Richie Norton

Image: Vitorio Benedetti

I’ve been through the school of hard knocks. I’ve stressed over failure after failure. There was a time when I had to recycle cans just to pay for gas (true story). I’ve wasted a lot of time and I’ve lost a lot of money trying to figure out this thing called success. I’ve been taken advantage of in business. I’ve used all kinds of excuses for not achieving certain results. I’ve worked HARD. . . on the wrong things. . . and I know, first-hand, just how frustrating and even bitter and jaded this can make you feel. Then one day, I looked at the trajectory of my life, and I decided it was time to learn from the failures, start new experiments and get it right. Time to debunk the excuses.

I reached out to strategic advisors and mentors and spent 6 years researching and writing The Power of Starting Something Stupid. The lessons I learned, and the person I became through the process of writing that book, will forever remain some of the greatest blessings and successes of my entire life.

I have MUCH to be grateful for.

2013 was a year that was filled with goals realized and dreams come true! 2013 was the year I completed and launched The Power of Starting Something Stupid; watched The Power of Starting Something Stupid become a best-seller; received my MBA  from the #1 ranked international business school in the world; spoke to audiences all over the planet (totaling about 20,000 people by year’s end!); traveled to places like Switzerland, Dominican Republic, Hawaii and Bali; created and lived out an intentional life together with my family: including two, month-long extended vacations (camping, hiking, stargazing, canoeing, fishing, surfing, bonfires and more. . .); moved into a new home; started an exciting new gig consulting a venture capital firm: which has me involved in some of the most intense and exciting business deals of my life. Truly, this year, I achieved goals I barely had the courage to dream up in the first place! So grateful.

HOW DID IT HAPPEN?

Clearly, these things didn’t happen overnight.  It took time and sincere effort/commitment  to BUILD UP to these exciting blessings/accomplishments. But I offer myself as living, breathing proof that you (yes, YOU!) truly can make dreams happen (even, and perhaps, especially, the wildest and craziest ones of all). It all starts with finding the courage, willingness and resolve to BUILD the path toward your dreams. . .  one.brick.at.a.time.

It’s easy to believe that we aren’t achieving the results we want for reasons that are outside of our realm of control. Trust me, I’ve used all the same excuses myself. I get it. I do.

“I don’t have enough time.”

“ I don’t have enough education.”

“I don’t have enough money.”

Ultimately, however, these types of excuses aren’t what’s really holding us back . . . how many rags to riches stories can you spout out at the drop of a hat? How many examples could we offer up, of people who overcame all the odds and made a life for themselves—made BIG things happen—on their own terms? Countless, really. And guess what? We each have unique gifts and talents, we each have unique goals and dreams for our lives, we each have the privilege (and responsibility) to make our own mark on the world. There are resources all around us just waiting to be leveraged that can help us achieve success.

It’s easier to believe it’s all outside of our control. I get it. I empathize. I’ve been there. But at the end of the day, we have to ask ourselves, “do we want our dreams, or do we want our excuses?” Because guess what, we can’t have both.

But if these kinds of circumstantial excuses aren’t the real problem, WHAT IS? Laziness? Maybe. But if you’re the kind of person reading this, I doubt laziness is the problem. A LOT of people out there who work, hard, every day of their lives, and never quite seem to get where they want to go. These people aren’t lazy. These people aren’t buying into excuses. They aren’t inept. They’re doing everything they think they can. So. . . what gives?

What we’re looking at here are symptoms of a root problem. Many people aren’t achieving their high-goals and high-aspirations because they lack a deliberate, personalized system for success. Not all systems are alike. We each have an existing system in place in our lives. . . it may not be deliberate, in fact, we may not even recognize that it exists, but we each have a dance. Day in and day out, we dance out our systems, and they lead us to getting the results we’re currently getting, right?

Life’s scary. When you’re trying to do something important, you have to face scary things. To crush fear doesn’t mean you eliminate it; crushing fear means you literally crush it down into smaller, more manageable parts and tackle one piece at a time. To escape fear, you have to go through it, not around.

