Becky Morrison is a mom, wife, and lawyer turned Happiness Coach. Her mission is to spread joy. She believes most people can live happier, easier lives if they establish what matters most to them and develop a plan to do more of that and less of the rest. She is the author of The Happiness Recipe: A Powerful Guide to Living What Matters. People and processes are at the heart of the work that she has done for the last 20+ years in corporations, law firms—as both a lawyer and administrator—and small businesses. Now she’s using that experience coupled with her own journey to help people supercharge their success and happiness by finding clarity, taking the next steps in their career, overcoming overwhelm, going from idea to action, and stepping into their authentic leadership presence.Becky tells the story of her transition from a successful, busy lawyer and mom to building a life for her and her family and her happiness. She shares how a life-threatening pregnancy loss led to a wake-up call that would change the course of her life.As a fellow high achiever, Becky often coaches people who struggle with the fact that they have every type of success they could want but are still waiting for the moment when they are happy with their life. Through this coaching, she has developed The Recipe of Happiness, which is to do more of what matters to you and less of the rest. It’s a simple recipe, but it’s not always easy to execute. She shares about the three things get in the way: the authenticity gap, the execution gap, and the emotional energy gap.Becky believes in the importance of stepping into your authentic self. We have so much coming at us, and we’re moving so quickly, we are really disconnected from who we are at our core. We’re not sure what actually matters to us, because we’re being told by social media and the world what should matter to us. So Becky shares two ways to get to the core of our authentic selves:Get clear on the season you’re in, because what matters most to you will shift with your seasons of life. Dial into what brings you joy by making a list of simple things that make you happy and evaluating why those things bring you joy.One of the biggest obstacles in this process is fear and overwhelm. And overcoming that obstacle starts with saying and naming the story of your fear and overwhelm. Sit down with someone and talk about why you’re feeling afraid and overwhelm. More of than not, it’s not true fear—it’s really that you’re just a human with a nervous system that does not like changeEpisode Links:UntangleHappiness.comThe Happiness Recipe: A Powerful Guide to Living What Matters: https://amzn.to/2ZMFxaQOrder your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.startwithawin.com/bookConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

In this episode of Start With A Win, Adam sits down with Tom Rath, an author and researcher who has spent the past two decades studying how work can improve human health and well-being. His 10 books have sold more than 10 million copies and made hundreds of appearances on global bestseller lists. Tom’s first book, How Full Is Your Bucket?, was an instant #1 New York Times bestseller and led to a series of books that are used in classrooms around the world. His book StrengthsFinder 2.0 is Amazon’s top selling non-fiction book of all time. His newest book, Life's Great Question: Discover How You Contribute to the World, released last year.During his 13 years at Gallup, Tom led the organization’s strengths, employee engagement, wellbeing, and leadership consulting worldwide. Tom has served for the past five years as an external advisor and Gallup Senior Scientist.The conversation begins around the idea of making more meaningful contributions and work and in life. Tom shares that he typically starts each day by asking the question: What could I do today that will continue to grow and contribute to the people I know and love, and my community, that will continue when I’m gone? What am I going to do today that makes someone else’s life better? These contributions can be big picture, but they can also be daily tasks or interactions that improve the lives of others in the long term. He believes that if we are spending a little time in our day making a contribution like that, we can accumulate those over time, and make our work more meaningful and more effective.Tom also shares about a rare condition that causes him to be more susceptible to many cancers, but for him, having the reminder of mortality is a very powerful force for good. It’s something we’ve seen in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic—a sense of urgency to evaluate our daily routines, how we impact people around us in the immediate and the long-term, and our relationship with our work. Prior to the pandemic, the way we worked on a daily basis was a relic of an industrial era when work was just plain bad for our well-being. Tom believes that most people have had a dysfunctional relationship with work for too long.Organizations have been so structured around profits and productivity. So each individual needs to ask themselves: Are my relationships, family, community and life better off because I joined this organization?We went into pandemic with horribly low expectations of what we get out of our work. But it is possible to have a job where you feel like you help people every day and not just enrich the pockets of your employer. Tom would love to see a great restructuring of how we work, and explains how companies can play a part.Well-being in a job is key. Tom shares about his experience with big employers who spend tens of millions of dollars on employee wellness programs, but their leaders are the ones working around the clock and expecting their employees to always be on. But then they ask why the programs are not working; “When employees see the people they look to us leaders eating over their keyboard every day and not taking time to move around…and not talking about these things, no one in the organization even feels like they have the permission to take care of themselves or their own health.”Episode Links:https://www.tomrath.orgTwitter: https://twitter.com/TomCRath/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authortomrathLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trath/Order your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.startwithawin.com/bookConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

Fear is worrying about something that hasn't happened yet. And when we sit in that worry but don't do anything about it, that's when the fear sets in. So what do we do? We overcome fear by taking action.Connect with Adam:startwithawin.com/ facebook.com/REMAXAdamContostwitter.com/REMAXAdamContos instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/

In this episode of Start With A Win, Adam talks to Mark Sanborn, president of Sanborn & Associates, Inc., an idea studio dedicated to developing leaders in business and in life. Mark is an international bestselling author and award-winning keynote leadership speaker. He holds the Certified Speaking Professional designation from the National Speakers Association (NSA) and is a member of the Speaker Hall of Fame.The two kick off the conversation with a discussion about Mark’s newest keynote presentation, Leading the Future Workforce Now. It examines how COVID-19 actually accelerated the future trends that were inevitable in the workplace. Mark also shares insights into his national research project that was done into generational perspectives about the future, revealing that the younger generations are actually more optimistic about the future post-COVID versus pre-COVID.They also explore additional takeaways from this past season of leadership in the face of constant change, including:The importance of showing genuine care and and concern for your employees.Taking the lessons we’ve learned from COVID and applying them to future unexpected events.The need to communicate better, not more.Forgoing the bare minimum and doing the maximum essentials.Episode Links:“Leading the Future Workforce Now” Presentation:https://marksanborn.com/leading-the-future-workforce-now/The Fred Factor book:https://www.amazon.com/Fred-Factor-Passion-Ordinary-Extraordinary/dp/0385513518/?tag=marksanborn04-20Fred 2.0 book:https://www.amazon.com/Fred-2-0-Delivering-Extraordinary-Results/dp/141436220X/?tag=marksanborn04-20The Fred Factor Online Training Experience:https://marksanborn.com/fredfactor/Connect with Mark:https://marksanborn.comhttps://twitter.com/mark_sanbornhttps://www.instagram.com/marksanbornspeaker/Order your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.startwithawin.com/bookConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

