Richard Harris™

The Harris Consulting Group

Our clients ask us to help them with Full Funnel Sales Training and Operational Guidance. 

Whether you have SDRs with no sales experience, AE's who have been doing their role for years, Customer Success Reps where you want to focus on upselling and cross-selling opportunities, or you simply need a Sales Operations and Sales Process creation, review/audit with recommendations we will be able to speak to your unique use case and provide truthful feedback and guidance.

Clients tell us they like our ability to focus not just at strategic levels but also at tactical levels. The sales team exits training with a better understanding of WHY things work and more specifically what they need to say to their prospects to increase conversions throughout the funnel.

Our clients tell us that we improve the following:

► Increased Revenue
► Improved Pipeline Volume and Velocity
► Shortening Sales Cycles
► More Accurate Forecasting
► Faster Onboarding 
► Improved Sales Skills: Prospecting, Discovery, Objection Handling, and Closing Techniques

For a list of clients click here: www.theharrisconsultinggroup.com/clients 

@intercom

Founder

Some people loathe the interview process and can often feel discouraged and downtrodden by the whole experience.  

This book breaks down the application and interview process step by step. Designed to give you the courage and confidence to be bold, without coming across as a jerk.  Specifically designed to help you get more interviews, short-listed through the process and more job offers. 

Full of tactical advice including:

1. How many companies should I apply to in a day?
2. How do I leverage LinkedIn in my job search?
3. What kinds of questions make me standout from other candidates?

Amazon Link: https://rharris415.com/OwningYourJobSearch

Author - Owning Your Job Search: Your step by step guide from application, to salary.

Surf and Sales

Going small means going big. The Hershey's Kiss of sales conferences

Intimacy at scale where the in-between moments create equal value to the sessions. 

Where focus on self-improvement yields to life-changing results.

Co-Founder

Salesforce

Salesforce Salesbalzer Advisor

2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021 Salesforce Top Sales Influencer To Follow

Atrium - Data Driven Sales Management

No more Sunday nights prepping for your Monday meetings and using your best "guestimate" to what action items you will be deploying to improve revenue outcomes.

You cannot have predictable sales forecast without knowing which inputs are affecting every stage of the sales cycle, this is what Atrium does.  

It gives you the real data insights used to make data-driven decisions and, specifically how to coach your team to improve their skillset and overall EQ

Strategic Advisor

Wonderway

The world's only and best Sales Coaching platform that provides coaching to your team on EVERY. SINGLE. CALL

regie.ai

Humantic AI

Chapter 1 of selling is humanization in the Humantic AI book.

East Bay School for Boys

Founded in 2010 and enrolling 100 students in grades 6/7/8, EBSB's Mission is to empower middle school boys to cultivate their intellectual, physical, and emotional selves to become the engaged, thoughtful, and courageous men of tomorrow.

While perhaps best known for its innovative Work program (21st Century shop class), EBSB's creative and rigorous academic program dives deeply into the humanities, math, science, Spanish, and physical education. Students also benefit from music, Capoeira, electives, sports and more.

Key Aspects of EBSB:

ACTIVE, ENGAGED LEARNING 
East Bay School for Boys believes boys engage and learn more in an active, hands-on learning environment. Our Work program is at the cutting edge of the Maker Education. Coupled with outdoor education and service learning, students design, build, and nurture their world and grow to love learning!

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
We strive to create a school community that reflects and celebrates the racial, cultural, and socioeconomic diversity of the Bay Area. 

Almost half of our student body and faculty/staff are people of color. Half of the families receive tuition assistance. We teach an anti-racist curriculum, facilitate affinity groups, and practice restorative justice.

REDEFINING MANHOOD
We seek to expand the concept of manhood as defined by popular culture. EBSB students develop a sense of identity not from what a “man is supposed to be,” but rather by challenging themselves, learning from mistakes, expressing emotions with respect, caring for others, and standing up for justice.

Board Member

GTMfund

The investor network consists of GTM executives who've seen zero to IPO. We're here to help exceptional founders with great products successfully scale their go-to-market and grow revenue

GTMRamp Member

Sales Hacker, Inc.

