The former NBA player and coach that I sat next to on my flight to Dubai last week told me that he was once very close with Mike Tyson before Mike got married to Robin Givens…as we spoke, he told me with a big sigh…. as if he was thinking & remembering outloud, how great a fighter Mike Tyson once was…”the best ever,” he commented.

Unfortunately, 99 out of 100 people most probably do not remember how exceptionally tough and great a boxer Tyson once was ….. we only remember his most recent arrest, facial tatoo, him biting Holyfield’s ear ….. very few people remember how great he once was.

Steve Jobs is arguably one of the best marketing genius’ of recent times ….. we have all but forgotten (as we should) that Steve, who co-founded Apple failed as a leader — when he was CEO, the company nearly went bankrupt.  Consequently, He was fired as the ceo and bascially, banished from Apple by the board.

Many years later - Steve Jobs came back, as he explained in one of his books “he reflected on his mistakes and became a new & improved leader.”  We only know the genius that he is today.  A genius that has revolutionized mp3’s and mobile phones…..we have all forgotten (as we should) his failures 15- 20 years ago.

My point is that he failed … but he got back up, reflected on his mistakes and climbed higher.  No one remembers his failures of 15-20 years ago.

We only remember his success today.

My dad said over and over when I was younger somthing that never clicked until about 8 years ago or so …. “you are only as good as your last sale….”

It does not matter what you did last year.

 The truth is that no one cares about how great you once were …. what matters is how great you are today.

From my experience — many talented people who achieve greatess, when they fail once or twice …. they then fall into the trap of living off their past …..

but no one cares about your greatness last year ….

The great thing about life is that we are only as good as our last success.

Which means when we do make mistakes - we can get back up, learn from them and climb higher …. and the truth is the mistakes or failures will be long forgotten when one achieves.

…. if you fail … screw up … make a big mistake ….. all of the negatives are forotten when you get up and climb higher and achieve.

you are only as good as your last sale.

I posted this 6 months ago — hopefully, it gets everyone to reflect. 

Wasted talent … a theme that drives many of these entries.

so many exceptionally talented people … who could of and should of, but didn’t….

Tomorrow I want to re-discuss the idea…”you are only as good as your last sale…” 

When I was in university, I fell 4 stories rock climbing … I broke my arm, my hand, my leg, my tail bone and had multi-skull fractures.  I was in a coma for a couple of weeks and nearly died.

Stupidly, a friend and I had gone drinking beer at a place called “the rock” in the Berkeley hills one Friday afternoon.
The rock is a mountain cliff with beautiful views of the S.F. bay and surrounding areas. 

Stupidly, I got drunk and fell off the mountain.

After taking a year and a half off school to rehabiliate - I went back to University, but I could no longer swim at the same level as before and “retired.”

One day… the football coach heard about my accident and contacted me to speak to the football team … he wanted me to discuss the consequences of drinking, etc.

As my American readers understand … speaking to your university’s football team is a very big deal …. so I really prepared for it.

My speach was at a hotel, after an alumni dinner … there was the team and their parents..

After the dinner, the coach called me on stage ….

I explained to the team that I had been just a fairly good swimmer…. although I had dreams/goals of becoming great, I never achieved close to my talent …. one of the several reasons why I never achieved my full potential was because I let drinking, partying, and picking up girls (superfiscial pleasures) get in the way of my focus and goals.

I got really into the speech….it all clicked for me….because I was speaking from the heart. 

I said to them something like:

 ”some of you guys have the potential to become NFL players and make a career with football and potentially millions of dollars playing the game you love … so do not let something as stupid as drinking/partying get in the way of your focus.”

At the end of my speech, I got a long standing ovasion and invited to have desert and coffee with the Captains of the team.