It’s Thanksgiving Eve, and we’re mentally, physically, emotionally preparing for a day of feasting and giving thanks tomorrow surrounded by family and friends. Producer Mark and Social Media Manager Kayla join Adam to talk all things Thanksgiving!The conversation begins with, you guessed it, food! The trio discuss the best ways to arrange all of the courses on your plate at Thanksgiving and whether or not you should eat breakfast before the feasting commences. Mark quizzes Adam and Kayla on Thanksgiving-themed trivia, including: the most expensive Thanksgiving dinner on record, the U.S. president responsible for instituting Thanksgiving as a national holiday, and the average calorie consumption on Thanksgiving (hint: it’s probably way more than you think).Adam rounds out the conversation with a few words of wisdom when it comes to putting your gratitude into action and how you can implement that in your life this upcoming holiday season.Episode Links:Order your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.startwithawin.com/bookConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

How do we create results? You have to create action! Adam shares his simple, foolproof formula to achieving results—every time.Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/ https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos https://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/

In this episode of Start With A Win, Adam welcomes bestselling author and motivational speaker Jon Acuff. Adam and Jon dive into the topic of overthinking and how it can cripple us in so many areas of our lives. According to Jon, overthinking is when what you think gets in the way of what you want. Overthinking is the sneakiest form of fear that keeps us from achieving our goals, taking on new opportunities, or just getting through that tough meeting at work. That overthinking writes soundtracks in our minds—those repetitive thoughts that weigh us down.Jon breaks down his proven plan to change overthinking from a super problem into a superpower through The 3 Rs: Retire broken soundtracks, Replace them with new soundtracks, Repeat those new soundtracks.Jon is the New York Times bestselling author of seven books—his latest, Soundtracks: The Surprising Solution to Overthinking, released April 2021 and is already a bestseller. He's an INC Magazine Top 100 Leadership speaker and has spoken to hundreds of thousands of people at conferences and companies around the world including FedEx, Nissan, Microsoft, Lockheed Martin, Chick-fil-A, Nokia and Comedy Central. He lives outside of Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife and two teenage daughters.Episode Links:All It Takes Is A Goal podcasthttps://acuff.me/podcast/Soundtracks: The Surprising Solution to Overthinkinghttps://soundtracksbook.comConnect with Jon:https://www.facebook.com/authorjonacuffhttps://www.instagram.com/jonacuff/https://twitter.com/JonAcuffOrder your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.startwithawin.com/bookConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

This episode of Start With A Win features David Burkus, a keynote speaker, organizational psychologist, and one of the world’s leading business thinkers. And his forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are changing how companies approach innovation, collaboration, and productivity. His most recent work, Leading From Anywhere: The Essential Guide to Managing Remote Teams, has helped leaders learn how to best adapt to the new world of remote work.Adam and David begin the conversation by reflecting on the events of the last 18 months when COVID-19 sent nearly 50 percent of the American workforce to work from home. David talks about studying organizations that employed alternative workplace practices prior to the pandemic and how he predicts that those practices may now become less of an anomaly and more of the norm. And with that shift, leaders have to start learning now how best to manage remote teams and become intentional about fostering connection, productivity and good communication.David believes that the extremes of making policy decisions around remote work for the organization as a whole—or having no structure around it at all—could both be disastrous for all involved. Instead, organizations should provide guidance but let decisions be made for what that looks like on a team level.Adam and David also discuss the importance of company culture and how that spans far beyond pizza parties and team outings. It spans from core values of the organization to guidelines for communications to how you maintain a sense of connection in a remote environment, which takes intentionality. If you’re not intentional about your culture, it falls apart. Organizations that are renowned for their culture have been very intentional about building culture.They wrap up the conversation by discussing “The Great Resignation” and why so many companies have experienced larger than normal numbers of employees leaving their positions and how best to handle these transitions as leaders.Episode Links:https://davidburkus.comhttps://www.amazon.com/Leading-Anywhere-Essential-Managing-Remote/dp/0358533279https://twitter.com/davidburkus?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthorhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/https://www.ted.com/speakers/david_burkusOrder your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.startwithawin.com/bookConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

The first step to winning is to make your latest excuse your last one! If you find an excuse, you will never find a way.Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/ https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos https://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/

In this episode of Start With A Win, General Martin E. Dempsey joins Adam for a conversation about how effective leadership begins with becoming a good follower. General Dempsey was the 18th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and retired in 2015 after 41 years of military service. He now teaches leadership and public policy as a Rubenstein Fellow at Duke University and serves as Chairman of USA Basketball. General Dempsey was named one of TIME magazine's most influential people, is the author of the new book, No Time For Spectators: The Lessons That Mattered Most From West Point To The West Wing.General Dempsey opens the conversation by talking about his perspective on how best to lead a diverse group of people. He points back to his time in the military when he learned the important responsibility of a leader to always foster a sense of belonging.Adam asks General Dempsey about his reasons behind writing his newest book, No Time For Spectators. The General shares that in writing a book on leadership, he realized that some of those most important principles he learned about leadership actually originated from his years of being a “follower” in his career.General Dempsey rounds out the conversation by talking about his current role as a professor at Duke University and his philosophies on teaching the practical application of public policy and giving students an insider’s perspective on the decision-making process of national leaders.Order your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.startwithawin.com/bookEpisode Links:Teddy Roosevelt’s speech, "The Man in the Arena”  https://youtu.be/A311CnTjfosConnect with General Dempsey:https://www.generaldempsey.comhttps://twitter.com/Martin_Dempsey?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthorhttps://www.defense.gov/About/Biographies/Biography/Article/602694/general-martin-e-dempsey/Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

This episode of Start With A Win features former Netflix Chief Talent Officer Patty McCord. During her 14 years with Netflix, Patty was the co-creator of the Netflix Culture Deck. Since it was first published online, the Culture Deck has been viewed more than 15 million times. She is the author of the best-selling book, Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility, published in 2018 and translated into 12 languages. Currently, Patty is a consultant and executive coach for CEOs and their teams to help in defining leadership and company culture. She also speaks to groups and teams around the world.During their conversation, Adam and Patty dive into all of the change that has come about in the workplace since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Within 48 hours, leaders went from believing that remote work could never work for them to being fully remote companies. And it worked.Patty believes the pandemic has also transformed the way leaders should view work, enabling them to pay closer attention to final results and the work that’s being done rather than solely on effort and productivity. It’s shown them that their employees can do the stuff that needs to get done without having to be watched, and it’s instilled a greater sense of accountability into their teams.Adam and Patty also talk about the importance of note forgetting the lessons we’ve learned in this season. As the world begins to return to a sense of normalcy, Patty warns that we will lose it all unless we pay attention and ask ourselves the questions: What have we learned here, and what is working?Episode Links:https://pattymccord.comhttps://twitter.com/pattymccord1https://www.amazon.com/Powerful-Leaders-Culture-Freedom-Responsibility/dp/1939714095Order your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.startwithawin.com/bookConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

