Last night, a reader in California whom I have never met, and doesn’t work in the same industry sent me a message on facebook telling me how he liked ”ode to Marcus Evans…” blog entry so much he printed out a copy and passed it out to all the people in his office.

During my training this morning, I thought a lot about this blog and the theme associated with it.

I also reflected on my experience since I wrote it  3+ years ago – and the numerous super bitches who have popped in and out of my life since I first posted it.

Whether you work for naseba or not – I challenge everyone to read this (revised edition) and reflect.
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Loyalty vs disloyalty is a theme I have discussed throughout this blog.

Some people have commented how I was “disloyal” to my previous company…

Therefore, I wish to explore the root of this “disloyalty.”

For this entry and discussion on “disloyalty” … I am going to use myself as the example.
The purpose is to try and positively, influence anyone who might be able to relate to my story.

In fact, we can ALL relate to this discussion, whether you work for naseba or not.

I did not quit my previous company because I was looking for “greener grass…”
I did not quit to secretly, start my own company.

I did not quit.
I was pushed out because I had become a “super bitch.”

“Super bitch” is a theme which I have hammered throughout this blog … and in my opinion — it’s the “root” to disloyalty.

Like many people in this industry … when I joined my previous company in Tokyo it was my first real job.

I started to sell very quickly…

with my quick deals in a ‘underperforming’ office came some sort of “power” within the office.

It did not matter that I had never been a manager, thus had zero management experience …I knew better than the boss.

It did not matter that I had never been in the corporate world, thus did not understand company procedures and protocol … I knew it all.

With my sales success came a “superficial power” within the office – at the time, I was in my early to mid-20′s and I didn’t know how to handle the quick success and big pay checks.

Sincerely, I wanted the best for the office and the company.

I was a very loyal and a sincere guy, but with my sales success; then my teams sales success; and ultimately my offices success — I became uncontrollably, arrogant.

My Chairman met me once a month, and naively/ungratefully, I completely… took his time for granted.
Like a spoiled baby — I expected the Chairman to take the time to meet me …

International travel … I traveled the world and I took it completely for granted.

“all companies send their staff around the world and put them up in 5 star hotels??”

childlike expectations….

I expected my boss to take my calls … and I called whenever I wanted.

I expected my boss to reply to my emails and I hammered him with emails whenever I wanted — often suggesting to him on how to do his job.

I was probably one of the top talents in the company, and (arrogantly) I thought I knew everything.

Upon reflection, being the best sales man allowed me to get promoted to GM quickly …. get a nice salary, as well as rewarded with office override, bonus commissions etc.

In one year, my basic salary was increased by more than 300%

But I just expected this…
I just expected to have my salary raised…
I just expected to receive a bonus for doing my job very well.

I just expected…

With my success and large pay checks  I became “unmanageable” … I thought I knew more than my multi-millionaire Chairman.

After all, I was very talented…
I was great at closing deals … training young kids to sell … building teams…

But the truth:   I was a fucking nobody.

I became difficult to manage.
I became super arrogant.
I spoke disrespecfully, to the Chairman on the phone and via email.

Many people reading this entry can change the roles in this blog –from the old Scott and Marcus– to you and your current boss — whether that boss is at naseba or not.

No matter how good you might be in your role at your company – do not fall in the trap of believing you are more important than you really are.

I am proud of what we are achieving at naseba … but there is NO WAY I would have developed/learned/matured if I had not first reflected and ultimately, changed.

I was not disloyal to Marcus in setting up naseba.

I was disloyal to Marcus by becoming a “super bitch” when I worked for him and thinking I was someone more important than I really was.

Yesterday, the story of Robin Titus and his recent promotion was on the front page of the Gulf News in the UAE.

The Gulf News is one of the more popular English newspapers in the UAE – and copies are on every one of the Emirates flights, thus LP and his great success story got massive exposure.

I am in NYC this week so I did not see the paper.

However, reading the story online this morning reminded me of something the journalist and I discussed….

During the interview, the journalist mentioned that both her grandfather and father worked for their companies for their entire careers … and most of her friends grandparents and parents did the same.

I told her that so did my father and grandfather …and so did many of my friends parents and grandparents

She asked my opinion on “why did our grandparents generation, and our parents generations worked for the same company for their entire life, but now our generation people often jump job to job.”

“Why is it different today?”

Tonight I am going out to dinner with probably the most financially successful friend I have.
(He and I went to Cal together)

He is the CEO of one of America’s most reputable investment firms which employs 1100+ people in 3 continents and manages 40+ billion of investments.

He graduated from Cal in 1994 and with the exception of his first internship, my friend has been with the same company since 1995.

He climbed the ladder from an analyst to manager to senior manager to vice president to co-president to the CEO and will soon be appointed to Vice Chairman of the firm … he achieved all of this over a period of 16 years.

Many companies tried to head hunt him, but he stayed focused and loyal to his goal…”I didn’t even take their calls …” he would later tell me.

he didn’t try to rush to the summit of his mountain – he spent 16 years learning, developing and climbing…. he understood there was no short cut.

Considering my friend helped build the firm from 1 billion dollars to 40+ billion dollars, and his chairman is a multi-billionare, it goes without saying that my friend is probably close to being worth 1 billion dollars …

Surely, one day soon he will be a multi-billionare.

Could or would he have achieved the same success if he had bounced from firm to firm to firm?