Focusing on "Full Funnel Sales Training" Sales Hacker and The Harris Consulting Group have teamed up to support the inside sales and outside sales helping their reps improve conversion ratios throughout the entire sales funnel. 

We help you strike the balance between volume, velocity, and overall quality of real-world sales training based on your unique circumstances. 

Clients: Callidus Cloud, Datanyze, Gainsight, Udemy, LevelEleven, TopOpps, PushPay, RevelSystems,  Helm Operations, Spanning, ZignalLabs and a host of others.

Director of Sales Training & Consulting Services

3x Salesforce Sales Leader 5x AAiSP Top Sales Leader Teaching revenue teams how to #EarnTheRight to Ask Questions, which questions to ask, and when.

► 5x Top Salesforce Sales Influencer ‘21 - ‘25
► 5x: Top 25 Influential Sales Leader AA-ISP’s
► Owner The Harris Consulting Group
► Co-Founder Surf and Sales

Remember, nobody cares what you do, they only care what pains you solve.

Clients: @Google @Visa @Zoom @Salesforce, @intercom @salesloft @terminus @gainsight @pandadoc @pandora @humaninterest, @doordash, and more

A seasoned  SaaS sales leader and inside sales trainer and advisor with 20+ years of experience. 

We focus on teaching your reps how to earn the right to ask questions, which questions to ask, and when. 

Whether you are an early-stage or expansion stage start-up, or a Fortune 500 company, we will increase funnel conversions to revenue faster.

Our clients ask us to help them with Full Funnel Sales Training and Operational Guidance. 

Whether you have SDRs with no sales experience, AE's who have been doing their role for years, Customer Success Reps where you want to focus on upselling and cross-selling opportunities, or you simply need a Sales Operations and Sales Process creation, review/audit with recommendations we will be able to speak to your unique use case and provide truthful feedback and guidance.

Clients tell us they like our ability to focus not just at strategic levels but also at tactical levels. The sales team exits training with a better understanding of WHY things work and more specifically what they need to say to their prospects to increase conversions throughout the funnel.

Our clients tell us that we improve the following:

► Increased Revenue
► Improved Pipeline Volume and Velocity
► Shortening Sales Cycles
► More Accurate Forecasting
► Faster Onboarding 
► Improved Sales Skills: Prospecting, Discovery, Objection Handling, and Closing Techniques

For a list of clients click here: www.theharrisconsultinggroup.com/clients 

@intercom



Jordan Benjamin 🧘

Principal 1 Agency Partner Sales Consultant

I Help Sellers Crush Quota Without Burnout | ex-HubSpot | 🎙 Peak Performance Selling Podcast

𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗾𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗮 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀?
𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗢𝗥 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿. 𝗜𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝘀, 𝗔𝗡𝗗!

🟢 Fact #1. Sales should be one of the most rewarding professions on the planet, but
🔴 Fact #2. According to most recent research 𝟕𝟎% 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫

*𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝟳𝟬% 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴* 📉
Most sellers are hungry, driven and motivated to make serious 💰 🤑
But, they live in the land of “what have you done for me lately?” 
They know there’s always more to be done AND
They’ll be back to zero again soon
Even top performers get let go

Sustaining success in sales takes 2 key skills: 𝑯𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 and 𝙋𝙨𝙮𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙮 🧠
Most sellers have #1.  
But they haven’t been taught #2, to train their subconscious to work FOR them. 📈
Most sellers I talk to, think their manager will teach them everything they need for success
That’s a lie your managers job is to solve for the company & then themselves
Another band-aid is NOT the answer 
But they don't have a system

James Clear says it best:
“𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀.”


⭐𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦⭐
Helps you:
✅ Use modern science + 2,000 year old wisdom to crush your biggest goals 💰🏡 🛫 👨‍👨‍👧‍👦 
✅ Understand the psychology of what makes people take action
✅ Get the most leverage from each hour in the day
✅ Create a system to elevate your career now
✅ Get free from the sales hamster wheel
✅ Feel better & make more $$

*𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗪𝗘 𝗚𝗘𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗦*
Small personalized changes that deliver massive results
This system has been delivered to 1000s of professionals and has been refined over 5 years to get you the most impact in your life. 
In a short time frame, with simple changes you can create the life of your dreams.

*𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐑?*
High achievers. Sellers that are not going to be complacent with a good life. 
Professionals who know they have more to give to the world and make great $$$ too.

𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗡 𝗬𝗢𝗨’𝗥𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗬 𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗔𝗥𝗘 ✌️ 𝗪𝗔𝗬𝗦 𝗪𝗘 𝗖𝗔𝗡 𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗣
1️⃣ DM Me directly. I’m happy to connect and hear what you're working towards and if we can help.
2️⃣ Book a free clarity call to learn if it fits for you (15 min)
MyCoreOS.com/meetings/jbenj/clarity-call

Principal Partner Sales Manager

$1.1Mil dollar club
Top 15 Global Sales Rep
Coached Agency Owners & Sales Teams to Drive Triple Digit revenue growth

I used to get really frustrated in sales
Getting angry with my prospects
Questioning if sales was even for me

But then I made a shift that
Helped me level up my sales game
Lead better and consistently hit P-club was simple

Understanding that everyone I interact with
Internally and externally is also
A human just like me.

They have goals, challenges, fears & insecurities
They have families at home and lots to juggle
They have desires, they get flat tires
And some days don't go
According to plan.

Getting deep into understanding
How people operate
Opened a door

But it starts with understanding yourself first. 
That's why I use this 4 part leadership framework. 

1. Know Yourself
Studies show emotional intelligence
Can account for 90% of top performers success

2. Control Yourself
With knowledge comes great power
Once you can take control, you can be your best

3. Know Others
After the first two now it's much easier
To understand others and what drives them

4. Do Something For Others
Now you're set to lead, to transform and
Help others become their best

This is why understanding people is one of
The most important skills you can build
To be your best at work and at home.

Harsh truth:
Most people are too afraid to start with #1 & #2
Because it takes hard work to acknowledge
Your own flaws and weaknesses

But if you want big rewards, if you want to be your best
You've gotta do hard things.

Understanding people drives business forward. 

Which step are you working on now?

P.S. As you finish the year, It's easy to make it all about you. 
See what you can do to HELP the people you're leading & selling to.
Then the positive results will come.

Helping Sellers Crush Quota And Not Burnout | 6X P-club @ HUBS | SKO Speaking To Level Up Your team | Become A Great Leader

Here's the truth nobody talks about:

Elite performers aren't more motivated
They're just more systematic

They've cracked the code
That motivation is unreliable
But systems are bulletproof

Think about it
Your best quarter wasn't built
On one amazing week

It was built on 90 days
Of small, consistent actions
Compounding into something bigger

Here are the 4 daily systems
That separate consistent leaders
From everyone else:

1. The 10-Minute Rule
Start your most important work
Before checking a single message
10 minutes of progress
Every single morning
No exceptions

2. The Energy Audit
Track what drains you for one week
Then ruthlessly eliminate energy vampires
Protect your peak 4 hours
Like they're worth millions
(They are)

3. The 2-Question Evening Review
What moved the needle today?
What's tomorrow's single priority?
3 minutes maximum
But it compounds into clarity

4. The Learning Stack
15 minutes reading
One valuable conversation
One new skill practiced
Every day
No matter how busy

These feel too simple
That's exactly the point

Small actions become habits
Habits become systems  
Systems become your competitive advantage

While your competition waits for motivation
You're building momentum

Day 30: Slightly ahead
Day 90: Clearly different  
Day 365: Completely transformed

Your team doesn't need a motivated leader
They need a predictable one

Which one would change your life?

♻️ Repost to help others
➕ Follow Jordan for more

Most leaders talk strategy, performance, and execution.

But the best leaders share one thing in common:

They train their mind 
As seriously as they train their team.

And one of the simplest tools they use?

Gratitude.