Adam answers the question many of us ask ourselves: Why do some people get everything done that they want to? It’s because people who are effective in what they do go into each situation with the mindset that they are going to find a way instead of finding an excuse. So, Adam’s challenge to you: Make the situation important to you, and find a way.Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/ https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos https://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ 

In this special episode of Start With A Win, there is a lot to celebrate! Adam and Producer Mark return to the brand new recording studio on the 12th floor of the RE/MAX World Headquarters in Denver, Colorado. And, with the new digs comes a fresh look and feel for the SWAW podcast along with a new website. Be sure to check it out!Adam and Mark also chat about the long-anticipated release of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success. Adam shares that one of the biggest things he’s learned as a new author is the importance of carrying around a Sharpie at all times. You never know when you may need to sign an autograph, right?They take a walk down memory lane as they review listener submissions about their favorite SWAW episodes. And last but certainly not least, Mark announces the winner of the free signed copy of Adam’s book. (See? We told you, Sharpies are important!)Pre-order your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.amazon.com/Start-Win-Lessons-Personal-Business/dp/1119807077https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/start-with-a-win-adam-contos/1138838681https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/start-with-a-win-tools-and-lessons-to-create-personal-and-business-success_adam-contos/28078881/#edition=58850831&idiq=46017298Episode Links:The Influence of Transparent Leadership with Gary VaynerchukAudio: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-influence-of-transparent-leadership/id1438598347?i=1000488542270Video: https://youtu.be/UwdPUNkwXoAHow To Set Yourself Up For Success in 2021 with Jon CheplakAudio: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-set-yourself-up-for-success-in-2021-with-jon-cheplak/id1438598347?i=1000504496469Video:https://youtu.be/uOl8xF3w634Investing in Long-Term Success with Maggie ContosAudio: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/investing-in-long-term-success-with-maggie-contos/id1438598347?i=1000513387984Video: https://youtu.be/dlFO0-LV6FYInterview With Geoff McLennanAudio:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/interview-with-geoff-mclennan/id1438598347?i=1000431347098Get Social Smart with Katie LanceAudio:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/get-social-smart-with-katie-lance/id1438598347?i=1000501821442Video:https://youtu.be/D_ndYIGSJeoBefriending the Inner Beast to Overcome Fear and Create SuccessAudio:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/befriending-the-inner-beast-to-overcome-fear-and/id1438598347?i=1000535406692Video:https://youtu.be/kk60tfDf7FoSharpies: https://www.amazon.com/Sharpie-30001-Permanent-Markers-Point/dp/B00006IFHD/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=sharpies&qid=1634077688&sr=8-2&th=1Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

In this episode of Start With A Win, Adam and SWAW producer Mark pick up the conversation about Adam's first book, Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success. Adam discusses the final chapters—chapters eight, nine, and ten. He discusses the role of the ego and how it has the potential to destroy humility. Adam elaborates the ego as the manifestation of insecurity, creating an emotional response triggered to protect vulnerabilities. Good leaders maintain emotional control by recognizing and acknowledging their egos and maintain transparency with themselves. Controlling your ego enables you to be vulnerable and accept others' mistakes, harnessing your abilities for positive attributes like confidence and decision-making. Adam discusses three keys to accountability and growth—mentors, coaches, and masterminds. Find a mentor who will challenge your thoughts and inspire you to take action with newfound perspectives. A mentor is someone willing to share time and wisdom in exchange for your attention and deliberate action to be the best version of yourself. A coach is someone who will unlock your potential and help you attain your goals and other pursuits. Ask yourself—are you coachable? What do you hope to accomplish with new insights? Mastermind groups provide peer accountability (challenging you and pushing you to be vulnerable) and establish the power of association—you are the average of the five people you accompany most. Adam emphasizes the importance of celebrating your wins, no matter how big or small. When leaders celebrate the wins of their team members, they instill hope, give appreciation, and provide recognition. Celebrating wins creates opportunities to surpass goals, build motivation, and exceed the maximum thought process in all endeavors. Uphold a transparent dynamic of analyzing, communicating, and celebrating wins to lead your team to maximize their potential and produce consistent results. Pre-order your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.amazon.com/Start-Win-Lessons-Personal-Business/dp/1119807077https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/start-with-a-win-adam-contos/1138838681https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/start-with-a-win-tools-and-lessons-to-create-personal-and-business-success_adam-contos/28078881/#edition=58850831&idiq=46017298Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

How do you end your days daily? Instead of going home and turning on the TV first thing after working all day, begin writing what you’re grateful for on a piece of paper. This habit will take away your desire to watch TV and align you to be happy for the rest of the evening. When you are proactively grateful, you will gain more energy. You will also become motivated in the mornings as your first thoughts will focus on your gratitude. Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/ https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos https://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ 

In this episode of Start With A Win, Adam introduces President and Chief Storytelling Officer at Steller Collective, Kindra Hall. Steller Collective is a consulting firm “focused on the strategic application of storytelling to today’s communication challenges.” Kindra’s interest in storytelling sparked at a young age during a family vacation road trip after listening to a storytelling tape by the National Storytelling Festival. She reflects how this experience unified her family, despite different age gaps and interests. Since then, she transformed her passion for storytelling into a career. Kindra explains how storytelling is co-creative, differentiating it from other forms of communication. This co-creative process enables people to create their own versions of relatability, creating a shared experience with the interpersonal connection. She elaborates how this applies in business—people say yes to the story of the products or services rather than its features. Kindra’s book, Stories That Stick: How Storytelling Can Captivate Customers, Influence Audiences, and Transform Your Business, provides insights into why storytelling is an effective business strategy, including a framework for creating compelling stories. Kindra addresses the #1 common mistake for storytelling in business—people try to convey big concepts, resulting in vague stories. This approach prevents opportunities to connect with others emotionally. Instead of persuasive language, Kindra suggests focusing on one moment. This moment should address a person’s hopes, struggles, or fears, producing a story that reveals a solution people can resonate with and understand. Paying attention to your audience is key. Consider what you want your audience to think, feel, know, or act after engaging with your story. Having clarity of the objective and understanding your audience will guide you into the story you should tell. Links:Stories That Stick: How Storytelling Can Captivate Customers, Influence Audiences, and Transform Your Businesshttps://www.storiesthatstick.com/Connect with Kindra:https://www.kindrahall.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/kindrahall/https://twitter.com/kindramhallhttps://www.instagram.com/kindrahall/https://www.stellercollective.com/Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