I don’t think so — he doesnt think so either.

The day I announced Robin’s promotion to the Dubai office, one of the sales managers who has worked with naseba for a few years walked up to LP and gave him a big hug … and I overheard him wisper to Robin: “Finally!!!!”

I never said anything to this guy … until he reads this blog, he doesn’t even know that I heard what he said to Robin …

However …. it’s a ridiculous comment, but at the same time … it’s interesting how this sales leader looked at the situation.

Finally!!! Robin was promoted to General Manager….

Robin is 25 years old.

We live in a world today where we want it all; we want it right now… and if we don’t get it.  Fuck it.  We’ll find something else to want.

To be continued….

This past weekend, I took my two girls to see the movie “Secretariat,” the story of arguably, the greatest race horse in history.

Unlike most movies or TV shows today – “Secretariat” is not focused on violence or the failures of man —  its not focused on materialism.

The movie has NO sex scenes … no graphic scenes of characters kissing …. no scenes with women kissing or groping other women.

There are no characters covered in tattoo’s.

There is no character with an asshole haircut.

The film isn’t drenched in negativity…

It’s just a simple movie with themes on consistency, dedication, loyalty, work ethic … which all lead to honorable achievement.

The three of us liked the movie very much, especially my 15 year old daughter.

On the drive home, she said “the 70’s are a lot different to our world today.”

Before she could expand on her thought…. the song playing on the radio (an american rapper) top of the charts right now …
the lyrics are littered with the F’ word, references to bi-sexual women, violence and making money …

My 6 year old daughter shouted from the back seat, “poppa turn up the radio, I love this song.”

Irronic…

How much our world has changed over the past 10-20 years — how “free” we have become …

Where is John Galt?

“It’s very easy to let the drudgery of climbing distract you from your goal….”  Adam Fletcher

I went to boarding school for three years with Chipper Jones … who today is one of the best baseball players in MLB. He has played for the Atlanta Braves for his entire career, broken many records, won the National League MVP, won a world series, earns 17 million dollars a year salary … and without question will end up in the hall of fame.

I think it is worth noting that Chipper signed a contract when he was first drafted in 1990 which several agents and players complained was not big/good enough. Many people claimed Chipper signed for too little money.

I remember reading a quote by Chipper – although he was just 18 years old at the time, I admired him for his maturity — he said something like: “my goal is not to be the highest paid player in the minor leagues … my goal is to play professional baseball.” (8 years later he would sign one of the biggest contracts ever in baseball)

Chipper did not rush to his summit.

Instead of rushing to the majors (like I would have wanted to do if I had been in his place), Chipper spent 4.5 years in the minor leagues preparing/training/developing for the day he would be sent to the big leagues.

Back in 1990, the same year Chipper was drafted 1st — another young, up and coming super talent was drafted 4th overall pick …. Todd van Poppel. Van Poppel was expected to become the next great pitcher, maybe even the greatest ever and I remember him being on the cover of several sports magazines.

Van Poppel’s agents fought to ensure he went to the big leagues as soon as possible – and fought and fought with the team that drafted him to ensure he made as much money as possible upon signing.

He rushed to his summit.

A few years later …. no one remembers Todd van Poppel because he went to the majors very quickly, ended up getting injured, bounced from team to team for a few years and retired completely unfulfilling what was expected from his talent.

Recently, I watched a documentary on Mt. Everest — the film was about the 1996 tragedy on Mt. Everest where eight people died.

The night of the tragedy … David Breashears – the man who filmed the documentary discussed how he and his team were at camp 3 … all set to go for the summit, everything seemed good – he commented that the weather was good — just a bit windy, but no sign of a storm coming.

However, they decided not to rush to the summit …. he commented that he and his team leader looked down the mountain and saw 65 people climbing up and they did not want to be in a position where they were coming down from the summit at the same time as so many people were climbing up.

So he and his team walked back down to base camp and put off their summit climb for another 10 days — and missed the storm that killed 8 people.

He made a point of stating to the interviewer that he and his team were not “lucky” for turning away and missing the storm — they were “consistent, prudent and focused.”

Unfortunately, 8 people died that night.

I would have been one of those that would have been in trouble stuck near the top, maybe even one that died because I would have wanted to get to the top as soon as possible.

I think many people — me included, sometimes start a climb … but when we do not see immediate results…. we quit, or break our consistency.

…trying to rush to the summit too quickly, sometimes forces us to make mistakes and ultimately we fall.

Losing weight; learning another language; developing into a leader; achieving ones goals…. does not happen over night.

Instead of rushing to the top of your mountain; or goal ….stay “consistent and focused.”

Even if success does not come right away … surely, by staying consistent and focused one has a better chance of getting to their summit.

Next time you are about to quit your climb … remember that the man at the top did not run there.

and never forget that some of the best things in life are the hardest to get.

Could have and should have, but isn’t ….

unrealized talent … having the talent to be great at something, but just going through life being ok.

Loyalty…. vs …. disloyalty, what is loyalty in the world we live in today and why is it so different from 20 years ago?

John Rocker syndroma …. that one mistake, one bad day; that one bad path (decision) we chose to take can ruin it all.

Victimization ….. its not my fault for my failings, its his….

Hoping people fail …. so we can feel more at ease in our own mediocrity and unfulfiled dreams.

comfortably mediocre….

the world we live in today.