Many, many years ago, one of my favorite magazines was 'Success.' I mean, seriously, why wouldn't someone--or anyone for that matter--not read a magazine with that title? Aside from the content, the thing I loved about it was the included CD (Do you remember those?). It seems like no matter where I've lived (I have moved 49 times in my life), I have always had a long commute to work, the gym, etc. And unlike most people, I didn't listen to the radio or, more recently, podcasts. But I loved listening to those Success CDs. In fact, I have listened to them so much that I have worn out every single one! I've asked many times if they are available digitally, but the magazine never responded. There are several stories I will never forget, and eventually I will discuss all of them. But here's one of my favorites. It was about a life coach's approach to helping people (I love that). He would sit down with people — singles or couples — and, after breaking the ice, ask them a series of questions about their finances, relationships, health, careers, etc. Each question began the same: On a scale of one to ten, how is/are your...? Anything less than a nine received a follow-up question: What would it take to get you to a ten? First of all, I loved his Socratic inquiry—asking questions. Next, I loved how he would let clients develop their own game plans. The dialogue would go back and forth until a plan was hatched to get them to a ten. The next step, which was paramount, was to hold them accountable. So, look at your own life and ask yourself some of these questions: On a scale of one to ten... - ...how are my relationships (significant other, family, friends, colleagues, clients, etc.)? - ...how are my finances? - ...how is my health? - ...how happy am I in my career? - ...how is my business doing? And then, anything less than a nine, ask yourself, 'What do I have to do to get to a ten?' Go ahead, try it! Let us know in the comments what you found out.

Aside from public education, how much do you estimate you have invested in your own self-development? Formal education, self-education, books, courses, seminars, workshops, coaching, etc. With that in mind, what has been your return on the investment? I always heard, 'it takes money to make money,' and that's fairly accurate. So, are you satisfied with how much you've invested in yourself and your returns? What will you do differently in the future?

Imagine getting in your vehicle, on your bike or even on a plane and just going…somewhere. Although it might be adventurous, I doubt many of you would attempt it. The same goes for your life and the pursuit of success. The first step is to decide where you’re going. You have to set a goal! That’s how the 100-Day Challenge begins. You don’t have to decide immediately. Take a day or two if you have to. Or maybe you have had one for years and are FINALLY ready to achieve it. What’s your goal? Let’s do this!

I was just visiting another Skool and found this "Nice Takeaway": Focus less on finding opportunities and more on becoming the kind of person opportunities find. That's the kind of vibe that reminds me of this Skool, Socratic Warrior. Good work @Michael Martin

Years ago, I got my wife the little sign below. During my treadmill walk today (I always watch or listen to informational content), I heard one of the absolute gurus in the personal training niche say something similar... 'you may have many clients, but they have only one coach!' Both of these phrases point to the same focus--you need to personalize your service. If you're paying a lot of good money to be coached, you expect to be coached, right? It's nice to say you care about the dozens, if not hundreds, of clients your coach works with (especially since most successful coaches are using AI to assist them). But are you getting the 'personal' training and transformation you signed up for? If you're a coach or other service provider, are you personalizing the experience for each client? What's the #1 reason people fail in coaching programs? Accountability! AI has gotten so good that anybody with a few fundamentals in prompting can develop an exercise program tailored to them, a personalized nutrition plan, an accurate family budget and spending/savings plan, and even relationship advice. But AI's downfall is accountability! In Skool's 'tier' program, as the levels and pricing increase, so should the access to the owners or their teams. In a 'free' tier, everyone gets similar access; in a 'premium' tier, maybe some group interaction; but in a VIP level, the access should be pretty personalized. Look at the mastermind programs going for 5, 6, even 7 figures. Do you think the leaders are just sending them some AI-generated notes on making money, with a couple of testimonials thrown in at the end? Probably not! Suppose you have the credentials, education, and experience in your niche (like all your competitors). In that case, your most significant competitive advantage is making the transformation experience as unique and personal as possible for every client. If you do that, you'll get plenty of referrals, and you can charge high-ticket prices WITHOUT chasing low-ticket clients who will take up your time and patience.