In this episode of Start With A Win, Adam and SWAW producer Mark pick up the conversation about Adam's first book, Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success. Adam covers takeaways from chapters five, six, and seven. He explains how success takes time and does not occur overnight. Adam elaborates the core differences between managers and leaders—managers tell people how to do things, leaders provide direction and inspiration. Good leaders work to make other people great leaders rather than devote entirely to self-improvement. Adam breaks down the concept of accountability—witnessing without judgment. Accountability is the first step of understanding but is often mistaken for the beginning of condemnation. Accountability enables people to evaluate processes and goals and adjust as needed. Adam addresses fear and overwhelm, revealing a leadership spin-off from the VUCA concept (traditionally an acronym signifying volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity)—vision, understanding, clarity, and action. This concept focuses on creating a plan to overcome overwhelm, accomplished with a concrete action plan. Otherwise, overwhelming feelings will spiral if not addressed and resolved. Leading is about creating teams with a shared vision and direction. Adam emphasizes the importance of presence and passion for people and your work. Implementing this mindset enables better relationships with your employees and customers. Lack of communication is often the leading cause of issues within teams and businesses. Adam recommends connecting with your team and customers at least twice a week face-to-face, if possible, to maintain relationships. Two communication takeaways:Ask yourself: If you are your customer, would you choose you? Don’t center all communication about your business or selling. Pre-order your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.amazon.com/Start-Win-Lessons-Personal-Business/dp/1119807077https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/start-with-a-win-adam-contos/1138838681https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/start-with-a-win-tools-and-lessons-to-create-personal-and-business-success_adam-contos/28078881/#edition=58850831&idiq=46017298Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

How do you approach daily obstacles and challenges? Your attitude determines the reality and outcome of any situation. Your attitude determines your behavior, and behavior dictates your actions. If you want to create success in any circumstance, reflect on your mindset and adjust as needed. Ask yourself: What attitude do I need to overcome and succeed in the best possible way? Positive attitudes result in flourishing behavior. Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/ https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos https://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ 

In this episode of Start With A Win, Adam welcomes Jia Jiang, CEO of Rejection Therapy and CEO and Founder of Wuju Learning. Jia discusses how he transitioned from the corporate world into a career dedicated to rejection. Jia initially experienced failure in the early stages of his entrepreneurial endeavors after leaving the corporate world. Instead of giving up, he decided to document his failed experiences via blogging, which led to the concept of rejection therapy. Jia discusses how innovation and entrepreneurship require taking risks, which can lead to rejection. He explains that people must learn to convert rejection into personal fuel to stay motivated and persevere after rejection. This technique requires practice, which entails intentionally pursuing rejection. For example, Jia committed 100 days to experience daily rejection. This exercise trained his mind to become accustomed to rejection, removing the fears associated with it. He performed unusual tasks such as asking for burger refills at restaurants and requesting a haircut at a pet store. He advises to start small and focus on daily habits—if you are not comfortable with solely asking for things in return, approach by asking to give acts of service. The more you face rejection from “silly” things, the more you can overcome any rejection, no matter the significance. Fear of rejection creates internal conflict, causing regrets and missed opportunities. He explains people often experience the most remorse when they prioritize living up to other people’s expectations instead of their own. Once you incorporate rejection into daily interactions, you will feel more prepared and confident in business endeavors. He explains how the fear of rejection can cause people to prefer a path with the least resistance in hopes of remaining in their comfort zones to achieve success. Jia emphasizes that the most successful people have experienced challenging decisions and situations, ultimately shaping who they are and contributing to their success because they chose to take risks.Links:TED Talk - What I Learned From 100 Days of Rejectionhttps://www.ted.com/talks/jia_jiang_what_i_learned_from_100_days_of_rejectionConnect with Jia:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jiajiang/https://twitter.com/jiajianghttps://www.rejectiontherapy.com/https://www.loveinvestor.com/Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

In this episode of Start With A Win, Adam and SWAW producer Mark pick up the conversation about Adam's first authored book, Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success. Adam covers the main takeaways from chapters two, three, and four. He explains how experiencing both successes and failures is necessary for personal and professional growth. Failures serve as learning opportunities, while challenges develop opportunities to create success or learning moments. Adam outlines the two questions you should always ask yourself as a leader:1) How do we create an environment in which people want to perform at their highest levels?Tip: Create a trusting environment where it’s okay to fail. 2) How do you unlock potential instead of pushing others to barely get by?Tip: When it comes to performance and earning wins, pushing others creates resistance. Encouragement and enthusiasm result in increased drive, efforts, and performance. Adam discusses how fear is the reason why people do not try to pursue new endeavors or challenges. This mental roadblock creates self-limiting beliefs, hesitation, self-doubt, often resulting in imposter syndrome. Adam breaks down the concept of fear as an inner beast that resides in everyone. The first step to overcoming fear requires acknowledging and befriending the beast, which requires self-love and acceptance. As a leader, it is crucial to be a sponge for knowledge—learn from others, nurture your mind—and reciprocate that wisdom to others.Pre-order your copy of Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success:https://www.amazon.com/Start-Win-Lessons-Personal-Business/dp/1119807077https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/start-with-a-win-adam-contos/1138838681https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/start-with-a-win-tools-and-lessons-to-create-personal-and-business-success_adam-contos/28078881/#edition=58850831&idiq=46017298Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

How empathetic are you? Adam defines empathy as your feelings understanding someone else’s feelings. And it’s an important key to living well in relationship with those around you. Because if you don’t understand how someone else is feeling in a specific situation, then you’re not going into that situation with their best in mind. So be sure to ask yourself this simple question each time you’re in contact with someone: How do they feel?Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/ https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos https://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ 

In this episode of Start With A Win, Seth Mattison, CEO of FutureSight Labs, joins Win Nation to discuss how leadership has evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic. FutureSight Labs is an organization dedicated to helping leaders and their organizations navigate challenging moments of inevitable transformation and build a future-ready framework. Seth has studied leadership and the ongoing future of work for 15 years. Seth opens the conversation by reflecting on some of his key leadership takeaways during the early weeks of the initial COVID-19 outbreak in the United States. He emphasizes how keeping yourself grounded during uncertainty enhances your adaptability, enabling you to lead with more confidence and devote energy to others. Seth explains the concept of a leader’s role to “normalize the struggle”—how leaders confront challenging situations and implement a plan to resolve them. He elaborates how the transition of the workplace structure (remote, hybrid, in-office) will vary for each organization—dependent on organizational values and goals—and how it will require intentional and strategic planning regarding its future framework.Seth addresses how the pandemic has impacted mental health. Studies have shown that many individuals are experiencing languish—a mental state between depression and flourishing. He further discusses how others have begun to reflect on who they are and their sense of purpose personally and professionally. Seth outlines two fundamental skills that significantly impact how people navigate challenges:1) Learning agility: Knowing what to do when you don’t know what to do; how you navigate uncertainty and challenging situations2) Maintain your agency: Believe you have control over your life; simply believing in your actions and claiming your path will lead to higher performance and improve quality of life.Seth explains the concept of psychological safety—creating an environment where people feel safe enough to show up and express their true selves while confidently asking questions and asking for help. Genuine curiosity creates understanding and unity, which is crucial in multi-generational workplaces. He emphasizes how love creates an essential foundation in leadership dynamics and workplace satisfaction. Leaders must have solid self-love as it enhances self-awareness and love for other people. Connect with Seth:https://www.sethmattison.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethmattison/https://twitter.com/sethmattisonhttps://www.instagram.com/sethmattison/Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

