Success is made to be shared

Photo via Mads Nissen

For most of my life I have been fascinated by what triggers human beings to behave the way they do. Why is it that there are so many people in the world who live such joyous lives in spite of almost every adversity, while others who would seem to have it all, live their lives in anger, despair and depression?


We are not victims, we are creators and I care very much about helping people take responsibility for the change they seek to make. And if it makes you a living, then that’s fine, and if it doesn’t make you a living, then that’s a choice. But don’t do it because you are making a living, make a living because you are doing it. 


I think that we should all learn how to learn as it’s the only skill that out-delivers and over performs. Remember, a good mentor will teach you how to think, not what to think.

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John Wooden RIP

“Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.”

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Don't do it alone

Image via Shutterstock

It’s a good idea to have the map before you enter the woods! Don't try to become a coach, an online trainer or monetise content without a roadmap because you'll struggle needlessly, when there are proven strategies you could have implemented right away.


Don't try to build a huge fanbase and truly inspire millions of people without knowing what really works, what business models will sustain you, how to scale and serve well. In order to reach as many people as you deserve, it would be advisable to seek guidance from a marketing/branding expert.


Don't try to get brand deals or work with the big names until you know what the industry is like and how to truly make online marketing work for you 24/7. I think that it’s important for both your loved ones and yourself to get the training you need to win. You deserve it!

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Food for thought

The concept of pretty has no meaning without the concept of ugly, smart means little without the idea of stupid. We come to understand who we are by understanding who we are not.

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Everyone loves an underdog

Here’s what to do when the odds are stacked against you:

• Be patient

• Anticipate next steps

• Stay focused

• Be calm

• Be optimistic

• Study your surroundings

• Believe in yourself

• See the finish line

• Be persistent

• Work hard

• Show grit

• Learn to anticipate

• Be present

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8 Habits of Lucky People

1. Work hard

2. Complain less

3. Teach others

4. Share credit

5. Be on time

6. Be kind

7. Be teachable

8. Show gratitude

c/o Steven Keating

Should you trust your gut?

““The intuitive mind is a sacred gift, and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” - Albert Einstein”

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I Can See Clearly Now

I’m a sales guy by nature and have done really a lot of selling. Basically, there are two elements of selling - starting the conversation that leads to a meeting and closing the deal.

I think SALES is a performance profession! The challenge is how to accurately and fairly measure results. Most companies teach their sales team how to take an order and how to make presentations, which is fine, I think what they should also be teaching is how to ask open ended questions. You can read all the books and study it, in reality, unless you are applying it everyday, building systems and habits around it, it’s just information.

I have a passion to help others achieve their goals and exceed their own expectations with over 20 years experience of contributing to and leading organisations within retail, wholesale, marketing and branding.
Contact me if you are interested in hearing more…

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What Have I Become?

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a time for reflection. I am fully aware that opportunity is always mixed with difficulty, therefore, the only time when things will change is when I change. “I am not a product of my circumstances I am a product of my decisions.” – Stephen Covey


I had an epiphany last week that made me think about the meaning of my life and what have I become. The voice said, “You can have more than you’ve got because you can become more than you are and unless you change what you are, you’ll always have what you’ve got.” I know that the major key to my better future is me, and in my case true happiness is not contained in what I get, happiness is contained in what I become. I immediately knew that I had to start working on myself and as there are only 24 hours in a day, time was not the issue. You cannot get more time, but you can create more value as we primarily get paid for the value we bring to the marketplace. We have plenty of energy to do the things that we really want to do as motivation creates energy.

The Last Dance - Netflix

What are my life goals? How can you hit a target that I don’t have? How to set goals and how to achieve them? I know that you have to have your goals in place to get what you want, and I have to set the kind of goals that will mean something by achieving them. I have to start by making myself comfortable with being uncomfortable as when you let yourself get comfortable with your way of life, you miss out on what you could accomplish when you keep reaching for the next golden ring. One has to eliminate all the negative influences in your life and that also means friends who are dragging you down and keeping you from reaching your goals.

1. Identify exactly what you want.

2. Why do you want to reach this goal?

3. What are the obstacles you need to overcome in order to achieve this goal?

4. What are the skills and knowledge required to reach this goal?

5. Who are the people, groups, organisations you need to work with in order to achieve this goal?

6. What is the plan of action required to achieve this goal?

7. When is the completion date?

Your goals could be physical, mental, spiritual, social, family, career or financial. Are you committed to reaching your goals? When you have a solid base with a solid commitment and solid objectives then you have a much better chance of reaching your goals. Please do not confuse activity with accomplishment! Have you written out your clearly defined goals? Yes? If no, why not? Is it because of fear, a poor self-image, no desire or just because you don’t know how? Would you like some guidance with how to set your goals? I am interested in building characters and developing leaders. Contact sb@stephenburrell.com

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Who is Responsible for Your Return to Work Strategy?