I remember one of the captains … a “brad pitt” look a like that was built like Zeus…6′6″ (2 meters) and 240 lbs of pure muscle (120 kilos) a stud … definately, he could pick up just about any girl he wanted… but he asked me, “how do you “not” drink….? don’t you feel uncomfortable?”  I was shocked …. here is the ultimate male specimen basically telling me that he drinks because he needs to be “buzzed” to have the confidence to speak to women….. unbelievable.

at the same table listening to our conversation was one of the star players …. another guy built like Zeus, but even bigger …. he explained as well that drinking a couple beers made him more “loose” ….. and made several jokes and we all laughed.

I left that evening very proud … and over the season got invited to VIP parties with the team, etc.

Sadly….. around 9 months later, the guy that was bigger than Zeus… the star of the team who was projected to be the 4th overall pick in the NFL draft which was only a week or so away ….

without question this man was soon to be a multi-multi millionare, broke his neck in a drunk driving accident and is paralyzed from the neck down for the rest of his life.

Surely, this man and his mother (whom was at that dinner and table that night I spoke to the team), surely they have thought about my speech and have incredible regret.  It is a terribly sad story.

I am sure a couple loyal readers will comment that this entry is “very deep” …. but it is such a sad story that maybe a few readers will gain something positive from it — don’t let anything get in the way of your focus.

Up until that football players accident … I had been invited to speak to all the teams including the basketball team where Jason Kidd was the star, I also spoke to high schools… but after this guy’s accident, I lost the drive…and I never agreed to speak again.

The world is full of exceptional people …. people that have the talent to be great football players; great salesman; great leaders; etc………….

but how many people fail to achieve their full potential because something gets in the way of their focus?

stick to your pitch

Last week my name as well as naseba was associated with possibly the most mediocre event that I have heard about — “RAW Africa” which was hosted by a naseba group company, ambition events.

My old buddy, the MD and founder of ambition events delivered an event that was so disgustingly, poorly prepared, managed and operationally run - that as soon as the event was over, I terminated all professional contracts & relationships with him.

Over the weekend, Gary Burrows in our Cape Town office fwd Liam and I a link on the “runner’s world” website forum with my corporate picture someone had taken from our website and several comments from people calling me a “capitalist tyrant” and another person refering to me as “Lex Luthur.”

The hand full of disgruntled people were refering to my termination of the MD as well as a comment I had said in an interview on TV, one of which I later approved to be included in a press release — a comment that to this day, I stand by every word:

“one can only get so far up the mountain by cheating and dishonestly hustling their way until they fall off it…”

One person said my comment was “unprofessional…”

My role as the Chairman & CEO of the naseba group is not to candy coat a pile of garbage … or turn a blind eye to mediocrity, but to ensure the group expands, develops and grows financially…

I made a big change after the race, but no one was made a scape goat. 

Liam commented to Gary that ”Scott embraces mistakes…and always turns them into a positive….” 

We all make mistakes, but is up to the person who makes them to learn from their mistake and climb higher.

whatever success I have achieved thus far, one of my secrets is that I am proud.  I am proud of my team; proud of our product; and proud of the culture that everyone associates with naseba. 

Last week I felt a deep sense of disgrace to be associated with ambition events and our RAW series.

As far as the comment someone said about me being “unprofessional” …..The term “unprofessional” (in my opinion) is reserved for someone who lies; dishonestly hustles; and intentionally misleads people … which no one in my industry, group of companies, friends, investors, circle of business competitors, even those people who may not personally like me —- no one refers to Scott Ragsdale as unprofessional nor dishonest.

I am demanding.

I am demanding that all the people that work at one of our 4 different naseba group companies wants exactly what I want — to be the most successful one can possibly be.

I despise mediocrity.

I DO NOT expect employees to work 6 days a week and live only for naseba – HOWEVER, I do expect each manager level/senior level manager (which ideally is the way each leads their teams and products)  to be focused, honorable, dynamic, driven and proud of ones own work ethic.

A good example…. Kerry; Leila; Gary work for naseba in Cape Town– but because the ambition events race was held in South Africa, they helped the MD run the event.  While the boss of the event was hiding in his car, these three pro-actively got involved trying to make the race/event better and did not hide behind anything.