In this episode of Start With A Win, Adam and SWAW Producer Mark pick up the conversation about Adam's first authored book, Start With A Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success. Adam announces he will be donating all book proceeds to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Adam initiates the conversation by addressing two common questions that determine life approaches: “Do I get to?” Or “Do I have to?”These questions not only shape your mindset but force you to stop and reflect on how you think about yourself. Once people become conscious of their attitude and choices, it can potentially create doubt. Doubt generates from fear and overwhelm, challenging people to push beyond capabilities. Confront challenges with an “I can” attitude—rather than “I can’t.” Adam explains how lacking the proper attitude/mindset will create barriers to seek and overcome daily challenges. Without seeking challenges, people will never experience victories—victories power, educate, and inspire us. Adam always asks himself three questions in every situation:1) What is the challenge?2) What is the necessary attitude to get started? 3) What actions are needed to overcome the challenge?Adam outlines the significance of appreciating micro-wins/moments. Enjoying the tiny actions and commitments will enable your thoughts to build momentum as you navigate daily life. He shares the concept of falling forward in life and how it teaches us how to create wins as people are consistently psychologically training to respond to future situations. Life is a compilation of missions—experiences and interactions that shape who we are and how we respond. Start With A Win provides insights to turn mindsets into actions, which create successes and ultimately build upon each other. Pre-order your copy of Start With A Win:https://www.amazon.com/Start-Win-Lessons-Personal-Business/dp/1119807077https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/start-with-a-win-adam-contos/1138838681https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/start-with-a-win-tools-and-lessons-to-create-personal-and-business-success_adam-contos/28078881/#edition=58850831&idiq=46017298Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

What happens to you in life is important. But the truth is, your choices are more important and they shape who you are! You are a product of your decisions, not your circumstances. While you can’t always change what happens to you, you can change your choices. Take control of your decisions and let your own choices be what change you. Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/ https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos https://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ 

In this episode of Start With A Win, Adam introduces Christine Riordan, President of Adelphi University and RE/MAX board member. She is the 10th President of the university and the first woman to serve in the role. Christine developed a strategic plan for Adelphi University, known as Momentum. She is also an internationally recognized expert in leadership, career success, and diversity and inclusion.Christine explains the purpose behind the strategic plan—Momentum—and how every organization will benefit from developing strategic initiatives. She emphasizes how strategic plans provide efficient foundations for defining clear organization goals, aligning jobs, and providing language depth. This structure enables people to focus on a collective objective, creating consistency and direction within organizations. In an ever-changing workplace, Christine reveals that by 2030, a prediction of 375 million employees will have to transition jobs due to automation, technology, and business changes. Her book, Shift Happens: How to Adapt and Thrive in a Rapidly Changing World of Work, helps people successfully navigate through any change in personal and professional endeavors while explaining the different types of change and how it impacts how people adjust and transition. Christine provides an overview of her TED Talk, “Dare to Be Extraordinary,” which presents three key attributes of extraordinary people—passion, courage, and resilience. 1) Passion for what you do2) Courage to make hard decisions and do the right thing3) Resilience to not give up and get back up when something doesn’t go well  Links:Shift Happens: How to Adapt and Thrive in a Rapidly Changing World of Workhttps://www.shifthappensbook.com/Dare to Be Extraordinary | Dr. Christine Riordan | TEDxAdelphiUniversityhttps://youtu.be/FnUo4D-TaqcConnect with Christine:https://www.linkedin.com/in/christineriordan/https://christineriordan.com/Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

In this episode of Start With A Win, Adam, and SWAW producer Mark, discuss Adam's first authored book, Start With A Win. Adam shares his inspiration and process for creating the book, referring to the project as a compilation of the SWAW podcast and a reflection of his “why” in business and leadership. Adam emphasizes the impact of having a firm grasp on understanding yourself, as it determines the effectiveness of your pursuits in business, leadership, and life. He explains how he views life as a series of missions. Everything we do in life is a mission—working towards goals and executing them. Adam describes how he reflects on every experience to measure and make an intentional effort to make improvements. Consider these questions in your experiences—how is your attitude? What challenges have you overcome? What actions did you take to overcome obstacles? Attitude plays a significant variant in defining the outcomes in all life and business endeavors. It is a matter of choosing between a positive or negative mindset. Adam reveals the book is divided into two parts, with the first section focused on the reader and the second part delivers tools to succeed. He outlines the topics per chapter:Chapter 1: Attitude Chapter 2: Our Mission Sets the PlaybookChapter 3: Party with the BeastChapter 4: Be a spongeChapter 5: Leadership LearningsChapter 6: From Chaos to CalmChapter 7: Presence and PassionChapter 8: Lose the EgoChapter 9: Coach, Mentor, & MastermindChapter 10: Celebrate the WinsThe book is available to pre-order, with the official release date set for October 19. Links:https://www.amazon.com/Start-Win-Lessons-Personal-Business/dp/1119807077https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/start-with-a-win-adam-contos/1138838681https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/start-with-a-win-tools-and-lessons-to-create-personal-and-business-success_adam-contos/28078881/#edition=58850831&idiq=46017298Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

Want more success? Who doesn’t? Here’s how to increase your success: fail. That’s right! Getting to victory requires trying and failing. Be willing to fail enough and you’ll find success. Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/ https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos https://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/

In this episode of Start With A Win, Adam welcomes Eric Papp, Keynote Speaker and Founder of Agape Leadership, LLC. Eric begins the conversation by sharing his background in the leadership development and sales industry and his inspiration for initiating Agape Leadership. Agape signifies the highest form of love, which inspired the name of Eric’s business since he believes the highest form of leadership translates into the highest form of love. Eric discusses the importance of personal development, emphasizing if you’re not consistently improving, you’re gradually getting worse. He reveals how a lack of investment in yourself and not educating the mind will result in negativity, self-doubt, and worrisome thoughts. He also recommends reading 15 minutes a day devoted to your personal development, business, or spirituality. Eric explains people tend to habitually overcommit, overpromise, and under-deliver with obligations and responsibilities. As a result, people extend beyond their capacities. He further explains that activity impacts thoughts, interfering with the bandwidth to think strategically and develop ideas. In turn, this dynamic creates a lack of certainty, which prevents people from reaching their goals. He breaks down the concept of better thinking versus more effort, emphasizing the importance of planning time strictly for thinking and brainstorming. This consists of two components: Preparation = Establishing a clear game planPriority = How you will spend your time and debriefEnd Result = Measuring your progress and evaluating what needs to be changedEric shares one of his core time-management concepts—micro to momentum. This concept focuses on developing an unconscious habit by starting small on tasks and working your way up. He elaborates how this coincides with overcoming procrastination and perfectionism.   Connect with Eric:https://www.ericpapp.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericpapp/https://twitter.com/ericpapp?lang=enConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