In order to go from where we are now to where we want to be, we need deliberate and effective systems that are laser targeted on achieving the specific end result(s) we desire most. I’m not talking about more work (for the most part), I’m not talking about harder work (for the most part), what I’m talking about is better work. . . smarter work. .  .systematic work…more deliberate and targeted daily action.

The ultimate end in mind being a life led with meaning, intention and influence. Success could show up as more time, more freedom, or more money. Success could show up as getting a new job, learning a new skill or starting a new project. Whatever it is, why not actively work towards achieving your greatest life goals through the power of an effective system?

EXCLUSIVE ONE-ON-ONE CONSULTING OFFER

You can achieve the kind of success you seek. I want to help you get there. One brick at a time. If you’re willing to do the work, I’m willing to support you along the way. Together, we can get you on target and accelerate your success. Of course, I can’t promise you what you’re future will look like. No one can. But as the legendary management consultant Peter Drucker said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” There’s no better way to create the future than establishing systems in the present that lead towards our desired results.

I’m DEEPLY grateful for my advisors—past, present and future—and I’m also SO THANKFUL for all my past and current coaching clients! You make my work so meaningful and fulfilling. It is a joy watching you succeed!

I’ve consulted and coached multi-millionaires, CEOs of some of the fastest growing companies in America, entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs, creatives, professionals, universities, small businesses, non-profits, social enterprises and students in both personal and professional development. Because of the demand for consulting from individuals and businesses this year, I simply wasn’t able to take on every prospective client who reached out. In fact, I put a hold on accepting any new clients so I could remain committed to giving my full focus and best efforts to my existing ones.

However, as the year comes to a close, I’ve decided to re-open up my exclusive personal development / strategic business advising services to 10 more individuals/businesses with a personalized program that I call The Big Fat Fresh Start! This is a year-end gift to help those who are serious about success to make 2014 their year!

This is exclusive, one-on-one business / personal development coaching with me, personally—with a special bonus that I will disclose after I have received your consulting application.

In fact, because I’m in the giving spirit, I’m going to throw in one more bonus. For the first 15 people who apply for one of the 10 available spots, I’ll do a FREE 10 minute call with you—simply to answer your most pressing question and help you get your year started right!

The bottom line is this: I know first hand that success requires support. I’d love to offer that support to you and help you make 2014 your best year yet. I love the acronym that’s been thrown around for years—TEAM: Together Everyone Achieves More. It’s true.

What will next year look like for you? Will it be more of the same, another year gone by—just like all the rest? Or, will you do something different today to create a tomorrow you’ll be proud of?

CLICK HERE if you’re interested in learning more about taking your business and life to new heights through an effective system hand-tailored to YOU. You’ll receive a personal response from me, containing details about the coaching program and specific pricing information.*

If you’d like to learn a little more about me and my work, click here for a PDF of my bio and some testimonials. You can also learn more about me on my website.

NOTE: This offer is for action-takers, goal-setters and go-getters—who are excited for, and dedicated to, getting real results in 2014. This offer is not for people who are interested in twiddling their thumbs and waiting for life to wend its way by. If you are ready to generate real success in business and life in 2014, I’d love to hear from you!

*Offer ends on Saturday, December 14th, 2013. Applications must be received by 11:59pm in order to be considered. Any applications received after that time will be put on the waiting list.

CLICK HERE to start creating your BIG FAT FRESH START.

WRAP-UP, GEAR-UP & MAKE NEXT YEAR YOUR YEAR

Consider these words (excerpts adapted from The Power of Starting Something Stupid) to help you wrap-up this year, gear-up for the next and claim it as the time you made dreams happen:

1. Wrap-up the year by expressing gratitude for every good thing that happened. Write your grateful thoughts down so you can call upon them to lift you up when you’re feeling down.

