Recently, Charlie Sheen’s despicable behavior earned him the title “twitter champion of the world,” the person with the most twitter followers.

It’s incredible to think that we live in a world today where millions of people are keenly interested to follow the every word of a man with a character like Charlie Sheen.

Imagine the massive negative influence this person is having on millions of people…

How many kids/people (mainly in America) are emulating Sheen’s behavior because they think he looks cool?

Think about the negative consequence Sheen’s influence can have on just one young student’s life/future …all the students who are excitedly, trying to be like Sheen – thus, have no respect for authority…

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Once upon a time, a person’s character was defined by his actions; spoken words, and by the way he/she lived their life.

This was back in the day of “sir and ma’am…”  when the expression “a man of character” meant something…

…back in the days when doing good was still given preference over feeling good.

Instead of sitting around moaning and complaining…
Instead of being brought down by those around us…
Instead of stealing from ones brother…
Instead of cheating on ones wife…
Instead of wasting ones talent…

Reflect on the person you are today, and the person you want to become.

Toward the building of character…

Education, enviornment, family, friends, all play an important role in the building of one’s character …

but at the end of the day, our character is defined by the choices we make.

I received an interesting comment which is worth posting and reflecting upon.

Other than breaking this into readable paragraphs, we have not changed any of the content in the comment:

“Scott – I read your blog the other day and I was struck by one part that i keep seeing in my own company over and over.  You wrote about how today everyone “knows” that you cant sell into Spain in August but back in 2000 you had a huge month.

It’s the disease of giving up without attempting considering or exploring something because “everyone knows.”
You  can’t sell in August in Europe for example.

I had the events team in my office (sales and ops) and heard a similar refrain – oh we wont close deals in December because no one buys then. I cried bullshit and dug up sales records.

Its like they all jsut give up because it is a little more difficult to sell, and much easier to just throw your hands up and claim its something you cant control.

I was in korea for sales training – no one in the korea team even bothered to try and reach out to true decision makers (this is for all of my companies products).   In fact, our MD doesnt even attempt to link up with other seniro people from our traditional client base – because its just not done that way in korea!

Too hierarchical, koreans wont deign to meet with us.
HP and MSFT just put foreigners in charge, etc.  The VP of sales and I both shouted “go after them, those old culture rules certainly dont apply” Nope, gave up without even considering it.

We see this time and time again in some many aspects of life and society.

People quit because of something that is perceived to be common knowledge. but how often, with a little effort and determination can you get something if you just try?”

Patrick Bateman, some where in Asia

Later today – I will expand upon this person’s comment.

A theme which I have hammered over and over is the idea that “the man at the top of the mountain did not fall there.”

How many people start something, plug away, but when the climb becomes difficult we walk back down the mountain and start climbing another one. I am not pointing any finger because I can personally relate to this.

Maybe I am focused on this theme so much because I often try to get to the top of something, work real hard for a few months, but either stop, or slow down and lose interest once it becomes a challenge.

Example, I was running 18+ km a day, 6 days a week for nearly 6 weeks, dieting very well, feeling great, but after the geneva marathon, 2 weeks ago, I lost my focus –I am in Dubai, its not as easy to run in the area I live, my diet changed, excuses, excuses. I run the Copenhagen marathon on sunday and surely I am going to suffer from my recent inconsistency.

I think consistency is the secret to success.

Tonight I took the General Manager of our Bangalore office, Saleem Mohammed out to dinner to my favorite restaurant in Dubai, “Gary Rhodes” restaurant at the Grovenor House.

The dinner was to celebrate his office breaking 1 million euros of paid business within 4 months of 2009.
I could write pages about Saleem and his greatness, but this is not the point of todays blog.

Over dinner, he reminded me that his training school 4+ years ago had 14 people in it and from that school only he, Chuck and LP are left at naseba.

At the time, LP was 19; Chuck was 22 and Saleem was only 23 years old when they first joined.

4.5 years later ….

LP is 23 years old and the number one sales person in the company. Recently, LP built a 12,000 square foot home in India and financed this palace completely by himself. He has traveled the world. Yesterday, he showed me pictures of a recent weekend trip to Paris he took with his girl friend. 23 year old taking his girl friend to Paris for the weekend.
LP has the life.

