman – 250+ lbs.  She was running toward me and the finish.  She was the last one.  It took her 10 hours, but she finished.  I watched and couldn’t do anything, but cheer and clap for her.  I was one of only a few in an empty stadium – but she finished.  She finished because she won first in her mind and that was no match for her physical limitations.
  • If you do not fully believe you can accomplish or reach your goal, it will not happen
• Having a big goal that you are devoted and so committed to, that there is no option but to reach it is one of the best drivers for success
  • What is your big goal?  Are you doing everything possible that you know you can to reach it?  It if doesn’t feel almost like an obsession, it’s not big enough.

So there you have it.  7 very important and useful lessons for anyone on their journey to success.  They work across all areas of your life, so put them to use for you!