Not the once-a-year holiday version.
The daily, disciplined, leadership version.

📊 UC Berkeley research found that just eight weeks of gratitude training strengthens the areas of the brain responsible for emotional regulation, empathy, and social awareness — the exact skills leaders need most.

🧠 And positive-psychology studies show that when people practice gratitude for 21 days, their performance rises, their stress drops, and their relationships strengthen.

Great leadership isn’t about having all the answers.
It’s about having the state of mind that helps you lead with clarity instead of pressure…
empathy instead of reactivity…
and presence instead of burnout.

So here’s my challenge:

**For the next 21 days, build a leadership gratitude habit.

Every night, write down 3 specific things you’re grateful for — about your team, your work, or your life.**

It takes less than two minutes.
But it rewires how you show up for your people.

If you want your team to be more connected, more resilient, and more consistent…

It starts with your mindset.

Comment something or someone you're grateful for.

Model the kind of leadership the world needs more of.

You're waiting for someone to guarantee success

Waiting for the "right time" to start ⏰ 
Waiting for perfection before you share
Waiting for certainty before you take action
Waiting for someone to tell you you're ready
Waiting for permission to speak up in meetings.

Here's what I realized:

Most of what we call "being strategic" 

Is actually just fear with a fancy name.

Brené Brown nailed it:

"Courage is the willingness to show up 
And be all in when you can't predict the outcome. 
If you know how it's going to end.
That's not brave and courageous"

The leaders who get ahead?

They don't have a crystal ball. 🔮 
They don't have inside information.

They just redefined courage.

Instead of waiting for certainty
They got comfortable with 70% clarity life Jeff Bezos
Or even more courageous with 51% like Steven Bartlett

Instead of needing all the answers
They got good at figuring it out as they go.

Instead of avoiding failure
They got curious about what failure could teach them.

The best embrace a growth mindset.

Your best version of your life is probably
Sitting in your "someday" or "not yet" pile
Right now.

Not because you don't know what to do.

But because you're waiting for guarantees
That successful people never had when they started.

The question isn't whether you're ready.

The question is whether you're willing to be unready
And show up anyway.

What's something you've been putting off? 👇

Do something kind for someone today. 


Airport was super easy. 🙏 

Headed to Costa Rica with the family for a non-traditional Thanksgiving because turkey sucks and is always dry. 

Fish tacos this year instead. 🐟 🌮 

Anyone else think turkey usually sucks?

No alternative text description for this image

Connecting IRL opens incredible possibilities 
Ride & Revenue is back in Vail next week 
With some big improvements

1. We'll have co-working space available thanks to Gravity Haus so you can get work done AND ski (I can't ski yet post-surgery so I'll be hanging all day)

2. Some of the crew from Pavilion is going to join us with Jessie Shipman

3. We'll sit down to chat with Tim Perreira and hear his journey walking across the USA to hear what he learned and what moved him to go after this wild goal

We'll be running this once a month through ski season. 

If you want to level up your network, meet incredible leaders and enjoy the outdoors, this is it.

And it's free.

Weds Dec. 17th (no traffic or lines) 9AM -5PM

Shoot me a DM if you want to be on the list for this event or the rest of the year.

I used to think I was broken

Every time I "failed"
Every time I had to start over
Every time I fell back 
Into old patterns

I'd tell myself all the reasons why 
"Everyone else has it so much easier than me"

But then I realized something:

You are the greatest project
You'll ever work on

And the best projects?
They're messy

They get scrapped
Rebuilt from scratch
Refined over and over

The version of you from last year?
That was just a draft

The habits you're building?
They're iterations

The setbacks you face?
Those are just feedback

Restart. Reset. Refocus.
Next time with more wisdom.

Because your willingness
To begin again
Is exactly what makes you
Extraordinary

Most people give up
After round two

But the best in the world?
They keep going

And that's everything

As you finish a month, a quarter, a year.
It's the perfect time to make a choice.
What to STOP. START. CONTINUE.

What's your focus for the rest of the year?