Charlie (Chuck) once worked for Saleem years back at a Call Center in Bangalore. Charlie is potentially the most talented sales person who has worked for me. He has developed into an exceptional sales leader, traveled to 14 different countries on business with naseba and he stayed focused and loyal even when times were tough.

Saleem is the cover boy for naseba.
He developed from a nervous, unconfident sales man to probably the best general manager I have ever worked with.
He manages 80+ people and he is aggreessively recruiting so within the next 8 weeks he hopefully has 40 more.

Saleem jokes that he has not witnessed any recession because his office has done 300% more business today than it did last year at this time and he is earning more money than ever before.

Tonight he reminded me of how poor he was when he first join naseba. He told me he lived off just 100 euros a month (after he paid all his debts that was all he had left) 4 years later … he owns a large penthouse apartment in Bangalore, makes lots of money, but importantly, he has developed into a business man/leader who is having a direct impact on growing the company; a direct impact on the lives of the 80+ people who work for him.

He told me last night when he first joined naseba, he had another job offer with a bank. At the time, the bank offered him a bigger basic, but Saleem said he chose naseba because of the opportunity to make commission and bonus.

He made his success happen.

It will be interesting to see how the careers of these three develop over the next 5 years.

The world we live in today … we want it all, we want it right now, and if we dont get want we want right away, “f…. it” we find something else to want.

I have tried to use my blog and all my failures as examples of what not to do; what not to become.

Unfortunately, “reflection” is difficult for most people — and there are a lot of “victims” in the world ….

Surely, this blog will be misunderstood and many readers will have their feelings hurt, or feel the need to justify themselves.

However, the point is simple — if you are going to do something, whether a job, a hobby, a sport, etc
stay focused and loyal even when it becomes challenging.

How many great opportunities are lost because we stop climbing when it becomes tough.

I like the idea of  Robert Frost’s poem about two roads diverging in a wood… and how chosing one road over the other, even if the road is much harder to navigate, can make the big difference in ones life.

It is some what scary, but exciting to think about what the world will be like next Christmas, but one thing I am certain of… loads of opportunities will pop into our lives.

Reflection…..

Up until the end of my freshman year at Berkeley….

I was one of those under achievers who boasted about achieving better than average without studying and not working very hard –I did things “half assed….”

I was always talking about what I was gonna do tomorrow….

I was a dreamer.

Surely, had I been as focused, but more importantly, “reflective” as I am today … my early years would have been more successful and fulfilling….

However, making mistakes is all part of the climb and I reflect with humilty on my early years of “wasted talent.”

In the end, what motivates me is the climb…. the adventure…. chasing the summit …. chasing “the victory.”

it comes down to “making our life; our job; our hobby; our goals … happen.”

How many people are good at something…but reality is that they could be “great” if they focused and worked harder.

In my opinion, people spend too much time trying to “feel good…”
In my opinion, people spend too much time trying “to look cool…”

…. I am far from where I want to go and I surely need to become better…

However, by living a life focused on being as honorable; hard working; consistent and steadfast as one can be…

surely, we will have a better chance of achieving……instead of living our lives consumed and focused on the negatives and challenges life brings us.

the world is full of people that “could have been…should have been…but are not.”

I am flying to Paris tonight and I wanted to repost a blog which is posted on the right side of this blog — it is my personal favorite blog — and it is probably the most popular google term to access this blog and it has developed a cult like following….

“Ode to Marcus Evans…”

This blog is not reposted to be directed towards anyone person  – but most probably everyone can relate to this at one time or another, even if you are not in the same industry.

Many people go through life as a “victim” …it is always someone elses fault.  Instead of allowing the “victimization” virus kill you …. reflect on whatever set backs or mistakes you make … learn from them and climb higher.

There is absolutely no way I would have achieved whatever I have achieved today if I had not first reflected – learned from my mistakes, made the changes necessary in my person to ensure i did not make them again – and climb higher.

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As clearly pointed out, by one of our competitors in “we are all best friends ….” comment section — 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 that might be able to relate to my story … in fact, we can ALL relate to this discussion, whether you work for naseba or Halliburton….