In this episode of Start With A Win, Win Nation will meet Quintavius “Q” Burdette, RE/MAX real estate agent. He is a former D1 football and track athlete from the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) who integrated his work ethic as an athlete into his real estate business. Q has been in the real estate industry for two and a half years. During his first year, he closed 106 transactions and eventually achieved Diamond status—a million dollars in gross commission—in August 2020. He has built his success by developing a four-point system, which measures his daily activity and maintains productivity. The concept is to achieve any combination of four points daily, outlined by these tasks:4 points = contract2 points = listing agreement1 point = showing buyers1/2 point = meeting potential clients looking to do business within 90 days Q also attributes his success to building organic relationships and focusing less on paying for leads and marketing. One of the common ways Q meets others in the community is by going to the local Kroger store and assisting customers with bagging groceries. This type of networking enabled him to talk to 6,000 people in his first 30 days as a real estate agent. Presentation is vital, as it is essential to be aware of your tone, delivery, and what you’re going to say. Q explains how the real estate business comes down to heart. It’s about how much you’re willing to work, network, and build relationships.Connect with Quintavius:https://www.remax.com/real-estate-agents/quintavius-burdette-germantown-tn/102051157https://www.instagram.com/quintaviusburdette/https://www.facebook.com/quintaviusburdetterealtor/Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

Do you want more and better results in whatever you do? It might be simpler than you think. Poor focus leads to poor results, so you can increase your results by increasing your focus. Focus may be easier said than done, but your results will be worth the effort! Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/ https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos https://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ 

In this episode of Start With A Win, Ruben Gonzalez, a four-time luge Olympian, reveals how his experiences in the Olympics shaped his mindset to succeed in business and how he continues to thrive as an Olympic athlete.Ruben emphasizes how performance—whether in business or sports—is strongly dependent on a person’s mental state. He breaks down how the mental foundation requires a conscious understanding of your thoughts and process. For example, consider these questions:How does your mind prepare before a performance/deal?What does your mind think during a meeting, performance, or other endeavors?What do you think/feel after completing the goal/task at hand?How do you process lessons and apply them?How do you reinforce your habits?Ruben discusses how internal and external fears often integrate into personal and professional endeavors, which typically prevents individuals from overcoming self-limiting beliefs and challenges. Ruben explains that fear will gradually disappear once you focus more on what you need to improve and implement one step at a time. Ruben reveals that setting intentions in all pursuits influences the subconscious mind, which is key to development, consistency, and success.  Ruben shares how he consistently strives to be better, which requires training, practice, mental strength, and trust in your abilities. As the oldest Winter Olympian in history, he hopes his story will inspire others to dismantle their self-limiting barriers, pursue their goals, and live their dreams.   Connect with Ruben:oldestolympian.comhttps://ruben-gonzalez.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruben-gonzalez-olympian/Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

The conversation continues with Tracy Walder, beginning with her recollection of her transition from the CIA to the FBI and the cultural differences she experienced between the organizations. After leaving the FBI, Tracy began teaching in hopes of inspiring more young women to pursue careers in national security. As a teacher, Tracy quickly realized foreign policy curriculum was not available to students. This discovery inspired her to build and teach a course focused on national security and foreign policy. Tracy also carries her teachings to Girl Security, a nonprofit organization committed to changing the gender narrative of national security careers while preparing girls and women for these careers through mentorship. Tracy has contributed teachings to the organization, and she is currently on the board of directors. Tracy finds fulfillment as a teacher by introducing young women to the issues in criminal justice and foreign affairs, as it initiates their curiosity. She discusses the impact of stereotypes and gender narratives for careers in these fields, which often discourages women from pursuing these job types. She reveals how femininity is a “disqualifying” myth and how women are often taken less seriously or regarded as less intelligent with this trait. Tracy hopes to instill open-mindedness and realistic expectations for everyone who wishes to pursue a career in the CIA or FBI, hoping this mindset will contribute to finding their paths to success within the organizations. Connect with Tracy:https://www.tracywalder.com/https://www.amazon.com/Unexpected-Spy-Secret-Notorious-Terrorists/dp/1250230985https://twitter.com/tracy_walder https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracy-schandler-walder-026547130/Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

Don’t leave reading and learning behind after you finish school! Instead, be someone who reads, frequents bookstores, and buys books. Why is reading important? If you want to learn in order to lead, reading is an essential part of the process. Gather information through reading, then go out and share what you know. Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/ https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos https://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ 

Tracy Walder joins Win Nation as a USC alum, Delta sorority sister, author, and former CIA officer and FBI special agent. While majoring in history at USC, Tracy was recruited at a career fair by the CIA, and she spent most of her career as a Special Operations Officer for the Agency’s Counterterrorism Center. After her time in the CIA, she became a Special Agent for the FBI, specializing in counterintelligence operations. Tracy’s five years of service earned her numerous awards during her time with both organizations. After her time with the CIA and FBI, Tracy authored The Unexpected Spy, an apolitical memoir of her experiences—such as debriefing terrorists—and insights as a young woman in intelligence and law enforcement. She hopes the book will help and inspire others who aspire to pursue a career in these fields. Tracy is currently a criminal justice professor at Texas Christian University and a teacher at an all-girls high school, teaching curriculum she created on terrorism and national security. As students have turned to her for advice over the years, she reveals that no specific “formula” will determine career success in the CIA and FBI. It requires more than learning the right curriculum to be successful in these organizations. Tracy explains that soft skills, like empathy, collaboration, listening, problem-solving, and not allowing preconceived notions to interfere with work, are critical in pursuing a career in the CIA or FBI. Tracy identifies as an introverted-extrovert person with a strong sense of curiosity, judgment, and confidence. Tracy seeks to ask questions to gain a better understanding of others and their situations. Tune in to next week’s episode to hear part 2 of this conversation!Connect with Tracy:https://www.tracywalder.com/https://www.amazon.com/Unexpected-Spy-Secret-Notorious-Terrorists/dp/1250230985https://twitter.com/tracy_walder https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracy-schandler-walder-026547130/Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