Jealousy isn't about them winning. 
It's about you wanting it
To be easy

You see someone close a massive deal
Build a million-dollar business
Or Land their dream job

And you think
"They got lucky"
"It happened overnight"
"They have something I don't"

But here's what you don't see

The countless cold calls that went to voicemail
The interviews where they got rejected
The years of building in silence

Nobody posts about
The failed product launches
The heartbreak of deals that fell through
The times they wanted to quit
The days they felt like impostors

I've coached hundreds of leaders and sellers
The ones who "made it overnight"
Actually made it over many nights

Of learning from rejection
Of refining their approach
Of getting back up when it felt impossible

Success isn't about avoiding failure
It's about failing forward faster than everyone else

Your breakthrough might be
One more call away
One more failure away
One more pivot away

The world only sees the highlight reel
And it's easy to assume that
It's easy for everyone else
But that isn't true

Because you don't see the head trash
You don't see the negative self-talk
You don't see the uncertainty

But it's helpful to know
You're not alone

And it's about learning
Every step along the way

What's one setback that actually moved you forward?

♻️ Repost to help others level up from failure
➕ Follow Jordan to learn from failure

Most people think burnout comes from working too hard.

But after coaching hundreds of leaders and sellers…

I’ve learned something far more uncomfortable:

Most of life’s battles happen in your own head.

You’re not fighting:
• a lost deal
• a tough quarter
• a demanding boss
• traffic, email, or your calendar

You’re fighting your thoughts about those things.

The real enemy isn’t the problem.
It’s your reaction to it.

That’s why two people can face the same challenge
one breaks, one rises.

Not because one is stronger…
but because one manages their mind.

If you want to change your performance, your relationships, and your fulfillment…

You don’t need a new job, new boss, or new market.

You need a new mental operating system.

Change the way you think,
and you change everything.

A tool I teach to break distorted thinking and burnout loops.

Whenever your mind spirals take a breath then ask:

1. What else could be true?

This breaks the brain’s tendency to assume the worst.

2. What would the best version of me believe right now?

This shifts perspective and reframes your view.

3. Will this matter in 10 minutes, 10 days, or 10 months?

This shrinks problems down to their real size.

These three questions move people from emotional overwhelm → centered clarity.

They make you a better leader, seller, and human.

What's a way you've updated your operating system?

Something we did at HubSpot

That helped build psychological safety

Was something called the Failure Forum. 
Leaders, ICs, anyone who wanted to share
Would get up and share a story
About a time they failed. 

Then they would share what they learned. 
How they grew from it. 

This opened the door for psych safety
Because it showed that you can fail
And stil be incredibly successful. 

Vulnerability, extreme ownership & curiosity
Are key skills of great culture & leaders. 

What's something you've failed at?

This video changed how I lived my life
Less than 3 minutes to have a happier life
But most people will skip past it
Because they are too worried
About the small things
That feel big now

The human brain is programmed
To live in the short term

Which means you miss
The most important
Strategic rocks

As you head into the holiday season
Remind yourself what really matters

Getting frustrated with family & loved ones
Is really easy to do at this time of year
You never know when it'll be
The last time you see them

You're replaceable at your job
But you're not at home

What's one of your big rocks?

♻️ Repost to help others be happier
➕ Follow Jordan for more tips to live better

Your brain is sabotaging your pipeline.

And it's not your fault. It's biology.

According to 2025 research published in Training Industry, your cognitive performance operates in 90-minute cycles called ultradian rhythms.

Ignoring these cycles is why:
• 89% of sales reps experience burnout (Gartner, 2024)
• Your closing rate plummets after 2PM
• You struggle to overcome objections in afternoon calls

When cortisol builds up during intense work periods, it damages your brain's hippocampus. That's the part responsible for quick thinking, creative problem-solving, and recall of customer details.

But top sales performers work differently. They don't push harder. They work in rhythm.

The 90-Minute Peak Performance Framework:

1. Focus Block (90 minutes)
Work intensely on ONE priority. 
Prospecting, demos, or pipeline strategy.
No task-switching. It kills quota attainment.

