Latest / To Your Success! Podcast / Episode 55: Creating an Environment for Success
Transcript
- Christer: Warm welcome everyone to the To Your Success podcast. I am Christer Johnson and with me today is my business partner and wife. Elin: alien soul home Christer: Hi, Eilin. Good to see you again. Elin: Good to see you too, you look particularly handsome today. You do. Christer: Yeah. Do I or do you? thank you. You like my red jacket? Yeah, I like it too. It's Elin: Yeah, I did. Christer: a touch, it's as far sanguine as I can go in my comfort zone. Elin: In your comfort zone, okay, because last Christer: Mm. Elin: time you had a lemon shirt on you, so... Christer: Mm-hmm. That was only for you. Elin: Yeah, it's outside your comfort zone. okay. Okay, let's start. Christer: Okay, so what are we going to talk about today? Elin: Today we are going to talk about creating an environment for success. And how important that is, because our environment often shapes our thinking more than we often realize. And the people we spend time with, the places we work and even the conversations we have every day influence our future. Christer: Yeah. Elin: So I want to talk about this, about creating an environment where success becomes the natural outcome. how much Christer: Yeah, where you cannot help but get it. Yeah. Elin: does environment influence our result, do you think? Christer: You cannot do it alone. It's like lone wolves, they never succeed. Even the most successful people I know, meaning success in terms of money or happiness or whatever, they all have a mentor or two or three. They are a part of an environment. That is why you have these investor clubs. And it's not always like a formal mentorship that they pay for it, but they ask. They have a network they can ask. Elin: Hmm. Hmm. Hmm. Hmm. Christer: Not advisors, but more people they trust. Going back to what we very, very often say, you are not better than the five people closest to you. And that is a big challenge. Elin: Mm-hmm. Christer: To actually have those people around you. one Elin: you. Christer: of the ways we help other people doing that is that we create the environments, we hand pick our clients and we create groups where people Elin: Mm-hmm. Christer: can help each other with that. Elin: Yeah. Christer: And then we have sessions with like being on a seminar with us. We have a seminar coming up soon and Elin: Hmm. Hmm. Hmm. Hmm. Christer: or just be in a mastermind group with other people that help you. Elin: How do you, how do you, Krister, choose the people you surround yourself with? Christer: I choose you because I love you. You're welcome. Elin: Thank you. Christer: I ask myself this question all the time, do I have the right mentor? Elin: Mm-hmm. Christer: Do I have the right mentors? Do I have the right inspiration? Because there not so many people that have done what I want to do and what I do and what we do. Well, we Elin: Thank Christer: have to go across the Atlantic and go to the other side. We have to go to America to find them. Elin: Mm-hmm. Christer: So I always ask that question, do I grow fast enough? And do I need another mentor? I asked that as long as I had mentors, right? So far I Elin: Mm-hmm. Christer: said that, well, I think I am on the right place because our mentors as well, they grow fast as well. They're not the same as they were like four or five years ago when you first met them. Elin: Yeah. Yeah. And it's a big difference in just sticking with one mentor and having several mentors. Yeah. Christer: Yeah, we have several mentors like, but they are in the same group. But then we have different minds and different mindsets to pick. So, Elin: Mm-hmm. Christer: but I would say that that is one way, right? And then Elin: you Christer: you can always say, I, when I was in the corporate world, I, I focused a lot on networking and creating this network. Right. I was at the beginning because I was told that I need to have a good network. Elin: Mm-hmm. Christer: that is not about having 5,000 contacts on LinkedIn. No, but people think that now, right? I have had people Elin: No, it's not. Christer: that say, well, I have. And clients as well, said I have 5,000, 6,000 contacts on LinkedIn. So when I start off my own, then I will just use that. And then they realized that that's a no value. Maybe it has some value. We have some clients that Elin: No. Christer: get a lot of clients from LinkedIn. have others that don't get it at all. We don't get anyone from LinkedIn. I tried, but it didn't work. but Elin: No, but we are not trying either. Christer: then how actually, I would say. Elin: Yeah. Christer: If there is one person that you really admire, contact that person and ask for a cup of coffee. Elin: Hmm. Christer: Ask for advice. What is the best Elin: Thank you. Christer: way? Because all people that are successful, they love helping other people. Elin: So who would you contact then? Christer: If there is one guy I really would like to talk to and meet it's Bob Proctor but I was too late. Elin: Yeah, but someone alive. Christer: Yeah, because when I was in Bob's inner circle just a few months and then I had this, I should go to Canada and visit him. That was in October and then I didn't Elin: Hmm. Christer: act on that and then February the next year he passed away. Elin: Hmm. Christer: Tony Robbins. Elin: Yeah. Christer: Yeah, I would like to meet him personally. There two people that I would like personally. Tony Robbins has come up lately because I'm not enrolled in any of his programs, but I just think he's an interesting guy. I like his way of thinking, right? And also because I really like Jim Rohn and Tony Robbins or Anthony Robbins, he was his protege. So it would Elin: Mm. Mm. Christer: be fun to kind of get to know that more in depth and then carry that and give that further. Elin: Mm-hmm. Christer: Then