322. Building Relationships, Helping Men Grow in Community

“I started working at a pawn shop when I was 13. When I was 15 years old, I decided that’s what I wanted to do for a living. So I worked there each and every day. Then, I met two guys that owned the 21st largest insurance agency in the country, and partnered with them. They took a chance on a young 18-year-old, and we opened a pawn shop.”

Aaron’s life changed forever at age 40. He had already amassed a fortune, opening several pawn shops and eventually selling them at a figure he was sure the buyer would have considered outrageous. “I was headed to my office early, and a pedestrian was crossing a four-lane highway. He didn’t look my way, and I ran over and killed him. His name was Enrique. He was 77 years old, from the Philippines. We later found out he couldn’t see well. He just didn’t see me coming, and he stepped out right in front of me.” The trauma of the tragic death made Aaron see his life in an entirely new light. He asked himself what kind of legacy would he have left behind if he had been the one whose life was suddenly ended. “My legacy would have been, ‘He had nothing…he sold a business at 27…he didn’t have to work anymore…he had a few toys.’ That’s all I would have been remembered for. There was no significance in my life whatsoever.”

“I think the most important key ingredient, hands down, is building relationships. I’ll take that any day over any other tactical maneuver in business. My dad taught me a lot about relationships. He didn’t know how to make money. But when he died, every single person at the funeral said, ‘My life has been better as a result of having known your dad.’ They didn’t say he had a nice boat or car. They said knowing my dad made their life better.”

1. Choose your friends wisely and surround yourself with positive people.

2. Be very intentional, strategic and methodical, and establish a disciplined daily routine.

3. Spend 10 to 20 percent of your day intentionally building relationships. It will pay off both professionally and personally.

48 Days to the Work You Love: Preparing for the New Normal, by Dan Miller and Dave Ramsey

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, by by Carol Dweck (http://amzn.to/29RBhXT)

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, by Greg McKeown

How to Win Friends and Influence People in the Digital Age, by Dale Carnegie & Associates

Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard, by Chip Heath, Dan Heath

Procrastinate on Purpose: 5 Permissions to Multiply Your Time, by Rory Vaden

Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success, by Adam M. Grant

Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World, by Gary Vaynerchuk