Why you should pay attention to the big boys when they speak, or write…
These days, research doesn’t require hours in a library. It doesnt require scouring through endless files of paper. It doesnt require even attending lectures or speeches. Heck, it doesn’t even require that you get up of your chair! All it requires, is the push of a button.
So who are the big boys? I am talking about world leaders, successful entrepreneurs and the richest people on the planet. Venture capitalists, hedgefunders and investors.
Why should you listen? These guys have all made their success and fortunes by doing what they love, bringing something different, and ultimately doing it for the people. And they have nothing to hide. This includes their secrets, hacks and habits that make them who they are.
Entrepeneur and Venture Capitalist Chris Sacca recently spoke to Tim Ferriss on the Tim Ferriss podcast. Now, Chris is one of the big boys i was talking about. He founded his own company from scratch. He took chances on Uber, Instagram, Kickstarter and Twitter. These alone, lead to massive net in his bank account. In the podcast, he points out that he is not afraid to share his secrets, he is not afraid to share his knowledge on how to be a success. The reason is because most people will not take action after hearing what he has to say.
This is true for not only Chris, but for all of the names we idolise(or not): Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Barack Obama, Warren Buffett, Jeff Bezos… They all regularly give interviews, give talks and share their priceless information with the world. It is only those who pay attention and take action that actually benefit, and those people are very few.
What about competition you say? It is true that when these pioneer/leaders share their secrets, they are making themselves slightly vulnerable to competition. For example, ‘john’ could easily take Richard Branson’s advice on board, create a company, and then turn out to be one of Virgin’s rivals. However, it doesn’t usually pan out like that. As Chris Sacca pointed out in the podcast: If you share advice with people, and they actually take action – and benefit from it, they will most likely become your ally, not your enemy. They become a friend, not a foe.
No matter how much money is made, no matter how much success is gained, no matter the fame. These people are always open. They are always learning. They are always listening. And you can bet, they are paying attention to what one another is saying.
Now more than ever it is easy to access what they’re saying. Personal blogs, websites, books, interviews, podcasts, speeches. There are so many platforms that you can grab priceless information from.
So, pay attention. But don’t forget to take action…
What are you favourite blogs? What platforms do you use to get inside the heads of the big boys? Who do you idolise?