I am very proud that in all the negative feedback on the race director/MD of ambition events, each participant included very positive comments about the naseba employees (Leila, Kerry and Gary) 

naseba is turning this (mistake) negative into a positive by re-focusing ambition events; promoting a new Managing Director who is an ironman finisher, someone who has worked for me for 4+ years and knows exactly what I/naseba stands for.  We are also launching a new series of “make it happen” events which will be entirely (honorably) focused on the spirit of “ambition.”

Today’s blog is not about kicking my old friend, it is not about finding, or justifying excuses for a bad event that my name was associated with last week …. today’s blog is about reminding every reader to take pride in what you do — and do whatever you do (even if you work for a competitor) do your job to best of your ability.

Anyone can bull shit.  

Anyone can talk about how hard they are going to work.

Anyone can talk about how great things are going to be, etc….

But it all comes back to the same thing …. you have to make success happen.

I will not post any negative comments about the previous MD of Ambition Events .  I will not post any negative comments or opinions on today blog.

instead of focusing on the negatives ….

just f…ing sell….

On my flight from Nice to Dubai yesterday — on the plane, I sat next to an old NBA player and coach who is speaking at a private function in abu dhabi…

As I might share interesting stories he told me about certain players - I will not name the coach, but he is someone who is famous enough that all american readers would know his name.

My new friend and I talked nearly the whole 5 hour flight.

We talked in great detail about how now a days, compared to 10+ years ago …. how much more difficult it is to manage players…

he said something like: “players today… they don’t want it, like we wanted it…”

He expanded on his idea by adding, “Often times the coaches want the players to be great more than the players want to be great…” 

We had a long discussion over the idea of the coach wanting to win more than the team wants to win  (he was refering to his friend Isiah Thomas who recently got fired and he clearly blamed the players and not Isiah)

We also discussed in great detail the idea of that one teacher in all our lives, surely everyone has had one….. a teacher who challenges us to achieve, and wants success for us more than we want it…

Our conversation got me to reflect on myself and my past 20 years….and several demanding role models, coaches, bosses, friends, that I have had in my life that hammered me into shape; people who did not allow me to be just ok….but instead they challenged/challenge me to step up and seize my talents.  Coach Troy; Coach Shofe; Konno sensei; Tokito sensei; PN; JG; SLR…..

Would they have had/have the same life changing impact on me … had they been soft and sweet …. instead of tough and expecting?

NO F….ING WAY.

As our plane was landing … we came back to what started our conversation in the beginning ….

….the role of a boss/manager and how the role is nearly the exact same role as a coach:  to get the best out of his players/employees and to challenge them to be the best they can be.

But in the end, the players/employees must want to be as successful and live up to their potential as much as their boss/coach wants them to be.

for certain…..there are a few readers who can relate to the above thought…

just f…ing sell.

Over the past couple of days, I received 6 emails and two text messages from friends and employees asking me if I was refering to them with the previous post “he could be so great, but….”  (8 different people, 3 of which do not work for naseba)

Ideally, I created reflection in all of us by the previous post….pointing out how just about all of us could be more focused; work harder; in a word, be “better” than we are today.

but it is so much easier to just sit around and talk about it…

 …. Richard, the person in charge of the design and graphics of my blog is on vacation so the cigar of the month for May will be updated on Monday. 

Over coffee this morning Sophie and I talked about an old friend of ours who is exceptionally talented, but lazy.

He achieves, but is not as consistent and focused as he could be.

Sophie said with a big sigh…”he could be so great….”

Sophie is the most reliable and hyper dynamic person that I know.  I am not speaking with a bias - I am stating a fact.

She makes her life and job happen…. consequently, she has little patience for those that “just talk about it…”

On the drive to work, I reflected on her comment; her observation of our friend…. and thought about myself, this blog and how I/everyone can relate to what she said. 