there is a Norwegian guy called not called his name is Kjellin Gerucke. I would really like to sit down with him. And the third one. Yeah, I have three actually when you ask. So killing get up here because Elin: No. Christer: he thinks in a very different way. He thinks very similarly to us. I'm pretty sure that he thinks from the end. What do we want? And then we go from there. Right. And so that would be fun. Right. Last time we stayed at Palma his yacht was 100 meters away and I didn't dare to go knock the door. Maybe we should do Elin: You Christer: that when we come to Palma again. Then I would really like to talk to Nikolaj Tangen, Elin: Yeah. Christer: the head of the Norwegian Oil Fund. I think he's a very clever guy and it's not about finance. It's about economy. What's actually going on in the world and what do we do? It's just to pick his brain, right? Elin: Yeah. Christer: Yeah, those three would be cool. Elin: Hmm. Hmm. Christer: You know, I would say my challenge then is then to find these people, right? And Elin: Thank you. Christer: it's, it has to be deliberate. It has to be on purpose, right? So maybe I should set that as a goal. I want to meet these three people, right? I know a Elin: I think so. Christer: guy who has the number two, Hillingi Raki, but I'm not gonna ask for it because he cannot give it away. I have that were close to him, Elin: Okay, but we can find it. We'll send this episode to the podcast. Christer: Yeah, no, but we have sent it out now, so it's okay. Yeah. Elin: So far, before you meet all these people, what's the biggest Christer: Yeah. Elin: environmental change that you've ever made? Christer: I mean to change job is always an environmental change. It can be good or can be bad. Elin: Mm-hmm. Christer: You know, the challenge I would go back to President Obama and he Elin: and Christer: has a wonderful movie saying that when you meet people at a certain level, right, don't think that they are special. Don't think that you are different, that you're not worth that. They have just been Elin: Mm-hmm. Christer: exposed to a different environment, meaning that they have a different skill. Elin: Mm-hmm. Christer: But don't think that they are better than you. You will realize that most people are just most people. Elin: Yeah, they are. Christer: They're just ordinary people, but they're really good at one thing. And most of the successful people... Elin: you Christer: They are like racehorses with shadows, right? Elin: Mm-hmm. Christer: You say that to me sometimes, you know. I just go in, I'm hyper-focused. Elin: Yeah. Christer: And that is one skill that you need to have to create success. You Elin: Mm. Christer: need to be hyper-focused. You cannot focus all the way out, right? Elin: But how do you eliminate those distractions? How do you... Christer: For me, Elin: yeah? Christer: I don't know how not to do it. I know, I know. And Elin: Okay. Because I am all here. It's, yeah. Christer: then I poke you and say you have to focus on that and then you progress, right? Elin: And I say I cannot focus on that because I have to think of that and that and that and that. It doesn't Christer: No. Elin: fit. Christer: No, because you are melancholic and I'm choleric basically, right? So, but it's very much for you. is to, to, you know, when you see it doesn't fit, it's not supposed to fit. Elin: No. Christer: It's not supposed because you see it only based on that. That's a very, very good thing that that came to our mind now is that for lot of people, they say that, when everything is in place, then I move. Elin: Mm-hmm. Christer: But you can see that all these successful environments, they moved before they were ready. Elin: Mm-hmm. Christer: There is a. I think it's press, pretty sure to wrote that book. Yes, press, pretty sure you squared, right? You up Elin: Hmm. Hmm. Hmm. Christer: into. And how to make quantum leaps, know, because you can say that you want to have success and it can be a step by step by step process. It's always a step by step process, but it's your choice how big the steps shall be. So those who Elin: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Christer: are really successful, they make big steps. Elin: Thank Christer: They are not afraid. They are afraid, but they conquer there. Elin: Mm. Christer: They're fair. So how do you do that? How do you actually make quantum leaps? You move before you are ready and Elin: Mm. Christer: you will never be ready. The circumstances will never be ready. You can just ask for more information, more information, more information, more information, and it will not happen. One day you have to sail. One day you have to jump. All right? Elin: Is this? Christer: And that is that is what they do. So I would say that those who have success and successful environments are more daring than others. Elin: Mm. Christer: We have a lot of clients that want to build great companies Elin: Hmm. Christer: and they come to a certain size and then they hire administrators and then they fail. Elin: Hmm. Hmm. Christer: And as if you want to grow, if you want to build a company, you have to hire builders. I was a good builder. When the company stopped, got bored and then the companies didn't go so well. But I'm a really good builder. I hate to administrate. Elin: You Christer: That is one of reasons why I didn't continue like the path, the normal path when I was CEO and president in Norwegian, Konzanshef. And we created that to a billion company and then I should go to two to three billion and then to 10 billion and then to 100 billion company. I didn't want to Elin: Good. Christer: do that because I hate administration. Elin: Good. Christer: I don't, it's not that it's wrong. Of course we have our papers in order and all that, but I don't like to sit and write down policies. I don't like to sit and try to motivate people