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John Fritz |
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I've learned you can become successful in one of three ways:
- Learn from your own mistakes
- Learn from other people's mistakes
- Learn under the wing of a gifted mentor
I've done my best in the first two but it was the benefit of the third that broadened and deepened perspective and context that predicts success in life and business by understanding how things happen and why things happen. I was fortunate to have three valuable mentors at important times over my years in business.
My first mentor was an uncle who took me under his wing in a family business at age 11. In the next 11 years I rose from sweeping soot in the basement to becoming a professional tennis instructor managing a department of the store. He taught me three key values:
- To think like 'management' and know how to make a payroll
- There is no substitute for quality... it ensures success.
- "Success in business is simple. Take care of the customer... and the customer not only comes back... he tells his friends."
Valuable lessons which I carried into my next business venture and mentor relationship.
My second mentor is a GrandMaster Martial Arts Instructor. I found the application of "maximum efficiency with minimum effort" and concepts like "the Master knows how to do a little at the right time rather than... a lot at the wrong" not only fascinating and inspirational but effective in all my business endeavors. His understanding and ability to communicate precise application, design and the "cause behind the cause" in the arts and business was and is truly profound. I lead our team using the business growth and finance strategies he taught us and grew the company 10 fold in 9 years. Culminating in a $150 million joint venture with an institutional funder. I am forever grateful for his trust and insights about how and why things work... and change with scale and over time.
My third mentor was a psychiatrist who was also an Initiate of a Tibetan Wisdom Tradition. He was doing Applied Medical Research working with children and their families, using a break-through protocol and technology he developed . Results were consistent and dramatic. This mentor taught me valuable skills that have benefited me in business and in life, about the mind and how to negotiate with it to dissolve unnecessary limitations and realize unlimited potential consistently.
So now I have entered my mentor phase as I approach 60 years of age.
Passengers we are together on this journey. The question is will we realize our full potential?
In the Orient, there is a saying:
"There is no such things as an accident."
If that were true, you might consider:
"Why has this information come into your life now... precisely at this time?"
Are you ready? We are. |
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