Fuentes Fridays, Issue #68

Here is your end-of-the-week insight into what I see going on in the business world, what I’m thinking about, and what I’m learning about. Forward anything that you feel inspired to share.

What I’m Hearing From Sales Leaders/Professionals

 I am hearing a renewed optimism in the world. Multiple conversations this week were people discussing the opportunities that they see in front of them. 

The majority of these conversations were with people who are high achieving and have already had great success. It was a great reminder that in times of stress or uncertainty, the best find opportunities.

My belief is that these people are either very good at compartmentalizing and thus don’t use too much brain power worrying, or, alternatively, stress and uncertainty fuel them to focus. Maybe it’s both. 

Either way, it has been inspiring to hear so many people in my network embrace a positive mindset and outlook on the future. 

Anyone who has ever been through Maestro training knows the pillars:

1. Control what you can control

2. Mitigate risk

They also know that the number one thing you can control is your attitude. I know it sounds elementary, but the reality is that, if you are in sales, having positive energy can help propel deals forward. Plus, who wants to go through life being bitter? 

So, what can you do to maintain a positive outlook? 

I do a few things:

1. I try to put a positive spin on traditionally bad situations. Instead of saying, “Ugh, it’s going to rain again today,” I TRY to say to myself, “Man, the flowers are really going to bloom when the rain stops.” Seriously, I read this once years ago, and it has stuck with me ever since.

2. Before a big meeting or presentation, I repeat a positive mantra to myself. “I am going to rock this!” “I am going to kill this.” “This is what I want and now I get to do it.” Etc.

3. I listen to upbeat music at the beginning of the day.

4. If I cannot get myself out of it, I remind myself of how lucky I am and how others have achieved greatness without as much luck as me. 

5. I reach out to positive people in my network just to chat. Sometimes, just speaking to a positive person shakes me out of my funk.

Sales (and leadership) are tough. There are many things that can influence whether you are successful, but if you cannot control your outlook or attitude, it becomes even harder to win. 

This is the part where I say, “If you need help with … reach out to Maestro,” however, you are in control of this outcome, so I will say if you ever want to talk to someone who is positive, reach out to anyone at Maestro. (Except Mike, he is grouchy. Just kidding.) Feel free to reach out to any of us; we are always here to help!”

What Made Me Laugh

Even though this clip is about Asian parents, I would say it qualifies for most parents! “He played barefoot in the snow in 150-degree heat!” Hahahahahaha!

This Week’s 40/20

For every 40 hours of work, I believe you should spend 20 (additional) hours mastering your craft. This is how I spent some of my 20 hours this week.

It’s beach time! Want to sound smart when you see a group of rays? (The ones in the ocean, not the ones from the sun.) Say, “Wow, look at that fever of rays.” What other cool animal group names do you know? A murder of crows?

Potpourri for 800

Potpourri (shoutout to Jeopardy!) is a category that covers a variety of topics.

One of my favorite shows is The Challenge, which is a competition reality show that stars participants from various reality shows (it used to be only Real World/Road Rules). It is now on season 41, and many fan favorites are back. Want to know who? Well, just click here. Fun fact: I tried out for the Real World when I was in law school. I was not interesting enough! Second fun fact: I wanted to start a company where you would set up challenge competitions, like the ones on the show, for groups of friends. 

Quote for My Son

Every day, I leave my son a note with a quote. This was my favorite from this past week:

“You don’t have to do exceptional things to get exceptional results.” – Warren Buffet

Until next week!