Chapter 29
“Robert, They Can't Eat You!”
My Rules for Success in Business and Life in General
Late in 2004, I was asked by bizAZ Magazine (a local Phoenix magazine) to speak at one of its “Business beneath the Surface” breakfast meetings. As part of the event, participants have the option of submitting questions to the speakers, which are then answered during the breakfast
One of the questions directed toward me was, “What advice do you have for someone who is just starting a business?”
I Liked Clint Eastwood's Rules
Also at that time, I happened to pick up a copy of Men's Journal. Clint Eastwood was on the cover, and an article featured 10 items called “Clint's rules.” I found his rules to be interesting. They were things like, “You are what you drive,” “avoid extreme makeovers,” and so on. As Clint Eastwood is a pretty easy guy to respect, I thought the whole rule thing was pretty cool. And the more I thought about it, I realized that over the years I had accumulated a number of principles (or rules) that I tried very hard to adhere to—and these rules (in many ways) have become the foundation for whatever successes I've had.
So, a few weeks before the meeting, I sat down and started typing—in no particular order—the rules I try to live by. At the breakfast meeting, I read my rules at the end of my presentation. The response was amazing. I was swamped with requests for copies of the rules. An edited list was published in the Arizona Republic newspaper a few days later. ...