2. Recovery Break (15-20 minutes)
Step away completely.
Walk outside, stretch, or practice deep breathing.
Your brain is still processing while you recover.

3. Transition Ritual (2 minutes)
Before returning, ask:
"What's my next most important action"
Then execute with focus again.

This triggers dopamine and serotonin release, counteracting cortisol buildup.


Top performers in the President's Club aren't superhuman. 
They just understand performance science.

In our Peak Performance Selling program, we teach this framework to help ambitious B2B sellers hit quota consistently without burning out.

What recovery practices help you perform at your peak?

Come ski Vail with leaders & sellers
Ride & Revenue is back and better than ever
A special guest is joining us to start this year

He just finished walking all they way
Across the USA to raise support
And build awareness for men’s mental health
Tim Perreira will join us for a fireside chat
To talk about what drove him to go walk
We’ll discuss corporate burnout
What’s causing it and how to navigate it. 

I actually can’t ski yet this year
So for those who don’t want to ski
We’ll have available co-working space 
At Gravity Haus where you can
Work for the day, network, get coffee & more

But there will also be a group of folks to get out and ski.  

We’ll also have the wonderful Jessie Shipman and some of the Pavilion crew coming up to connect, learn and ride! 

Weds Dec 17th in Vail 
Free to attend
DM me to be added to the list 

Who should come make new connections?

The point of working hard

Isn’t to work more. 

It’s to be able to
Do things that fill you up. 

Costa Rica was awesome 
So here are a few super cool
Animals we got to see. 

What’s your next work break?

Interesting Fact to help you
Some ants can lift
Up to 100x their body weight

As David Goggins says
“When your brain tells you that you’re exhausted and can’t handle anymore. You’re only at about 40% of your true capacity. The other 60% is untapped potential. Your mind is acting as a governer to protect you from discomfort.”

An ant does have the mind limiting them. 

So they can accomplish big things. 

Your mind is stopping you.

Not being able to get up early. 
Not choosing to make the extra call.  
Not going a little farther in your workouts. 

Where can you push even 1% further?

A Stanford professor just shared
3 steps to running great meetings

The framework is super simple
And will help you:

In sales
Leading meetings
Or delivering a keynote talk

The simple 3 part framework is:

1. What?
2. So what?
3. Now what?

The best leaders make it easy for people
To see how to change effectively
And WHY it matters to them.

Use this for your team meetings
Use this for your demos
Use this for everything

How do you structure your talks?

graphical user interface, text, application

Getting fired from Apple at 30
Was the best thing that ever happened to Steve Jobs

In 2005, Jobs told Stanford graduates three stories
During one of the best commencement speeches ever
That every leader should understand

But most people miss the real wisdom
And think it doesn't apply to them
Hidden in those 18 minutes

Story #1: The Random Dots

Jobs dropped out of Reed College
But stayed to audit a calligraphy class
Just because it fascinated him

Seemed completely irrelevant
But 10 years later?
That "useless" class became the typography
That made the Mac revolutionary

"You can't connect the dots looking forward
You can only connect them looking backward"

Your career isn't linear
Neither is your growth

Don't dismiss what seems random today
Those dots will connect in ways you can't imagine
But you've gotta show up with curiosity.

Story #2: The Brick to the Head  

At 30, Jobs got kicked out
Of his own company
Public failure
Career seemingly destroyed

But here's what happened next:
"The heaviness of being successful
Was replaced by the lightness
Of being a beginner again"

He founded NeXT
Created Pixar  
Met his wife
Apple acquired NeXT
The rest is history

"Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick
Don't lose faith"

This is stoicism in action
Adversity doesn't break you
It redirects you to something better

Your team will face setbacks
Projects will get scrapped
People will quit
Strategies will collapse

Your response shapes everything
Loss = Opportunity to learn

Frame it as feedback, not failure
Every restart is an iteration
With more wisdom than before

Story #3: The Ultimate Question

Every morning Jobs asked:
"If today were the last day of my life
Would I want to do what I'm about to do?"

