Heath Oakes

Would Someone Bet on you?

7/8/2016

Steve Harvey is a comedian, actor, radio personality, and daytime television show host who recently celebrated a birthday. Here is a video clip of the birthday surprise he received from his staff:

Steve Harvey's Birthday Surprise

When Steve sees the man on the video screen, he breaks down in tears. He is so choked up he can barely talk, but tells the story of how these two men's lives are connected.

At 26 years old, Steve had nothing and he was struggling to start a small carpet cleaning business in Cleveland. The man in the video owned a furniture store and gave Steve his first contract. At 27 years old, Steve began pursuing his dream of becoming a comedian, but had no money to travel from show to show. This same man and his wife owned a travel agency. They opened an account for Steve and he charged $11,000 in travel expenses in his early years as a comedian.

Now a successful entertainer, Steve finally got the opportunity to say thank you to the couple who first believed in him decades earlier. At the end of the video clip Steve says,

“You bet on me. I won’t ever forget that.”

This video is powerful because it shows what an impact this couple made on the life of a young man with a dream. Where would Steve Harvey be today if this couple had not taken a chance on him?

My question to you is, "Would someone bet on you?"

You see, there was something about Steve Harvey that made this couple believe he would be successful and they were willing to bet on him. Was it his words? His actions? The way he carried himself? I think they must have known he was a fighter and would stop at nothing.

Are you whining and crying because no red carpet has been rolled out for you? I hate to be the one to tell you, but people who are successful now didn't walk a red carpet to get there. The path to success is never easy and glamorous.

The path to success is not downhill or even flat; it is a steep mountain and a difficult climb. Are there obstacles in your path that are keeping you from reaching your dreams? Those who are successful don't let obstacles stop them. Show me a successful person and I will show you someone whose journey has been filled with more turmoil than you can even imagine. Make the decision today to stop feeling sorry for yourself and start changing your life. No one else can make that decision for you.

Your attitude is the most important factor in your success. Everyone you interact with from the cashier at the gas station to your most important client is watching and noticing how you treat them. Next time you have a bad attitude, a rough day, or feel too tired to care - just think to yourself, "Am I worth taking a bet on?"

Sometimes, it feels like no one even notices you or all the extra time and effort that you put in and it's easy to get discouraged. When you are tempted to let those negative feelings affect how you treat others, remember the person who is betting on you. It may be a client, an investor, a family member, a friend, or a total stranger, but no matter who it is, your success is their success and you want to be a bet worth taking.

What happens TO you is not your problem, it is what happens INSIDE you that will determine if you are successful or not. This is my challenge for you today: be the person that someone else will bet on.

Let’s make it happen!

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5 Comments

April 28th, 2016

4/28/2016

2 Comments

Do you know what you are fighting for?

Cinderella Man is a movie based on the true story of former prize-fighter, James Braddock, during the Great Depression of the early 1930's. Forced to quit fighting and struggling to get day labor jobs on the docks because of a hand injury, he does everything he can to keep his family fed and keep their home warm during the winter. After sending his children to live with relatives, he reluctantly accepts government relief to get his family back together.

During this dark time and after years out of the ring, his former manager called him to substitute for an injured fighter in an upcoming fight. No one thought he would last a round, but James Braddock knocked out the second-ranked opponent in the 3rd round and then went on to beat three more contenders.

Then came the opportunity to fight Max Baer, a ruthless fighter who had killed two people in the ring. The one time washed-up, broke and broken fighter, James Braddock, beat the undefeated heavyweight champion in the 15th round.

After the fight, Braddock was asked by a reporter, "You couldn't win a fight for five years, how do you explain this huge comeback?"He said, “I know what I am fighting for.” The reporter asked, “What are you fighting for?” Braddock replied, “ Milk money.”

With his winnings, he paid back the public relief money he received, with interest.

When I started selling insurance, I made cold calls from my apartment bedroom and went door-to-door in the sweltering 100 degree East Texas heat. I drove a car that was almost as old as I was and prayed I had enough gas to make it to the next appointment. I was twenty years old, did not have a college degree or career training. No company was knocking down my door to hire me, so I knew I had to fight for every sale just to pay rent and eat. I knew that if I continued to work hard, the life I imagined would change from dream to reality.

It wasn't long before my tenacity and hard work paid off and other companies took notice. Now I have the opportunity to lead and teach others. My passion is giving others the opportunity and the tools to change the course of their lives.

People always ask me how I have been able to convince talented people to take a 100% commission career opportunity and it's very simple: no one believes in this opportunity more than I do. People see my passion and what it has done for me and they want to be a part of it. At twenty-five years old, I have achieved success in business because of the hard-working people I have been surrounded by.

Whatever career you have chosen, I believe that when you know what you're fighting for, whether it's to feed your family or to be a CEO, you will achieve anything and everything you want in life.

Do you know what you're fighting for? If you don’t, I encourage you to decide what's worth fighting for and fight harder than everyone else.

Today is the day to make it happen.

2 Comments

July 8th, 2016

4/28/2016

1 Comment

Would Someone Bet on you?

Steve Harvey is a comedian, actor, radio personality, and daytime television show host who recently celebrated a birthday. Here is a video clip of the birthday surprise he received from his staff:

Steve Harvey's Birthday Surprise

When Steve sees the man on the video screen, he breaks down in tears. He is so choked up he can barely talk, but tells the story of how these two men's lives are connected.

At 26 years old, Steve had nothing and he was struggling to start a small carpet cleaning business in Cleveland. The man in the video owned a furniture store and gave Steve his first contract. At 27 years old, Steve began pursuing his dream of becoming a comedian, but had no money to travel from show to show. This same man and his wife owned a travel agency. They opened an account for Steve and he charged $11,000 in travel expenses in his early years as a comedian.

Now a successful entertainer, Steve finally got the opportunity to say thank you to the couple who first believed in him decades earlier. At the end of the video clip Steve says,

“You bet on me. I won’t ever forget that.”

This video is powerful because it shows what an impact this couple made on the life of a young man with a dream. Where would Steve Harvey be today if this couple had not taken a chance on him?

My question to you is, "Would someone bet on you?"

You see, there was something about Steve Harvey that made this couple believe he would be successful and they were willing to bet on him. Was it his words? His actions? The way he carried himself? I think they must have known he was a fighter and would stop at nothing.

Are you whining and crying because no red carpet has been rolled out for you? I hate to be the one to tell you, but people who are successful now didn't walk a red carpet to get there. The path to success is never easy and glamorous.

The path to success is not downhill or even flat; it is a steep mountain and a difficult climb. Are there obstacles in your path that are keeping you from reaching your dreams? Those who are successful don't let obstacles stop them. Show me a successful person and I will show you someone whose journey has been filled with more turmoil than you can even imagine. Make the decision today to stop feeling sorry for yourself and start changing your life. No one else can make that decision for you.

Your attitude is the most important factor in your success. Everyone you interact with from the cashier at the gas station to your most important client is watching and noticing how you treat them. Next time you have a bad attitude, a rough day, or feel too tired to care - just think to yourself, "Am I worth taking a bet on?"

Sometimes, it feels like no one even notices you or all the extra time and effort that you put in and it's easy to get discouraged. When you are tempted to let those negative feelings affect how you treat others, remember the person who is betting on you. It may be a client, an investor, a family member, a friend, or a total stranger, but no matter who it is, your success is their success and you want to be a bet worth taking.

What happens TO you is not your problem, it is what happens INSIDE you that will determine if you are successful or not. This is my challenge for you today: be the person that someone else will bet on.

Let’s make it happen!

1 Comment