Our guest on this episode of the Start With A Win podcast is Bob Goff, a recovering lawyer who has found his life’s purpose in helping other people find theirs. Bob spent his first career of 32 years as a lawyer, commuting daily from San Diego to Seattle and only missing dinner four times in 25 years. He has always prioritized his family, recognizing that they are the most important thing to him. Even while he was practicing law, he was doing incredible work through his nonprofit called Love Does, where he now spends much of his time and energy. They have built schools in eight countries in the middle of their own civil wars because Bob does not want the next generation to suffer despite the political climates in their countries.Bob has written several books, and he just recently released “Dream Big.” This book encourages people to find and reach their biggest dreams and lets them know that they don’t have to ask anyone for permission to do so. In the book, he guides people to strip away barriers and baggage holding them back and letting go of the self-limiting beliefs that have affected them for too long. It is also crucial for readers to clearly define their dreams and think through what they want to do that will outlast them. One aspect of this process is focusing on your passions rather than obsessing about the wrong things. Bob says he has been amazed working with people and how taking a genuine interest in those you come in contact with can make a drastic difference. Bob has a relevant story to demonstrate every lesson, one of which is the story of The Oaks retreat center. He and his wife purchased the camp right before the pandemic hit. They weren’t able to do anything with it immediately, but Bob started looking at the adjacent properties and realized that if he purchased a nearby horse racing track, they could host horses and their trainers there. This opportunity would not have come their way had Bob not been intentional about looking around his current circumstances. Bob encourages listeners to get unstuck and unleash their potential. Connect with Bob:https://www.amazon.com/Dream-Big-Youre-Going-About/dp/1400219493 https://bobgoff.com/https://twitter.com/bobgoffhttps://www.instagram.com/bobgoff/https://dreambigframework.com/podcasthttps://www.oakscenter.com/  Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

Planning to succeed the first time you try something? Think again. Failing — and failing many times — is typically an essential part of success. Take it from Henry Ford’s five failures before Ford Motor Company became an incredible business or Thomas Edison’s 1000 failures before he successfully created  the lightbulb. Don’t stop trying after one failure. Success comes after many failures!Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/ https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos https://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/

In this episode of Start With A Win, producer Mark asks Adam a series of business development questions that might change your perspective on some aspects of your business.What is more important: maintaining your current clients or growing your business? – In classic CEO-form, Adam converts this either/or question into a both/and question, specifying that you need to strike a balance between investing in your existing customers while also marketing yourself to prospects. The best way to do this is by providing products, services, or thought leadership that is of value to people, which will cause your business to be top-of-mind for them.What is the best strategy for converting a “no” into a “yes”? – Adam will have a lot to say on this topic in his upcoming book, but his main piece of advice is to know the no. Understand that some people will default to “no” out of fear – either of the unknown or of missing out on something else – so your best bet is to give value to them in love.If you were dropped off in an unfamiliar city and told to start a business, what kind of business would it be, and how would you grow it? – The key to starting any business is to talk to the people, to get to know what is working for them, what isn’t working for them, what they need, and how they need to receive it. You won’t be successful without customers, and you won’t have customers if you aren’t providing them with a product or service that solves a problem for them. The same concept applies to real estate; talk to people, get to know local business owners, start telling the stories of the community, and watch as clients come your way.What is your best advice for getting unstuck in business growth? – Adam points out that stagnation or issues in business typically reflect personal struggles, so before you can work on your business, you have to work on yourself. Think and journal through the various aspects of your life and gauge how you are doing. Only when you get your life back on track will your business start to grow again. Links mentioned:https://www.amazon.com/Living-Your-Best-Year-Ever/dp/1733513345 Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/ https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos https://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

In this episode of Start With A Win, Adam and Mark pick up the conversation from last week, discussing Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People. The first episode highlighted an overview of the six principles that help to win people over as friends. Adam sets the stage for this episode, which focuses on how to win people over to your thinking. So how do we influence people?The first of these points surrounds argument. Adam advises not to argue with people. Instead, simply appreciate that they have an opinion on the issue at all. He calls on martial arts wisdom when he says, “the best fight one is the one not fought at all.” In other words, avoiding fighting with someone is better than winning an argument. And this can be magnified by the next point, which is to respect differences in opinion. If you can appreciate the fact that someone thinks differently than you, you humanize them and humble yourself. Admitting when you’re wrong can only make this effect stronger. Apologize for mistakes to show that you need grace, too.Another trick is to begin in a friendly way, which can be as simple as responding enthusiastically from the first interaction. Building on this positivity, another tip is to simply get people to say yes. But instead of thinking about these yesses as finalizing sales (or some formal agreement), think about them like micro yesses, as Mark says. The sheer act of saying yes—even to a simple fact—gets them agreeing with you early, which can help set the tone of the conversation moving forward.To influence people, you need to first be aligned. We want people to feel that our opinions are valued. And the reality is that no one will care about your thoughts unless you care about theirs. “And someone has to take that first step,” Adam says. When you don’t have mutual trust and understanding, it is virtually impossible to get them to care about what you have to say. You can also call praise and appreciation to their efforts, which can be framed so as not to blame. If you can suggest a change without saying that it’s their fault, you’re that much closer to winning them over to your own thinking.To avoid feelings of condemnation, try to avoid giving orders. Instead, try asking questions. No one likes being told what to do, but asking questions opens up creative problem-solving. This allows you to sacrifice your own ego to let the other person’s ideas shine. “When you sacrifice your ego, you maintain control of your emotions, and emotions drive behavior,” Adam says. So much of this hinges on emotional control, so offer praise if you want to see motivation.Finally, this framework of influence is based on building an emotional connection to establish a common team. Influencing is about establishing a framework to work together. And at the end of it all, be sure to reward them. Everyone likes a pat on the back and feeling like they are appreciated. These tips will only help you to succeed. And as always—start with a win.Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

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In this solocast of Start With A Win, Adam and Producer Mark talk about some of the key insights in Dale Carnegie’s 1936 classic, How to Win Friends and Influence People. Adam calls it one of the best books for showing how we should treat each other. Although the book is nearly a century old, its lessons on understanding the intrinsic desires of human beings resonate even today.One of the first tips they explore is the idea that “if you want to gather honey, don’t kick over the beehive.” In short: don’t criticize, condemn, or complain. Usually, this is because it’s human nature to react when someone criticizes you. So try to be nice to people, even when it doesn’t necessarily serve you to do so. People don’t want to help you if you’re beating on them. It takes a specific maturity to consider external forces unfolding when a situation doesn’t go the way you want. Another principle they discuss is that you should show honest and sincere appreciation. Adam shares a story of a time that he and his family were in the drive-thru at a coffee shop. Seeing that the barista had spent a lot of time on what you’d say was a unique face of makeup, Adam’s daughter, Ashley, tells her that she loved her makeup. Her eyes lit up, Adam recalls, and it changed the entire tone of their interaction. It was remarkable how an honest and sincere compliment elevated a routine coffee run into a memory.The book also suggests that the only way to influence people is to arouse their “want.” As often as he can, Mark sets an example for his children to intentionally say the names of people he interacts with while in stores. He shares a story about how he once left a grocery store with his children, and they asked him how he knew everyone’s names. He took it as an opportunity to teach them about acknowledging people in service positions and how valuable it can be.Finally, and perhaps most importantly, you should seek to elevate others’ interests. Show that you are interested in them rather than in yourself. Think about how you can help others rather than yourself, and see how many people you can make smile.  Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