”CUE” illustration by www.ved5tiden.dk

The most successful global leaders in fighting coronavirus have communicated clearly, displayed empathy and always favored science over politics. When challenges arise we don't rise to the occasion, we sink to the level of our training. We have to recognize that things are not going to back to what they were before the coronavirus. The pre-COVID world was all about performance, agility and efficiency, the post-COVID world will be all about one thing - survival. Does your organisation have a plan for how we get people back to work? Are you ready to tackle the challenges ahead?

Health and safety of the workforce should be management’s top priority and managing employee numbers will be critical to protecting workplace health, as the higher the number the higher the risk. Have you thought about the benefits of a staggered reintroduction, e.g. rotating who works from the office and who works at home?

”ROUTINE” illustration by www.ved5tiden.dk

Once open, how can you keep your employees safe? There will be more questions than answers, for example:

-       What will be the new physical setup?

-       How much distance should there be between desks? 

-       Have you made restrictions on your office building capacity?

-       What about employee gatherings around the coffee machine?

-       What about the cafeteria and lunchtime procedures?

-       Have you developed new office sanitization protocols?

-       Will there be guidelines for wearing personal protective equipment, e.g. face masks and/or gloves?

-       What are the rules for checking employees who are returning to work after illness?

-       Will your employees need help to manage this mindset change?

-       How will you deal with employees who are reluctant to return to the office?

-       Do you have a Crisis Management team to deal with ethics and compliance complaints?

Would you like to have a training plan for implementing new operational procedures, processes and policies during your “back to workplace” transition and beyond?
Contact us on sb@peakbalance.dk to hear more on how we can help your organisation.

“REWARD” illustration by www.ved5tiden.dk

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Why Do We Do What We Do?

The great Zig Ziglar said, “Motivation gets you going, and habit gets you there. Make motivation a habit and you will get there more quickly and have more fun on the trip. You are free to choose, but the choices you make today will determine what you have, be and do in the tomorrow of your life.”

We are not in the business of knowledge transformation we are in the business of skill acquisition. Do you know the difference between a skill and a habit? A skill is the ability to do something well and a habit is something you do mentally or physically, that starts as a choice and then becomes a nearly automatic pattern.

In reality, a habit is the function of our subconscious mind. There is no greater evidence of the marvelous power of our subconscious than the force and sway habit holds in our life. We form habits in our subconscious mind by repeating a thought or behavior and act it out over and over again until it establishes tracks in our subconscious mind and becomes automatic. What percentage of our daily behaviors are choice? Studies have shown that between 40 and 45% of what we do each day are habits. Therefore, when we understand how habits work, then rather than being the consumer of our lives, we become the creator.

The Power of Habits training is about teaching leaders and individuals how to leverage habits so that they can improve results. The key to exercising regularly, losing weight, being more productive and achieving success is understanding how habits work. The Power of Habits training will do 3 things: increase performance, improve outcome and ignite culture. Performance is what we do, results is what comes from our actions, and culture is how we behave.

We change the world by changing behavior and there’s a process to that and at Peak Balance (Vital Smarts), our digital learning tools can help facilitate training outside the traditional classroom settings. We have put together a series of micro-trainings which consist of a series of short, focused learning modules that are delivered through Adobe Connect. These trainings have proved to be highly effective at accelerating onboarding and improving retention. 

For further information - contact: sb@peakbalance.dk

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Stimulus > Choice > Response

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” – Victor Frankl

We live in an information-rich, time-poor world, as a result, it is easy for us to behave like rats. In other words, we see an opportunity (stimulus) and we jump at it (response). The great thing about being human (aside from our ability to use a TV remote) is that we can exercise choice. So unlike one of *B.F. Skinner's rats, our behavioural equation is Stimulus > Choice > Response.

*B.F. skinner was an American psychologist who developed the Theory of Operant Conditioning. The idea that behaviour is determined by its consequences, be they reinforcements or punishments, which make it more or less likely that the behavior will occur again.

The challenge is that sometimes we move so fast we whoosh right past our choice and feel like we are simply reacting to the multitude of stimuli - demanding customers, boss' deadlines, screaming kids, requests to volunteer, web page pop-up ads, Facebook status changes, "you've got mail" notifications, GPS voices telling us to "veer right", text tones on our telephones, and on and on.

So, to help you intentionally respond to inbound opportunities and requests, here are four useful questions:

1. Does it interest me?

2. Do I have the resources (skills, money, contacts, knowledge) to make a positive impact?

3. Do I have the time (our most precious resource) for it?

4. Can I make the personal commitment necessary to be successful or fulfill the demands?

These questions reveal a thought process that highly successful people use to live intentionally. They never lose sight of the "C" - choice.