I thought about all the “I could have been’s…” in my life over the years

….without question over these past 12 months I “could have” made better decisions that ultimately would have more positively affected the bottom line. 

…Life is one big learning experience.

However, each mistake or bad move can be turned into a positive. 

We make mistakes …. but it is up to each of us to learn from them, get up and climb higher.

The person we were speaking about this morning … he could be a great business man, but he has to be more organized. 
He could be a great leader - but he must lead more by example…he could be…the list of “could be….”goes on…

Everyone…. myself included, we can be better at whatever it is that we are doing.

but it is up to each of us to make this happen….

and just f…ing sell.

Unfortunately, their are people that I know that read this blog”that could be great….” but are ”victims” … who go through life blaming others for their mistakes - they spend their life focusing on all the negatives instead of learning and climbing higher. 

I took my two daughters to St Tropez for the weekend.  We stayed about a 5 minute drive from the village at a wine vineyard that has been turned into a cool hotel.

Normally, I do not like going to St. Tropez because  it is very small and in the summer there are thousands of people, however, right now, it is still not crowded.

Sophie was in Cape Town for the week, and because I am often away from my girls, traveling for work, I wanted to do something fun with them.

We left Monaco around 5:30pm on Friday and arrived to our hotel by 7:30pm … an easy, gorgeous drive.

We went into St Tropez village the next morning and walked around. 

For those that do not know St Tropez, it is a small, beautiful port about 2 hour drive from Monaco/Nice.  In the summer, the rich and famous go there to be seen.

After living in Monaco for the past 5+ years, big flashy cars and boats no longer impress me - but St Tropez is gorgeous, esp. when there are not many people.

On Saturday we walked all around the port and village - not many people.  We walked right next to one of the most beautiful mega-yachts I have ever seen.  I think it was the biggest boat in the port because it was parked on the side of the port.

I was smoking a cigar as we walked by this boat….. and an british gentleman in his 60’s, wearing the same uniform as everyone cleaning the boat, I assume the captain or deck hand walked in front of us smoking a cigar and boarded the ship…. as he walked in front of us, he turned towards me, smiled and held his cigar up without saying a word, as if to say “hello…”

Saturday night, I took the girls to an early dinner (7:30pm which in St. Tropez is considered early) and we sat facing a large square behind the port (I cant think of the name) but it is the famous square.

Our hotel recommended a small Italian restaurant, Cafe Milano, and our table faced, and was diretly on the square. 

Immediately, Giovanna joined a few girls around her same age, I would discover later they are british.

The meal was very good - but what I enjoyed the most was watching Giovanna, who speaks only french playing with 3 british girls who did not speak french…she would yell over thoughout the evenng to me and ask me what a word was in english or how to say something …. it was funny.

After dinner, I enjoyed a cigar as I sat chatting with Marie and watching Giovanna run around the square with her new friends.

The man that I had seen, I assume the captain of the massive, gorgeous mega yacht walked over to me …. once again he was also smoking a cigar.  He looked like he had been working all day on the engine, he was very dirty.

We would learn that one of the three little girls that Giovanna was playing with was his grand daughter…. so he sat down next to me and we small talked a bit. 

For those readers that know me well, know that I am not a big ”small talker “…. so we sat mostly,  in silence as we enjoyed our cigars and watching the girls play.

We did talk about cafe’s …. and how enjoyable the french cafe culture is.  We talked about cigars, and he commented that when his boss is away, he smokes up to 8 cigars a day.  Very interesting man.

Although I was dying to ask him questions about the boat and who his “boss” was …. I did not. 

30 minutes later, after he suggested a cafe for breakfast …. he left with his grand daughter.

Marie laughingly asked me if I thought he was the captain of the boat….. by all the grease on his shirt and face and hands , I assumed most probably.

The next morning, Giovanna, Marie and I woke up early and went into the village for breakfast at the cafe the british man had recommended.  It was around 7:30am when we got to the port….and there were very few people around.  It was gorgeous.

