TLDR: Are you *really* putting yourself out there?

Risky Business

In the Navy SEALs, you take unimaginable risks all the time.

To get ahead in business, you need to do the same.
(of course without the life and death part)

For a long time in business I only flirted with putting myself out there.

But just like romance, sales and riches are a numbers game.

You have to take risks over and over and not get disheartened along the way.

I know it sounds trite, but your ceiling is limited mainly by the risks you let yourself take.

How Do We Do This?

Cast & Recover (quickly!)

World-War-II-era frogmen invented an insertion/extraction method that Navy SEALs use, which is known as Cast & Recovery.

You get in a rubber boat that’s lashed to the side of a speedier boat. And you ditch yourself into the water.

When you need to get picked up, the same boat system comes along as you’re bobbing in the water hoping they see you (and don’t hit you!).

The boat crew hangs a rubber hoop off the side, and you stick your arm out so that it catches your arm. Outside of the odd shoulder dislocation, this all works pretty well.

You don’t think about it. You just do it.

When we’re selling something — or ourselves — we need to cast ourselves out there.

And when we get rejected, we need to recover.

That faster we can speed up this cycle, the more shots we have on goal.

A Challenge for This Week

1. Identify one task where you haven’t been taking enough shots.
   
   This could be making sales calls. Or saying hi to people in the gym.
   

2. Then set a target that is much lower than your initial impulse.
   
   Our tendency is to say, “I’m not making any sales calls. So let me target 200 this week.”
   
   That’s insane. You’ll be overwhelmed and self-loathing within a day or two.
   

3. Block out at least one hour each day for this task.

Note: Make sure to pick something that you can do at scale. Asking for a raise would be a poor example, as you can only do that once every so often.

Coda

I spoke about how to lead innovation with a data management group in Richmond, Virginia recently. This is me on the panel.

Want to up-level your team?

Ping me about sharing my lessons with you guys.

Outro

“Life doesn’t need a soundtrack. Life is a soundtrack.”
—Sri

This is my “fight song” lately, though it’s tons better than that pop by Rachel Platten. (Please don’t unsubscribe tho Rachel! 🫶🏼)

Banks & Steelz sounds like Tango & Cash to me. These guys should make a movie. The Bad Boys director could do it.

Cheers

Find me at thewarriorpoet.com and on LinkedIn.

Get unstuck, and crush it. Double period.