In this episode of Start With A Win, we hear from Molly Fletcher, a speaker, author, and former top sports agent. In her professional career, she spent two decades as one of the world’s only female sports agents and negotiated over 500 million dollars of contracts. Molly shares a bit about her career, including key points she has learned over the years of negotiating contracts and working with people. She notes that negotiation is simply a conversation, and the better the relationship, the better the outcome will be. Understanding where the other person is coming from is vital, as are good preparation and communication.On the other hand, Molly lists two of the top mistakes people make in negotiating: not asking the tough questions early on and not taking the time to pause. To wrap up, we learn about the idea behind Molly’s new book, “The Energy Clock” — that the linchpin for performance for athletes, coaches, and business people alike is not time management but energy management. Show up for your big moments with the energy you need! Connect with Molly:https://Mollyfletcher.com   https://Training.mollyfletcher.comDiscount code: WINConnect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/ https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos https://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

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Our guest on this episode of Start With A Win is Ben Saunders, a polar explorer and motivational speaker who has excellent nuggets of wisdom for listeners on the show. Growing up in a rural area of the UK, Ben spent much of his childhood outside, learning about the world around him and struggling to sit still in school. After high school, Ben worked with John Ridgway, who had rowed across the Atlantic in a wooden boat in 93 days, and was inspired by Ridgway’s fortitude and accomplishments. Ben decided to stay beyond his gap year to teach at Ridgway’s adventure school, where he also spent a lot of time reading about adventurers.In 2001, Ben and his friend spent 59 days skiing to the North Pole, but they were unprepared and didn’t complete their goal. A few weeks later, Ben got a bill in the mail for his portion of the trip expenses – close to $50,000 – and he decided to plan a second trip and fundraise for the trip and cover his debts. This trip was a success and his first solo venture. In 2004, he completed his solo trip from Russia to the North Pole, and then in 2014, Ben and his partner completed the 1800-mile journey to the South Pole, retracing the steps of Scott in 1912.Through all of Ben’s experiences, he has learned that self-belief is essential to overcoming challenges. This human quality must essentially develop because confidence follows courage. Ben says that either you are winning or you are learning, and no experience is a waste. He also discusses the importance of being intentional. Be intentional about how you are focusing your time and energy, not dwelling on things that are outside of your control. To that end, Ben jumped into entrepreneurship in 2020, creating Scroll Bands that help people be aware of the time they are spending on their phones.Connect with Ben:https://scrollband.com/password https://bensaunders.com/https://twitter.com/polarben?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthorhttps://www.ted.com/speakers/ben_saunders Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/ https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos https://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

Adam shares his insights on leadership and emotional mastery in this episode of Start With A Win. He says many people neglect emotional intelligence and emotional maturity, pursuing financial- or performance-based goals. However, pushing your people to reach those KPIs without establishing a foundation of emotional mastery is counterproductive. The two aspects of emotional mastery—the ability to control your emotions—are emotional intelligence and emotional maturity.Emotional intelligence boils down to empathy, being aware of your own feelings, the feelings of others, and how they fit together. It is vital to understand that there are only two core emotions: fear and love. Fear is the default emotion and often accompanied by the word "but" or the phrase, "I’m busy." When you operate through fear, you can not master your emotions. Love, on the other hand, requires intentionality and leads to unconditional giving.Emotional maturity is essentially choice management, Adam says. Your choices will determine your results, so it is best to create your own good choices to get the results you want. Love and fear come to play here, too, because the ego enters into the arena to fight back when you make a bad choice because it has an inherent fear of failure. Adam’s mantra, which fits in well here, is “stay hungry, stay humble.” It is essential to learn from others constantly and to own your choices. Leaders control their emotions while demonstrating an example to others.Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/ https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos https://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

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Whether you are fully aware that fonts are more than just options in your word processing software, or you had no idea that there is a company called Monotype that creates and distributes licenses for typefaces, this interview with Scott Landers, the company’s CEO, is just for you. In this episode of Start With a Win, Scott expands the understanding of how typefaces fuel creativity and help brands establish themselves in the market. Monotype is the world’s leading provider of typefaces, and their offerings and product reach are consistently expanding as technology continues to grow onward and upward. Scott provides a helpful illustration of everything you could have interacted with on a typical morning that contains a typeface created by Monotype. This example helps listeners recognize how influential Monotype is and all of the ways they have to adapt to innovations. When Monotype started, fonts were strictly for print. Eventually, they had to grow into typefaces for screens linked to printers, and in recent years they have grown to create fonts solely to be used and consumed on screens. This growth curve over the past several decades is quite steep. Despite this growth curve, they have excelled amidst the challenges. This success resulted due to close communication with their customers every step of the way. As a result, they remain ready to help individuals and brands express themselves through creativity centered around typefaces.Scott’s sage advice to creators trying to choose the right fonts—if the font is executed right, you won’t notice it. The font provides the body language and the tone of voice for the words on the page, so regard this process as half art and half science. Monotype has consultants on staff available to help businesses choose the right typefaces for their brand.  They recognize how integral this part of the process is to the brand’s identity for years to come. When it comes to leading through change, Scott says that the most important thing is to keep the customer at the center and give your employees more authority because if they know that you trust them to do the right thing, they will do the right thing.Connect with Scott:https://monotype.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-landers-96b3614 Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/ https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos https://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

This episode is the conclusion of Adam’s interview with Jeremy Ryan Slate. We pick back up in the conversation on building trust and why brands aren’t able to establish their presence. Jeremy says that people forget about public relations until something goes wrong, and they suddenly want to make sure that everyone knows all of the good things about them to offset the bad. PR should be integrated into daily, weekly, and monthly rhythms within the business so that leaders always have open lines of communication with their customers. This approach allows brands to proactively answer objections and solve problems before customers even get to that point in the process.This presence and communication is epitomized by overdelivering in every customer exchange, focusing on building relationships rather than closing transactions, and eventually creating brand evangelists that will be the best PR you can hope for. Many businesses strategize their communications months in advance and try to be on all of the social media platforms. However, over-planning can take the spontaneity out of interacting with customers in real-time on the platform(s) that best fits your niche. Jeremy encourages leaders and entrepreneurs to focus on doing one thing well and stay in their niche and then expand your footprint as your business grows and your team expands. To sum up this two-part conversation, Jeremy breaks down his recommended action items for those people looking to start something new, particularly a podcast:Find out what’s out there alreadyArticulate how you are differentResearch the influencers in that spaceCurate your audience based on the audiences of those influencersFocus on one platform at a timeInterview people in the nicheGet interviewed by people in the nicheConnect with Jeremy: https://www.jeremyryanslate.com/https://twitter.com/JeremyRyanSlatehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-ryan-slate-bb7b284ahttps://www.instagram.com/jeremyryanslate/?hl=en Connect with Adam:https://www.startwithawin.com/ https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContoshttps://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos https://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ Leave us a voicemail:888-581-4430

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