As clearly explained several times throughout this blog … 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 “uninvited back” because I had become a “total bitch.”

“Total bitch” is a theme that I have hammered throughout this blog … but its very important for me to get people that I am close to, esp. some of my key people to understand…that it is the “root” to disloyalty.

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

and I started to sell very quickly …

with my quick deals in a ‘under performing’ office came some sort of “power” within that 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 protocol … I knew it all.

With all my sales came a “superficial power” which at the time, I was in my early to mid 20′s and I did not know how to handle this 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 uncontrolablly arrogant.

My CEO met me once a month … and naively/ungratefully, I completely took the CEOs time forgranted ….
I expected my CEO to take the time to meet me … like a spoiled baby.

International travel … I traveled the world and I took it completely for granted …
“all companies send their staff around the world …right??”

child like expectations….

I expected my CEO to take my calls … and I called whenever I wanted …
I expected my CEO to reply to my emails … and I hammered him with emails when ever I wanted … often times suggesting to him on how to do his job … but this is not the way it works in the “real world.”

I might have been the best sales person in the company, however, arrogantly, because I knew how to sell on the phone, I believed 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 … just for doing our job as a GM …. its not the real world.

The real world …

The GM of a division of G.E. He is paid a salary and given targets .. there is no override or commission payable just because he hits his targets … This is why he is paid a nice salary … that is his/her job to ensure the company hits targets.

But I was too spoiled to think of it this way …

With my success and large pay checks … I became “unmanageable” … I thought I knew more than my multi-millionare CEO …

After all, I was great at selling on the phone … training young kids to sell over the phone … building teams…

HOWEVER, the truth is I was a fucking nobody.

Why does this industry create so many “super bitchs??”

I became difficult to manage … I became super arrogant … I spoke to the CEO and via email super disrespectfully …. after all, I was the best conference sales man in the company …

A few years ago, at naseba I had a super star sales man … one of the best I ever worked with …with the big commissions as well as all the time I was giving him, he became a “super bitch…” and ultimately I fired him, definately one of the best sales people that has ever worked for me.

Poetic justice … this “S.B.” had started just like the old Scott, very dedicated and hard working … super naive to the business world because naseba was his first real job. He won over the CEO (me) by working harder than everyone else … and making huge sales …

Just like I did in the beginning of my career — he started to sell a lot … the CEO (me) gave him a lot of his time … the CEO even took him to dinner and became very close to this sales director … exactly like my previous CEO did with me …..

Ultimately, this person “greatness” was destroyed by him becoming a spoiled baby…

As I type, I can think of easily 10 to 20 great employees that currently work OR have worked for me over the past few years –once they (start/started) achieving/excelling (doing what they are paid to do) and I begin to praise them …. suddenly they think they are the next Jack Welch… and become intolerably unmanageable.

or better yet…

… A kid from India … who comes straight from a call center in Mumbai … has no real corporate experience at all … gets recruited, trained and supported … even given several global travel opportunities … succeeds, sells and then betrays all the people that helped him get success– suddenly the kid thinks he is the next Lakshmi Mittal …

Many people reading this can change the roles in this blog… from the old Scott and Marcus …. to you and your current boss, whether that boss is me or not.

All talented employees can relate to everything that I have discussed from my past…in this blog

Do not fall in the trap of believing that you are more important than you really are …

Do not become intolerable… no matter what your title is or how good you might think you are at your job.

That gympee from one of our competitors IP addresses that left several negative comments on my blog …who are you to give me any advice on management???

You think because you can sell a 1,595 euro conference on the phone that you know more about management and the runnings of a global company?

WAKE UP… you are a nobody … and I am not saying this maliciously … but WAKE UP and stop thinking that you are more important than you really are.
(the only reason I mention this person in this blog is because a long time ago, I was just like him … thinking I knew more than my bosses … and this person is a good example for the reader)

Of course life has worked out for me and I am proud of the great success of naseba … but there is NO WAY I would have achieved what I have thus far, if I had not first reflected and ultimately changed.

I was not disloyal to my previous employer in setting up naseba …

I was disloyal to my previous employer by becoming a “super bitch” when I worked for him… and thinking that I was someone more important than I really was….