Too many "no" answers?
Time to change direction

"Your time is limited
Don't waste it living someone else's life"

This isn't morbid
It's the foundation of gratitude

Being grateful you woke up today
Being grateful for another chance
To build something meaningful
To help your team grow
To solve problems that matter

That's small stuff

Your people are the big rocks
The problems you're solving are the big rocks
The growth you're creating is the big rocks

Three lessons for leaders:

Trust the random dots
Reframe setbacks as redirections
Remember you will die, be grateful

Your path isn't supposed to make sense yet
Your journey isn't linear either

But every experience
Every failure
Every random interest
Will connect backward into something beautiful

What's your favorite lesson from this talk?

Mastery isn't just about talent. 

This post is from my friend Maryann (MJ) Jamieson (follow her) is one of the best reminders on how to level up your life. 

It's about mindset and systems.

Daily reps, small habits. 

That's how the best outlearn the rest.

If you're still waiting for permission to learn. 
If you're still hoping someone else will map your growth. 
Others are already three steps ahead of you.

Here's what happens when you outsource personal development:

🚫 You rely on packaged training that’s behind the market
🚫 Your skills stay locked in a specific tech stack while new tools pass you by
🚫 Peers who experiment become the “go-to” experts
🚫 Promotions land on those already fluent in tomorrow’s skills
🚫 Frustration turns into a career plateau

The reality?

Your growth isn't anyone else's responsibility. 
It's yours.

The best understand this: Careers grow at the speed of learning.

They don't wait for the perfect course. 
They don't wait for the ideal mentor. 
They don't wait for someone else to see their potential.

They train themselves. Every single day.

Not with grand gestures or even expensive programs. 
With small, repeatable habits that compound:

📌 Lunch-break: twenty minutes exploring a new AI tool or framework
📌 Commute: industry podcasts instead of endless scrolls
📌 One sharp question in every meeting to stretch thinking
📌 Teach-back moments: summarising a new concept for the team 
📌 Real-time feedback: asking for critique before a project closes

The difference between you advancing and staying stuck?

Stop treating learning as homework. 
Start treating it as fuel.

Every day you wait is another day someone else gets ahead.

Own your growth. Starting today.


♻️ Share this with someone to fuel their growth 
👉 Follow Jordan Benjamin 🧘 for more insights to level up

📷 Image credit: George Stern

I’ll never forget I was 16 when
My dad told me he had cancer again
This time was different 

The first time, his chances weren’t great
Maybe 70/30 he’d be able to beat it
But I was only 9 at the time
So I was sad and scared
But didn’t get it really. 

This time I was angry at the world. 

I was old enough to question 
My beliefs, my values and
Sense of the world I was building
And the guy who ran a non-profit
Who already had cancer once
Didn’t seem like the type of person
I thought deserved or would get it again. 

There was no denying the truth 
And he handled it with grace again
He wasn’t in the “fight it” camp
He was in the “go with the flow”
Take it a day at a time 
Live with gratitude and joy camp. 

I learned a lot from him during those times
And he beat it so the extra ~20 years
We had after were always a gift. 

Because of that and many other reasons
I’m growing a mustache to raise money
For Movember again this year. 

To support men’s health 
Mental & physical 

Which are two causes that impact all of us. 

$5, $20, $100 is all amazing and when we hit my $1,000 goal. 

I’ll match it with $1,000 of my own.

For yourself, for your friends, sons, brothers, dads. Any donation goes a long way. 

https://lnkd.in/gvjPKaXH

This is for the Lurkers. 
You read, enjoy, and never engage..then
Get on a phone call and say:

"I've loved your content for so long"

Just click the dang 👍 button people!
(not mine or for AI slop but other people's) 🫠 

Vote with your actions. 

Take .15 seconds and click the button. 

End of rant. 

Most creators I talk to say this same thing.
People tell them they love their content
But have never seen them engage.

Help a creator out.
Like the things you get value from. 

If you really want to help them out...
Drop a thoughtful comment
Repost w/out thoughts
Send to a friend
Save it

Just me? 🤷‍♂️

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