Within 10 minutes of being at the cafe, the man and his grand daughter also showed up.  Giovanna and “Leena” went running off playing.  “Phillip” sat at the table right next to mine … we both smoked cigars, drank coffee — and the sheer coincidence of seeing each other 3 days in a row had both of us giddy and talkative.

Over the course of a couple of hours, we sat and spoke about everything, he asked me a lot about my life…naseba, my travels, etc.  he asked me loads of questions ….in fact, our conversation,  I will remember for the rest of my life.

He had overheard Marie tell me that in her magazine it says that 50 Cent just bought a 2 million dollar watch….

Phillip said to me in a beautiful british accent: 

“the problem in the world today is that 9 out of 10 people, especially your people (he was refering to americans) think that owning a 2 million dollar watch is the ultimate achievement.  The tv shows that your daughter watch are selling her dreams that do not exist. 2 million dollar watches!  when I was a young man, people looked down on such foolish spending …. now our world tells us that owning a 2 million dollar watch is the pinnacle of success.”

(I got very interested in what he was saying because he was saying something that I say all the time in this blog) 

He went on to tell me that when he started his first company….. the work ethic was completely different than it is today.  He also told me how people try to steal from him all the time … even just small amounts of money…. He told me how loyalty today is nothing like it was when he was younger….and jokingly coughed in a thick british accent…. ”2 million dollar watch!”

He said that our focus today on materialism is crushing man’s spirit to succeed.  He told me that he read an article in the FT that claims that a majority of people would rather “win” 1 million pounds instead of working to “earn” 1 million pounds…..

Very interesting.

Our conversation was very Ayn Rand like … but he told me that he had never read any of her books.

A good 2 hours had passed since we started talking …. A woman in her late 60’s, super chic’ly dressed walked up to us …. and Phillip said to me “oh no, the boss is back….” and we both laughed.

By now my suspicion was confirmed — Phillip is not the captain of the biggest boat in the harbor, he is the owner.

I told him about this blog …. naseba….this past 12 months and the massive learning experience it has all been…

We tried to access the blog from his mobile - but it was too heavy for the network — but he wrote it down and told me he would check it out later.

I had to go back to Nice to take the girls to Tata’s …. because I had to fly to Warsaw in the afternoon … so unfortunately, I had to end my conversation with this man….but my the 2 hour 15 minute flight to Warsaw I thought about everything this man said ….

I did not ask him about his boat …. other than asking where in Monaco he lives… I did not pry too much into who and what he was…
which is probably why he got so much involved in our conversation.

A very humble, down to earth man …. who summed up his life as ”sticking to what he believed in, even when others did not….”

It is almost as if he said “stick to the pitch … and just f…ing sell.”

My father dropped out of college his freshman year when he and my mother got married.  He started as an insurance sales man when he was 23 years old. 

Within a year or so of learning how to sell Insurance, he became the number one sales person in the company he worked for – for many years in a row he was either #1 or #2 in his company, out of a few hundred sales men.

When I was 4 years old, (he was 28) we moved to Nebraska where he opened his own agency for the insurance company he represented – although he had absolutely no business experience … within a couple years, his agency was number two in the country for the company.

When I was 19, I took 6 months off after my freshman year in college and sold insurance for him … it is definitely the hardest job I ever had –  and those 6 months had a massive impact (a wake up call) on my life.

Selling insurance in America — You have leads, basically an address and a person’s name (his company sells to only people 65 or older) and then you drive to their house … knock on the door … as soon as the door opens … you push it open and you step in the house and introduce yourself … the person you are going to pitch has no idea who you are or what you want …but you do a quick intro and try and control the conversation … get them to sit down at the table and then you “pitch” them.

The object is to “close them” – have them sign a contract for a health insurance policy and get them to give you a check for several thousand dollars …and then you leave the house …and hope and pray that these people do not cancel their policy in the next 3 months …and/or have a competitor sales person show up and get them to cancel you…

I remember the first lady I ever pitched … sweet woman who at the end of my terrible pitch said “thank you…we will be in touch…” stood up, went to the kitchen, and brought me a plate of cookies … she did not buy from me, but at least I had made a new friend.

