It violates our relationship. I am there to teach you the tools and skills you need to become successful, not raise money out of the room. You can trust what I tell you as being the best information I have and that I have no ulterior motive or agenda.
You can not ask me to be your partner. I have one partner, her name is Sandi and she is my wife. Investing with you would be a violation of my relationship with you and would naturally result in your questioning the validity of my advice and counsel.
I have taken some heat for this one since my students keep reminding me that this is a lack of leverage on my part. They say, “It keeps you small, Keith. There is only so much of you to go around.” My response is, “I know.” I teach because I like to teach, not to grow a massive business. I know critical skills and tools that every successful business person or investor needs to know. What I teach is based on my experience. My opinion is that when you hire me, for better or worse, you get me.
It does no good for me to teach you something the same way I learned it. The hardest work I do is to take what I know and convert it to useable skills without giving you an MBA in the process. All of us have attended seminars which sounded great in the moment, but when we got home, the question was: How do I actually put this to use to change my business or my life? My commitment is to teach you the critical skills I have learned the hard way in such a way that you can walk out and begin using them the next week.
I know that to make the greatest impact, I must first work on me. I read numerous books each week. I read many newspapers and magazines. I attend seminars and research new businesses and ideas. I have a learning day several times each month, which allows my curiosity to explore. I own and run businesses, and I’m an active investor. I must grow in every aspect of my life, which means my relationship with Sandi, my spiritual faith, as well as my business and money. My life and what I teach looks very different today than when I started 20+ years ago, and it will look substantially different 20 years from now. I am committed to growth and contribution.
I eat my own cooking. I have said for years, “There are two kinds of hay: before it’s been through the horse and after it’s been through the horse. I will teach what I have done and what I know works. Theory is great as long as it gets translated into something that is useful and can be implemented immediately by the average person. I believe the reason most people fail is not a lack of knowledge or strategy, but a lack of execution.
Which is obviously not to say I am perfect or infallible; but I am consciously working on my life. Mastery is about two things: 1.) Practicing to improve. And, 2.) Persistence. How this plays out in my life is never-ending correction. Anyone who has heard me speak knows that I correctly credit my wife, best friend, and partner, Sandi, with showing me the way. She looked at me and said: I don’t understand why you don’t STEP-UP? I don’t understand why you don’t do what you know. That rocked me to my core and it is Sandi who holds me accountable and asks more of me than I ever would… Thank you, thank you, thank YOU, Sandi!
I believe you can learn the best techniques and tools in the world, but if you’re not inspired to use them, it’s a waste of money and time. While building a full-size tool belt is crucial (if you only have a hammer, everything begins to look like a nail), being inspired by the possibilities is far more important. A lack of belief and too much fear is what keeps us paralyzed and in our little, safe, but ultimately deadly, ruts. There is an old saying that success at anything is 80% psychology and 20% skills, and I agree with that. But, no points go on the board by only getting to the 20-yard line. In fact, most people’s psychology would shift dramatically if they learned the skills and techniques to be successful, but you must be inspired to use what you’ve learned... Both the psychology as well as the skills.
I will admit this is getting harder and harder to do. I am committed to making a difference in people’s lives, and the best way to do this is to be available to people. I am very accessible and love helping our students grow. As the years have gone by, the number of students we have has grown into the thousands. The teaching I am doing and the courses I am writing have forced me to sacrifice some of the accessibility with our students for intimacy with my wife and for the personal growth I need to stay effective and whole. I still read and answer most emails I receive, and I hope that our blog will enable individuals to ask questions, but allow me to answer for many instead of one at a time.
One of the problems with the seminar world is the never-ending need to sell the next event. I will not tell people what they want to hear, just to fill an event. Being successful at anything, including business and investing, requires skills, practice, and work. It doesn’t happen overnight and it will require much more than hope, luck, and changing your psychology. You can’t rely on your instincts or your emotions. There are no magic pills or little formulas which will allow you to be successful at playing the piano in Carnegie Hall, playing in the Super Bowl, creating a spectacular relationship, or making a lot of money. Creating and keeping wealth is rare … if it weren’t, we wouldn’t study and patronize the people who do it. What I teach is not for everyone, nor do I want it to be. Some people are bound and determined to look for every shortcut and magic pill offered. Some people simply do not want to make the sacrifices necessary to get great at anything. Some people are looking for speed at any price. Some people are interested in only making money, and have forgotten about figuring out how to keep it. For these people, what I teach is not for you, but you will find no shortage of “gurus” who will offer the hope you’re looking for.
If you have read this far, I am awed by your commitment to learn more about me and my teachings. I am humbled to have shared myself with you, and I look forward to an opportunity to work together. Enjoy the rest of this website and let us hear from you with ideas and suggestions.