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of the virtues, but the parent of all of the others.” –Cicero

When I think of the importance of gratitude in general, but specifically as a catalyst for success, I can’t help but  nod eagerly in agreement. Gratitude is a remarkable force for good in all aspects of life, and I’m not the only one who thinks so:

“A noble person is mindful and thankful of the favors he receives from others.”—Buddha

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”—Wallace D. Wattles

“Of all the ‘attitudes’ we can acquire, surely the attitude of gratitude is the most important, and by far the most life-changing.”—Zig Ziglar

“When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.”—Anthony Robbins

Adam Smith, in his work entitled Theory of Moral Sentiments, wrote, “The sentiment which most immediately and directly prompts us to reward, is gratitude.” It’s true.

Thanking is a form of payment that exponentially pays forward both personally and professionally. People are far more likely to collaborate with, hire, or refer a grateful person than an ungrateful one. Additionally, experts on positive psychology have shown that the trait of gratitude actually increases overall happiness and decreases depression.

“ Gratitude has the potential to change everything from its ordinary state to being a gift.” —Barbara Frederickson, psychologist

In order to build genuine relationships, experience greater fulfillment, and set yourself up for significant and meaningful success, always express sincere gratitude, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant the contribution may be.

Gratitude grows. If you want to experience a greater sense of thankfulness in your life, say “Thank you!” more often. It’s a small thing, but people who consistently express gratitude develop a higher level of awareness for all the things in their lives they have to be grateful for. When we express our gratitude, it grows.

2. Gear-up for next year with “mission matching.” Get 100% clear on what it is you want to accomplish and start asking people (who you’ve created relationships with and who have a similar mission) to help you make it happen. In other words, what’s your “ask” and will it be mutually beneficial to the person you’re asking?

“ Asking is the beginning of receiving. Make sure you don’t go to the ocean with a teaspoon. At least take a bucket so the kids won’t laugh at you.” —Jim Rohn, renowned author and speaker

When I first met Justin Lyon, it was immediately apparent that he was unlike anyone I’d ever known. “Charismatic” is a heavily diluted description. So when Lyon told me he hadn’t always been that way, it was a shocking revelation to say the least. When he described what he was like growing up, he used words like “shy” and “insecure.”

Lyon had always wanted to work in the movie industry. He pictured himself producing independent films and changing the world. However, in the small town in Idaho where he grew up . . . well, to say his dream was frowned upon would be an understatement. “It’s devil’s work!” was essentially the response. So he put his dream away. “My culture told me that going into filmmaking would be foolish,” he recalls, “so I stopped dreaming about it.”

A few years later, Lyon moved to Arizona where he was hired as a bellboy at a luxury resort. He quickly worked his way up the hierarchy and was promoted to the position of Bell Captain. The other full-time Bell Captains were in their forties and fifties, and frequently discussed where they’d be now if they had made different decisions when they were younger. The regret these men openly expressed made a deep impression on young Lyon, who was in his early twenties at the time. “Do I want to make this job into a career?” he thought.

Lyon did his job well; he always served cheerfully and took a genuine interest in each hotel guest. In turn, guests often took a genuine interest in him—and celebrity guests were no exception. It wasn’t uncommon for him to wait on people who made headlines. Actors, musicians, and even movie producers frequented the resort.

With the other bellmen’s regrets ringing loudly in his ears, Lyon remembered his dream of working in the movie industry and decided he was ready to do whatever it took.

He worked up the courage to discuss his dream with celebrity guests by reasoning with himself: We’re all human, and famous people are just humans who are better known. He opened up to these guests, and many of them took a genuine interest in him. Over time, his paradigm began to change. One day, he asked a visiting studio executive from Los Angeles about his concern that the industry would make him corrupt. The executive responded, “You can be corrupt at anything. There are corrupt lawyers, dentists, and doctors too. You can make it in this industry and still be yourself.”

Lyon later related, “I learned that if you love something, if your heart is really in it, you can live your dreams and maintain your ideals.”

