The root of the word leverage is lever. A lever is what helps you lift things that you could otherwise not lift on your own. So when others are helping you, they’re like your lever. When you help others—for instance through mentorship—you’re their lever. Thus leverage means to provide a skill or ability you have to help yourself or another person. It also means to benefit from someone else’s skill or ability.   In our business, we studied our most successful team members and identified what practices they had in common. We then developed a system that would allow others to duplicate how they worked and repeat their solid performance.…

The Green Button questions you’ll read in this post are a result of years of trial and error. We identified the people who where the most successful in our business. We then figured out what type of mentality they had that allowed them to overcome their weaknesses and accomplish their goals. The bottom line is that the Green Button questions will help you determine if this business is for you.   After each Green Button question, I’ll provide additional information about what you need to think about as you consider your answers. Be as honest as possible as you formulate your responses. The more honest you are, the more this…

I was in my mid-20s and I had recently arrived from Korea to the United States. I benefited from the discipline, hard work, and self-sufficiency that characterized my upbringing. I had limited English skills, but I had a work ethic that made up for any language shortcomings. While at the auto parts store, I had essentially memorized the business’s entire inventory through trial and error and drill and kill. Before I was hired, the store had a lousy inventory system that left sales staff unsure whether certain items were in stock. As a result, many customers left empty handed and buying parts from our competitors. But after spending hours researching…

People often ask me how I started in business. In this post, I’ll share one my by earliest experiences in business.   When I arrived in the United States, I was 25 years old. About three years later, I was hired to work at an auto parts store. I didn’t speak English very well, so my boss had me keep track of inventory. That way, I wouldn’t have to talk to customers very much: The store’s salesmen would take orders from customers, and I’d find the parts. Everyday, I showed up at the warehouse and counted parts. While this work may sound very boring, it became sort of an obsession…

Diagnosing the Worker Mentality   Change can be scary—even if change can result in being happier and more fulfilled and excited about life every day. But rather than risk trying something new in order to experience more out of life, you stick to what’s comfortable. Is there a way out? What’s keeping you from reaching your potential?   An important step to improving your life is to focus on your mentality. In fact, your mentality may be what’s holding you back from your success. After 25 years of being in business for myself and helping countless people, I’ve seen how simply knowing your mentality can change your life forever. In…