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1: You are stuck.

“If only your prospects knew as much about your company and its solutions as you do, they would buy from you, right?” Erik Peterson and Tim Riesterer write in their powerful book Conversations That Win the Complex Sale.

Not so fast, the authors suggest.

Erik and Tim emphasize the importance of finding your unique story and point of view as a salesperson. This is essential … continue reading

1: Then Intel CEO Andy Grove was sitting in a conference room with other members of the Intel team.

The topic? “Evaluations of a certain highly touted new software from a company whose other products we already use,” Andy writes in his legendary business book, Only the Paranoid Survive: How to Exploit the Crisis Points That Challenge Every Company.

Intel’s head of Information Technology shared the challenges her team … continue reading

bowl of vegetable salads

1: When it comes to nutrition, we get it wrong.

“Fad diets with extreme principles pushed by savvy marketers have dominated the cultural understanding of nutrition over the years,” Sahil Bloom writes in his book The 5 Types of Wealth.

“But contrary to what these expert marketers might tell us,” he notes, “proper nutrition is quite simple.”

Nothing extreme or complicated is required here.

2: This week, we’ve been … continue reading

1: The global wellness economy is $4.4 trillion.

Wowza.

“With each new fitness gadget promising perfect abs and each new miracle health food promising youthful vigor, we are forced into a silent battle against the overwhelmingly strong and savvy energy of the world’s best marketers,” Sahil Bloom writes in his book The 5 Types of Wealth.

“Their jobs depend on convincing us that we need all of it to … continue reading

1: “So tell me this,” the young executive asked, “Is Panera almost as good as Donatos?”

“Is he joking?” Panera Bread CEO Ron Shaich thought to himself.

It was the early 2000s. Ron was sitting in an executive boardroom at McDonald’s headquarters outside Chicago. Ten years earlier, he had purchased the St. Louis Bread Company and renamed it Panera.

On the other side of the table were members of McDonald’s … continue reading

1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about.

Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, and exemplary organizations. On Friday, I share something about myself or what we’re working on at PCI.

Last month, I shared my proven annual goal-setting process.   For the past seven years, I have selected ten annual goals. Which I call “The 10.”

I select my goals from … continue reading

1: “‘Fail fast’ might work when it comes to software,” Panera Bread founder Ron Shaich writes in his powerful book Know What Matters.

“‘Done is better than perfect’ might be an appropriate mantra for Facebook,” Ron observes.  

“When speed-to-market is your priority, minimally viable may be sufficient.

“But if we’re trying to build a lasting brand, to create a relationship with our customers for the long term,” he notes, … continue reading

It was September 2022.  Eliud Kipchoge set a new all-time world record for the marathon in Berlin.

“What many people do not know about one of the fastest marathoners in history is his habit of keeping a detailed diary,” Anne-Laure Le Cunff writes in Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World.

“This diary is not just a log of his physical training,” Anne-Laure notes, “it also … continue reading

1: “To create anything of value—whether it’s a product, a company, a society, or a life,” Ron Shaich writes in his powerful book Know What Matters: Lessons from a Lifetime of Transformations, “we must push through our default settings.”

How do we do that?

“By living consciously and deliberately, by making the hard choices, and by using tools … to discover what will really matter, again and again.”… continue reading

“Many of the opportunities you have in your life are generated by the energy you create around you.” —Ken Robinson and Lou Aronica

1: It’s Tuesday.  Time to take on the day.

There is, however, a hidden enemy working against us.

“Every time we switch tasks,” Dan Martell writes in his book Buy Back Your Time, our “brains have to switch focus.”

The technical term for this is “context … continue reading