He was done waiting. In his own Hollywood-worthy moment, he quit his job, packed his bags, and headed for LA. After he arrived, he placed a call to Mark Mulcahy, a VP at Paramount Pictures whom Lyon had met while he was bellhopping. Lyon asked Mulcahy if he would take him on a tour of the Paramount studio. He said yes,  and Lyon got to see behind the scenes and get a better idea of what it really took to make movies.

Next, Lyon cold-called one of his idols, producer Gerry Molen, who had produced Schindler’s List alongside director Steven Spielberg. Lyon told Molen that he was an aspiring producer and asked him for advice. Molen graciously agreed to part with some nuggets of wisdom for the industry. He advised Lyon to go to school, but not to let that stop him from producing along the way. So, Lyon enrolled at the Art Center College of Design and started doing as many projects as he could. He remembers, “These projects had shoestring, rather, no-string budgets,” so he volunteered his time.

One day, Lyon was contacted by Christian Jacobs, “The MC Bat Commander” from the popular rock band The Aquabats, and Scott Schultz, an accomplished artist and musician. “They were sick of boring TV programming for kids,” he recalls. “They wanted to create an educational children’s show that was fun for parents, too.” The problem was, the pair had been pitching their idea to networks for six years with no results. “They had their own unique talents and backgrounds,” Lyon said, “but they were not finding success getting their children’s show picked up by a network.”

Because Lyon had taken Gerry Molen’s advice and started working right away, he already had enough projects under his belt to legitimize himself as a producer. So the three of them started a production company called The Magic Store, and got to work. Again remembering Molen’s advice, Lyon decided to just bite the bullet and make some pilot episodes. Luckily, Lyon had learned how to bootstrap from his early projects, and the team was able to convince family and friends to make costumes, create the music, and design the sets for the show. They figured, worst-case scenario, they could recoup the little money they borrowed by selling some DVDs.

Once the pilots were complete, they resumed the process of pitching the show to the networks. Nothing. Then the game changed. They decided to upload a trailer to the Internet to see if there was any interest. The video went viral. Over a four-day period, there were over a million views, crashing their server.

“Suddenly,” Lyon said, “people from television networks started e-mailing us every five minutes, from all around the world, asking us where they could find our show.” At the same time they were fielding all these calls, viewers started calling Nickelodeon, suggesting they pick up the show. Even Jared Hess, the director of Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre, called the director of Nickelodeon Movies and told her she needed to see the pilot.

Yo Gabba Gabba went into production just a couple of months later, and within four seasons, it has become a household name. Brands like Vans have licensed Yo Gabba Gabba shoes; Volcom licensed T-shirts; Neff licensed beanies, and on and on. The show has even done live performances, selling out Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

All because of  two dads with a stupid idea they weren’t willing to give up on, and a shy kid from a small town in Idaho, who wasn’t afraid to ask for help in achieving his big-city dreams.

“ A man may fulfill the object of his existence by asking a question he cannot answer, and attempting a task he cannot achieve.” —Oliver Wendell Holmes

A simple but effective way to become who you want to become or go where you want to go is to ask for directions from those who have already been there.

We’ve all been in the car with a driver who won’t stop and ask for directions. In fact, we’ve probably all been that driver. “I’m almost there. I can figure it out. Just one more exit.” These are the same types of things people tell themselves when they’re stuck on a project and are headed nowhere fast.

What stops us from asking for what we need? Here’s an example to illustrate. There is a movie theater near my home that always has the longest lines. Moviegoers are consistently in line for as long as half an hour and many frequently miss the beginning of their movies. Yet right inside the door of the building (before you hand over your ticket), there is a ticket kiosk. You simply insert a debit or credit card, and the machine prints your movie pass right there. No one is ever at this machine. Anyone can walk in, pay, and go straight to their show without waiting more than thirty seconds. All the line-waiters have to do is ask if there is a faster way to get a ticket. But no one does.

Many times we don’t ask simply because we are assuming that there’s no other way. We shrug our shoulders and sigh, “This is just the way it is.” But more often than not, we’re wrong!