The choice is ours. Our success can be accidental or intentional. Choose to live intentionally.
Contact me here to book a 1:1 session

Crucial Conversations Training

Did you know that I am a certified Crucial Conversations Trainer?
Crucial Conversations teaches skills for creating alignment and agreement by fostering open dialogue around high-stakes, emotional and risky topics - at all levels of your organization. By learning how to speak and be heard (and encouraging others to do the same), you’ll surface the best ideas, make the highest-quality decisions and then act on your decisions with unity and commitment. 

What Is a Crucial Conversation?

A crucial conversation is a discussion between two or more people where the stakes are high, opinions vary, and emotions run strong. These conversations - when handled poorly or ignored - lead to strained relationships and dismal results.

What Does Crucial Conversations Training Teach?

Crucial Conversations teaches participants how to:

• Speak persuasively, not abrasively

• Foster teamwork and better decision making

• Build acceptance rather than resistance

• Resolve individual and group disagreements

Who Needs Crucial Conversations Training?

Does your organization suffer from taboo topics, deference, disagreement, analysis paralysis, information hoarding, office politics or alienation? Is your organization battling declining productivity, safety violations, low morale, reduced quality, poor customer satisfaction or other bottom-line concerns? Then you, your team, or your organization needs Crucial Conversations Training.

My aim is to guide teams, leaders and entrepreneurs on how to focus on your company’s performance and culture by integrating open communication into the heart of your business. Crucial Conversations workshops are two days and ideally have a minimum of six participant. For further information please contact me.

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Look Inside

Just imagine if we changed our opinion on suffering and from now on we think that suffering is awesome. Some of the greatest people on earth have suffered the most, for example, Nelson Mandela. Difficult times, pain, failure and loss can be looked upon as learnings, perhaps even as purification in preparation for personal heroism.

How would your life be if you were given the tools to use disappointment, difficulty and heartbreak as a crutch to strengthen yourself? If everything that hurts you, you used to make yourself a better person. The inner work is how you move through the blocks of your shadows that are covering your primal genius. ”The more you sweat in training, the less you will bleed in war.” - Navy Seals

As children, we live through our heart as we grow older we move out of our hearts and into our heads, we are taught to numb our feelings and live in our heads. In my opinion, great art, great architecture, great business, great lives don't just come from our heads, they come from our hearts, our passion, our feelings and our gratitude. I can resonate with Jay Shetty when he says, ”We are wired for generosity but educated for greed.”

I recently asked a medical doctor, “What is in charge - your head or your heart?” He answered, “the head” and I disagreed and bravely challenged him. I said, “You can find people in your profession, who are hospitalised, still alive but clinically brain dead. I am sure that you would agree with me that when your heart stops it’s over and out!”

Succeeding in life and battle is all about training, preparation and putting in the work needed to rise above the adversities that each one of us will face during our lifetimes. Contact me here to book a 1:1 session…

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We Are All Fragile

Today, all the FA Cup matches will start with a minute’s silence to bring awareness to mental health issues. I wonder what are the effects of stabbings, shootings and gang-related incidents on young males who have been conditioned not to speak their peers about emotional issues? Now as a Londoner who has been living in Copenhagen for 23 years where ethnic minorities, in general, are also not integrated within mainstream society, I have been observing disenfranchised men for decades.

How hurt we feel about our loss and if we do express it in any way then it is expected to be in a masculine way, for example, retaliation, revenge, speaking about retribution, etc., and that’s what we have been teaching each other for years. Perhaps this is why we have such a high rate of suicide amongst men because the dialogue is just not there. We are not speaking amongst ourselves about emotional issues, being open with one another about how we feel. Speaking up may not solve everything but it will definitely help!

Many of us have heard about soldiers who served in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria who returned ”home” with post-traumatic stress disorder. I think that there are similarities between war zones and the everyday battle young men are facing in our inner cities. The trauma of thinking that if they look at somebody in the ”wrong” way, they may be stabbed - this mindset are making people do some really crazy stuff. I can engage with these youngsters on their level, I can give them focus and aspiration because if we can change their mental game then we can change their external world.

We are all fragile, we all have traumas and it’s easy to judge people we see struggling with addictions, weight issues, self-esteem, etc. We have all been in a bad place in our heads, take a moment to think about that time in your life and just imagine how far you would have fallen you if didn’t have a support structure around you. There are many of us who think that we have got it together, we should all remember that we are only a few steps away from losing it all. 

Fear is a condition for those we help, contact me here to book a 1:1 session...

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