Gino Wickman (00:00):
Welcome to the Shed and Shine podcast. I am Gino Wickman. This is where Rob Dube and I help driven entrepreneurs shed their shit, free their True Selves, unlock true entrepreneurial freedom and shine. We truly appreciate you taking the time to spend with us and we hope to make a huge impact on you.
Rob Dube (00:21):
Hello, everyone. My name is Rob Dube and I am here with my good friend Gino Wickman. Gino, how are you today?
Gino Wickman (00:29):
I am really good, Rob.
Rob Dube (00:30):
You look good. You look good. Today we are going to talk about how the 10 Disciplines solve all personal and professional issues. So you are going to want to hear this because I got to believe you have issues. So let me just kick this off, Gino, by saying for context on my end, and I've told this story many times, you and I would meet in a coffee shop, usually Starbucks for years and years when we were younger. During our conversations that would glean on this particular way you were living your life, which you ultimately documented and called the 10 Disciplines for managing and maximizing your energy. Now, you and I came together because these were so powerful in my life that I wanted to partner with you to bring them to the world. I noticed what an impact they would make for me. As when I was implementing them well, I had more quality time in my life, which led to absolute clarity whenever I had a personal and professional issue, which is pretty much all the time.
(01:35):
So the thing that was really interesting was that it started to become so obvious to me when I wasn't implementing the 10 Disciplines fully, meaning all of them, I realized that they are all connected and that's truly what makes them so powerful. Anyway, I just felt like I wanted to say that and cue you up with that. So what comes to mind for you?
Gino Wickman (01:58):
Yeah, this topic, the way this topic came to the surface is you and I were voice texting on something and I shared it with you and you grabbed it. And I've been having this thought for the last two months that I think it really should be a podcast episode because I just had this bold thought, and it's like I literally debated it in my head like, "Wait a second. I actually think the 10 Disciplines will solve any and all personal and business issues." And then this is going on in my head. I'm going, "Wait a minute, is that true? That is a bold state." You know what? That is true. So anyway, there's the process and I'm like, we got to talk about that.
(02:39):
So what came to me, and then again, just so our listeners and viewers know, we prepare very little for this other than just agreeing on the topics, most of the time you lead that charge. And so I come into this with very little preparation other than that, aha. But what I did in preparation for this one in three minutes before we started is I wrote down 10 issues in life. Okay? So I thought what might be fun is let's give the audience two, three, five examples of an issue that happens in life. I'm going to let you pick from this list. I'm going to just rip through it. And then you and I will show them the tie to the Disciplines and how it helps solve that issue. Okay?
Rob Dube (03:23):
That's cool.
Gino Wickman (03:23):
So here's what I wrote down. I wrote down a marital issue. So again, in your relationship with your partner or spouse, some kind of issue there, a business partner issue, raising money, losing your biggest client, burning out, death, not yours, but someone in your life, not making enough money, someone holding you hostage. That could be personal and business or business. And then I thought about our entrepreneurial leap business partner changes. There's a real-life one that I want to... I'm thinking about you and how you process that really heavy decision using the 10 Disciplines. Then I wrote sales. Every business has sales challenges. And then I wrote people issues. So either you have the wrong person in the right seat or the right person in the wrong seat. And again, I just feel... And I have not thought about one second more of how they tie to 10 Disciplines. So I look forward to how it just quickly comes to us.
(04:30):
So if you'll pick one, two or three of those, let's show the audience how 10 Disciplines solves any issue.
Rob Dube (04:36):
Well, can I be selfish?
Gino Wickman (04:37):
I wish you would.
Rob Dube (04:38):
I know my number one business issue is sales.
Gino Wickman (04:43):
I wish you would. Perfect. I love it.
Rob Dube (04:44):
It's the sales process.
Gino Wickman (04:45):
I love it.
Rob Dube (04:46):
Okay, how do you want to start this off?
Gino Wickman (04:48):
Well, here's what I would suggest because all I'm going to do is I'm going to go where my mind takes me into the one, two, or three, four Disciplines that will help you solve that issue or solves that issue. Okay? And so that's where I'm going to go with it. Does that make sense to you or-
Rob Dube (05:04):
Yeah.
Gino Wickman (05:05):
Do you want to go first?
Rob Dube (05:07):
Sure.
Gino Wickman (05:07):
Please. Yeah, please.
Rob Dube (05:09):
I mean, because I've actually already thought about this.
Gino Wickman (05:10):
Please. Please, please, please.
Rob Dube (05:10):
So we made it a little bit easier for me. So I get frustrated and impatient as it relates to scaling the business, getting the sales process really dialed in and successful. And so where do I go first? 10 year thinking. It makes things really clear for me. I got 10 years to figure this out. Chill out, dude.
Gino Wickman (05:36):
I love it.
Rob Dube (05:37):
So that gets me in a good place. And some days are rougher than others, but it gets me in a good place. So then I go to Discipline number two, how do I keep a clear mind? It's important that I take time off and time away from business and be intentional about that. And that really helps me to keep my mind clear. And what happens when I come back? I'm more creative. I'm more energized.