Don’t underestimate the power of asking. Get out of line and start asking questions. It will accelerate your success.

How to Ask: Mission Matching

Asking is scary. No one wants to be rejected or come off sounding presumptuous or needy, but asking is the quickest way to get from where you are to where you want to be! And there are respectful and compelling ways to ask for help, ways that will honor and even excite the person you are asking, and maybe even inspire them to want to help you along your way.

I call this kind of asking Mission Matching.

Mission Matching requires you to ask for things that create synergistic congruence between missions. In other words, Mission Matching means that whatever you’re asking, the proposition needs to be executed in a way that is mutually, rather than exclusively, beneficial. You’re not just going to ask and receive; your aim is to ask, receive, and contribute as well.

Before you approach the person you will be asking for help, consider these three points:

Do your homework. Research the person or organization you’re approaching in order to determine their specific needs, goals, and potential struggles.

Ask “What’s in it for them?” Explore how you can use your unique strengths to contribute to their overarching mission in the most significant ways.

Match your missions. Determine how working together can serve both of you in ways that are mutually and significantly beneficial.

Asking for help in this way is not only beneficial to your long-term success, it’s often even more powerful than simply hiring people or companies for their services. There is often no exchange of money, but there  is generally a more significant emotional exchange. This creates the potential for a deep and lasting relationship and opens up opportunities for future collaboration.

3. Make Next Year YOUR Year by experimenting with “projects.”

“All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

Projects are a wonderful way to experiment with your stupid ideas, because with a small project, the stakes are considerably lower than they are with a big-picture goal.

Projects allow us to experiment and determine what works and what doesn’t. They also allow us room to fail and modify our ideas as necessary to achieve eventual success. With an experiment, you can test as many ideas as you can, as fast as you want, and then go with the methods that are most effective.

Consider how Mark Zuckerberg generates innovation at Facebook. Fast Company magazine once asked Zuckerburg, “How do you innovate?” He responded,

“A lot of people think innovation is just having a great idea. But a lot of it is just moving quickly and trying a lot of things. So, at Facebook we’ve really built our whole company and our culture around this. We do things like ship code every single day. And, um, we have this tradition of having hack-a-thons—which are events where all of our engineers and really the whole company get together and stay up all night just building things. Whatever they want. Not what they’re doing for work. Just trying things out and innovating.”

Projects like the kind Zuckerberg promotes at Facebook spur innovation, and sometimes those innovative ideas stick.

Google is another prime example. As part of their mission, not only do they listen to every idea that comes through “on the theory that any Googler can come up  with the next breakthrough,” but they allow time for their employees to experiment with personal projects. “We offer our engineers ‘20-percent time’ so that they’re free to work on what they’re really passionate about.” The result of personal projects and experiments in areas that truly interest their employees are impressive, to say the least. For example, ideas like “Google Suggest, AdSense for Content and Orkut are among the many products of this perk.”

Do you think you would you be more likely or less likely to test one of your so-called “stupid ideas” in an environment like the one Google strives to create? My money’s on “more likely,” and you can facilitate the same kind of environment in or outside of almost any organization.

Experiment with “projects” and see what works. It’s better to find out now if your idea is a flop (when the stakes are low) than to wait your whole life and find out your idea is a failure (when the stakes are high).

Try it out yourself. Test your idea with an experimental project. See what works and what doesn’t. Then move forward or move on.

To help you get started, here’s a free action guide where I hold your hand through a daily process to turn your “stupid idea” into your “smart reality.” Enjoy!

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Again, I’d be honored for the chance to work with you personally on your journey to start your own idea, grow your business and simply get a big fat fresh start for this New Year.

CLICK HERE if you’re interested in learning more about taking your business and life to new heights through an effective system hand-tailored to YOU. You’ll receive a personal response from me, containing details about the coaching program and specific pricing information.*

*Offer ends on Saturday, December 14th, 2013. Applications must be received by 11:59pm in order to be considered. Any applications received after that time will be put on the waiting list.