I was terrible – because I was just a nice kid who made a lot of friends … but rarely sold.

The job of an insurance sales man is 1,000 times harder than the job my sales men or women do. 

Insurance sales men have NO basic salary (all naseba sales people have a basic salary) – insurance sales men have no company health plan – no office and fellow colleagues – only their car and their leads…

About 12 years ago, my father got betrayed by 2 of his best sales men and his office manager. 

These three people had worked for him for many many years and all three had come from nothing … and my father had developed each into making a lot of money (my dad had a massive positive impact on these people’s lives).

loyalty…

So one day my father woke up and discovered that the office manager and his two top sales men stole his database of all his clients … and set up a company doing the exact same thing.

My father had been out of the day to day selling for many years – he was the General Agent of the 2nd biggest revenue generating office in the company….and was not involved with sales anymore.

Betrayal is never fun … but I can remember vividly my father saying to me on the phone:  “We are going to see how good they really are…” (he was talking about his 2 top sales agents whom he had developed and trained – taken brilliant care of for many years only to be screwed by them) …

These people had lied to all his other sales people and got them to quit … essentially, they did not steal just his database of clients – but they also stole 17 sales men from him.

At the time, my father was in his mid 50’s … but immediately he got back in the car and started selling… and what seemed like “instantly” he became the number one sales person in the company - again.

He went about “crushing” those people that screwed him over by focusing on succeeding, selling and selling and selling…

These three people failed miserably – and within two years, the 3 people who betrayed my father …one went to the state prison for several years for stealing (he stole from several of his clients); the other top sales person cheated on his wife with the office manager’s daughter, thus his wife divorced him and then he had a massive heart attack; the office manager …she went bankrupt (all three went bankrupt).

Six years ago – my parents semi-retired from Nebraska to Florida. 

Florida is the state in America that has the most people 65 years or older – thus the insurance industry in Florida has many insurance sales people and  therefore many competitors – as well as strict regulations … the client can cancel their policy when ever they want …
I think being an insurance sales man in Florida is one of the hardest sales jobs there is.
From my experience – many great sales men … once they become a manager – they have a hard time getting back on the phone again (back into sales again)…they essentially retire from sales — most never become great again.

My father was once one of the top General Agent for his company – he had his own agency with 20+ staff … he was out of sales for years.

Although my Dad is now 63 years old, he works for his first boss.  I do not know many people who could go from being a big boss back to a sales man working for their first boss, however, to ensure that he and my mom can maintain a great lifestyle and preparing for retirement …every day he is selling insurance.

My wife and kids went to Florida for 2 weeks this summer – during those 2 weeks, I do not remember my father missing a day of work … and he is his own boss, he does not have to go out every day … but every day he was up and out of the house by 8am.

I am amazed and very proud at how he swallowed his pride and has become, once again, one of the top sales people in his company.

My father is a big inspiration for me and what opportunities I have today are because of many sacrifices he and my mom made for me.  

I thought about this entry today around 3:45am as I was drinking my coffee and reading the new york times online.

 We are hammered every single day by companies selling us short cuts….

“lose weight without dieting…” 

“get in shape without exercising…” 

“learn french the fast and easy way…” 

“lose weight while you sleep..” 

The above are verbadim quotes taken from advertisements.

… is life meant to be easy? 

Is Tiger Woods the greatest golfer of all time because he found some short cut we do not know about?

Michael Jordon…. was it just talent that made him exceptional?

I think it is fair to say, at least for people that read my blog –we all want to be successful in what we do.  We all want to have a great fulfilling career.  We all want to make a lot of money.  We want to be happy.

Most of us want to get to the top of whatever it is that we are climbing….

…..so many people spend their lives looking for that short cut to success …

but fortunately life is  not easy…..

if it was easy, success would not mean as much. 

if it was easy….