(06:00):
Now, I could go through all 10, so I won't do that. So let me just do a couple more. Discipline number three, know thyself. I know this about myself. When I am patient, things always work out. And I've figured out this puzzle before with my other business, so there's no reason to believe I wouldn't figure it out again. So just be patient because things always work out. And then, finally, I'll just say Discipline number four, be still. Again, slow things down. Come to the present moment. It brings me clarity and reduces any of the anxiousness or anxiety that I might be feeling. So I could keep going, but let me pause there.
Gino Wickman (06:40):
Yeah, so good. Yeah. Here's what comes up for me there because, again, this is real for us because we're still trying to crack the sales nut for 10 Disciplines. And so this is what we're dealing with real time. And so the three, change that to four Disciplines that come up for me, and again, all of you out there is trying to solve the sales problem, figure out how to increase sales by first place same as you went to 10-year thinking. Okay? But mine is a little different, and this is the beauty of how powerful and broad 10-year thinking is because where my mind goes to is, how big do we want to get in 10 years? How fast do we want to grow this company? And if we're looking to build a $100 million company and we're looking at 100 and 200% growth every year, that's a very different answer. Then if we're good growing at 10% a year, 20% a year, we want to build a 5 million company. Those are very different sales answers. So it's going to lead you to a better answer. Take a little pressure off, help calm you down or amp you up if it's 100 million.
(07:44):
Number two, I wrote down know thyself. And so this is if you're sitting there and it's your job to figure out sales and you 're not good at that... Now, again, I'm not talking to you, I'm talking to everybody out there. That's where you got to know yourself. If you are not capable of figuring this out, you got to go outside and find resources. You got to know yourself and your abilities.
(08:06):
The next thing that came to mind is be still is the answer comes. When we slow ourselves down, when we spend time and stillness, the answer comes. If we just sit and contemplate with the issue, the answers bubble to the surface.
(08:22):
And then the last thing that came to mind is just saying no. You want people involved in the process that know sales, and there are people that should not be involved in the process and they just need to say, "No, this is not my expertise." And you got to have your boundaries so that you're not feeling the pressure that it's your job to solve this problem. So that's what comes up for me.
Rob Dube (08:46):
Yeah. And then, I'm wondering just if you can give any thoughts around bringing these all together. In other words, do you bring through a full connection to them all? Because I know I like to talk about that, how powerful they are when they're all working together.
Gino Wickman (09:04):
Yeah. My mind doesn't go there because, and maybe that's not fair and it maybe it's too obvious because you and I could go through all 10 on each issue and I'm just trying to grab the low hanging fruit. So in my mind, it's a given. And again, it might not be fair that the 10 Disciplines all have a synergistic effect. They all work together. They all compound each other. So with that given, I set that aside and I'm just trying to grab the low hanging fruit. If you want to take us deeper, by all means take us there.
Rob Dube (09:37):
Well, I mean that's the exercise that I've been putting myself through since you brought this up, which I love. I'm just going through each one and seeing how the connection is and when I'm doing well implementing them, how that's being useful for me, or am I missing one? And maybe if I put a little emphasis, in other words, I'm not putting enough emphasis on one of the Disciplines.
Gino Wickman (10:01):
So here's what I would ask, then you go through all 10 when we go through the example, but another thing that came to my mind because, again, I'm just all about grabbing the low hanging fruit because now I'm going to flip what I said. Okay? So now watch this. Let's pretend you don't have the 10 Disciplines in your life and you're trying to solve it, a sales issue. You have no idea your 10-year thinking. You're already screwed out of the chute. You don't know yourself well enough to realize that you have no business solving a sales problem. You're already destined to fail out of the chute. You're not taking time to be still. So you're going a million miles an hour, you're overwhelmed, you're burnt out, and you're going to try and solve a sales problem? Never going to happen. And then saying no, if you're out there saying yes to everything that happens, again, you're never going to solve your sales problem. So there's the opposite side of it, but again, I'm just grabbing the low hanging fruit. You want to go through all 10, I'm going to let you do that.
Rob Dube (10:53):
No, and I think what is cool here is you pulled low hanging fruit. I went through all 10. So as a listener, do whatever makes most sense for you.
Gino Wickman (11:02):
And then the other thing I thought, I've been a partnership. And so you and I are partners in this business and you and I are so in sync with our 10-year thinking around this business. But imagine if we weren't, imagine if I wanted a $5 million company and you wanted $100 million company. That is a disaster. We are going to fight endlessly every single day. We've got to agree on that end result and what the future looks like and all of a sudden, we will make better decisions. Time will slow down. Anyway, what that's worth.
Rob Dube (11:30):
There you go. Should we do one more?
Gino Wickman (11:32):
Well, we could do... I'm looking at the clock. We got time for one more. Please.
Rob Dube (11:36):
Well, this one came to my mind because it's not business-related and it's the first one that you brought up, which is marriage. Yeah. So do you want me to jump in first or do you have thoughts around that one?
Gino Wickman (11:48):
Why don't you go ahead.
Rob Dube (11:49):
Okay. Well, I mean, is it cheating to go right to 10 year all the time?
Gino Wickman (11:53):
Well, there's no coincidence. It's first and it's number one.
Rob Dube (11:58):
It's like north star stuff [inaudible 00:11:59].
Gino Wickman (11:59):
Exactly. Exactly.
Rob Dube (12:01):
So if you know, and you're in sync in your marriage, what things look like 10 years from now, that makes a big difference. But even for yourself, if you know you want a relationship, so maybe you're not quite in sync, but you want a certain type of relationship with your significant other, your spouse, whatever it might be, then how you treat them today makes a huge difference. So it's important to bring awareness to that.
Gino Wickman (12:27):
All right, and I'm biting at the bit. I'm sorry, I got to jump in and then you continue on, but I'm bouncing off the ceiling with this one because I could go through all 10, but I'm not going to. I'm going to grab the five lowest hanging fruits. Okay? So yes, right where you went, 10 years first. Everybody out there, there's a reason 10-year is first. And so, again, if your 10-year thinking and your significant other's 10-year thinking is different, it's probably not going to work. So, similar to business, we're talking about $5 million company, $100 million company. Well, if you see eight kids and your significant other sees no kids, and if you see traveling the world and your significant other sees being a home body, I mean, these things do not compute. That's 10-year thinking.
(13:15):
Next I went to is know thyself. Oh, my God, this is probably the most important one. Know exactly who you are because you too may not resonate. In other words, the real you and the real him or her significant other may be two different things.
(13:33):
The next thing that came up is know your 100%. So you are a driven entrepreneur and you have 100%, a number of hours per week and weeks per year. And your soul will not let you work one hour less. And there are 70-hour entrepreneurs out there. And we love them and hallelujah and amen if that's your 100%. Okay? Some of them are 35 hours. But if you have a significant other that wants you home for dinner at 5:30 every day, at some point something's going to break. So you got to know your a hundred percent.
(14:07):
Be humble came to mind just in terms of don't be an arrogant prick, I'll just leave it at that. And then time off. I mean, you need to take time off. You need to spend time with your loved ones. If you're not taking time off, something's going to break. So anyway, I couldn't hold myself back from sharing those.
Rob Dube (14:22):
No, there are many in there. The know your 100%, take time off, being fully present with the person that you are in this life's journey with. I mean, they know when you're distracted. So even if you're spending time with them, they'll feel the energy where you're distracted, you're trying to solve some problem from earlier in the day or you're checking your email, you're on your phone, whatever.
Gino Wickman (14:50):
And it's making me think of a client shared something with me and he said... This wasn't their significant other, it was their kids and they're driving their kids to school that morning and the client did not meditate that morning. But this is your point about when we are still, we are more calm and patient and present with our loved ones. Well, he's driving to school. He didn't meditate that morning and the kids said, "Dad, you didn't meditate today, did you?" So it's like they know when we're not practicing the Disciplines. So for what that's for, I wanted to piggyback on your point there.
Rob Dube (15:20):
No, I love it. So here's a question I have for you. If I have an issue, is this a practical thing? Do I sit down with the 10 Disciplines in front of me and do what you and I just did?
Gino Wickman (15:31):
Well, here's what my simple little mind thinks and how it works. To me, what I hope this is going to sound terrible, but this was just one awesome sell job of an episode for you out there to just get the fricking 10 Disciplines implemented in your life. So the way my brain works is stop trying to figure out all the how's and why's. Just do it. And so I'm not suggesting now everybody out there needs to run all of their issues through the 10 Disciplines I'm suggesting to you implement all 10 Disciplines in your life and your issues will be solved. It will solve all your issues because you're going to the roots of the issues. Don't do it in reverse. You analytical thinkers out there, you're twisting yourself in a knot, and you don't have to think that hard. Just implement the damn things in your life and the byproduct will be solved, personal and professional problems.
Rob Dube (16:28):
I love that. I love that. Is there anything else to be said on this?
Gino Wickman (16:32):
We've said it all, Rob.
Rob Dube (16:33):
We have said it all.
Gino Wickman (16:33):
We've said it all.
Rob Dube (16:34):
Okay. Well, as always, to all you out there, thank you so much for joining us and we will see you next time. And as always, stay focused and much love.
Gino Wickman (16:45):
Thank you for listening in today. We truly appreciate you taking the time to spend with us and please tune in for the next episode. Until then, if you'd like to see where you are on your True Self journey, go to shedandshinepodcast.com to take the True Self assessment and receive personalized guidance. If you're all ready to begin your inner world journey with Rob and myself, please join us for the next round of the 10 Disciplines group coaching program. We wish you all the best in freeing your True Self, stay focused and much love.