that are not motivated to do a great job. All right. That is why we pick our clients. Elin: Yeah. Christer: I don't want to, I don't want to motivate you. You can motivate you and then I can stimulate you and make it grow. But if you're not Elin: No. Christer: motivated, no, better live. All right. I'm the wrong guy. Yeah. Elin: Yeah. But back to creating that environment, we do that for people because we have the Christer: Yep. Elin: seminars, have the groups, we have everything, then we put people together. And it's important that it is a group of not like minded, but kind of like everything is everything is OK. Everybody wants to grow. Everybody wants to do the same thing, but not the same. physical thing. To have that kind of a group, one of the most important things is the accountability to that group as well. So why Christer: Mm-hmm. Yep. Elin: is it that accountability is so important? Why? Christer: Because it makes you do it. Elin: Yeah. Such a long question and such a short answer. The Christer: Okay. Jim Rohn said this. I know, but it's a very precise answer. Elin: melancholic and the choleric strikes again. Christer: Jim Rans said this, is easy to do, it's also easy not to do. It's easy to do a morning routine. It's easy to write down your goal. It's easy to Elin: Yeah, that's true, Christer: do the repetitions. It's easy to do the night routine. It's easy Elin: Mm-hmm. Christer: to do this. It's easy to do that. It's easy to flip your thinking when you realize it and you are aware and you study yourself. You say, no, I don't want to think about that anymore. And then you flip it. But it's so easy not to do as well. That is why we always have mentors. Sometimes I debate with myself and say it would be nice to not have a mentor. I will fail. I will. Elin: Yeah Christer: It is the best in the last podcast we had about wealth and investments and all that. best investment I ever done is in myself, not only measured in money, but measured in my happiness, in my life. Elin: Do you feel like Christer: and Elin: you have ever outgrown an environment? Christer: Yeah, the corporate world was an environment I outgrew. I didn't want to be there anymore, right? I think it's, I love helping people in the corporate world, but it's not for me to be in that. Elin: Mm. Christer: And because I have the experience, and you have the experience with your great background as well, Elin: Mm-hmm. Christer: then we can give people a different perspective on all the politics and all that, you know, and very often it turns out as anger. Elin: Hmm. Hmm. Hmm. Hmm. Christer: in them, especially anger or overthinking. Anger leads to doing too much overthinking leads to being passive and both are wrong. So, but the point is that the principles are universal. We had that and they remember we had this, this CEO in the last monthly impact coaching for all our clients. And he was after 50 minutes, he raised his hand and said, you know, it's so interesting that the child, even though we have different goals, And there are people there from starting up their own company to people that have like several hundred million companies. The challenges are the same. And it's always that the challenges are the same. Elin: It is. Christer: You have to become someone else to get more. You don't get what you want, you get who you are. Elin: Mm-hmm. Christer: And then with being in an environment, you get advice, you get accountability, meaning that you actually do it. Elin: Thank Christer: And you get proof that it's possible. Elin: Mm. Christer: Because if they have done it, you can do it. Elin: Mm-hmm. Christer: I always say that, if I can do it, you can do it. Elin: And in the right environment you will never get someone who says no you can't do it Christer: No, if someone says that in one of our programs, I will ask him or her to leave. Elin: Yeah. Christer: That's that's absolutely wrong. All right. I have tried that before. So you cannot do that. That's like, hmm. That's another. Yeah. Elin: It is. Let's go. So if you should give one small environmental change that listeners can make today to change their and start creating their environment for success, what would that be? Christer: It all starts with you. Elin: As always. Christer: As always, you have only one problem in life and that is you. You have only one solution in life and that is you. If you want to be in a different group, different environment, you have to change. Elin: But the small change, because I think for many people it can be a big step just to like you call Tony Robbins. Dare to ask, yeah. Christer: Dare to ask, dare to ask. Stand as an email, right? I don't know Tony Robbins' phone number. Otherwise, I'm sure, well, you we met, no, you were not in the States at the seminar, but I met one of his coaches, right? Elin: Mm-hmm. Christer: He doesn't work for Tony Robbins anymore, right? So I'm sure I can get connected to that, but I would like to meet Tony Robbins in person, not one of his coaches. I would like to sit down with him, you know, have a coffee with him. Elin: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Of course. Yeah. Christer: Yeah. So Elin: Hmm. Christer: and then you have to dare. Right. You have to dare. And that is a personality change that you have to start to do what you're afraid of because the Elin: Mm. Christer: environment starts inside you. Elin: Mm. Christer: You attract who you are. Right. Elin: Thank Christer: Yeah. And it's not difficult. Right. And the easiest way to get get a good network is to find a mentor that not necessarily us or me. Just find a mentor that has these environments, right? Where you are inspired, where you feel that you can be inspired, where Elin: you Christer: you feel that you get the help you want, the help you need. Elin: Mmm. Christer: So the environment is inside you and out. And then, as I said, don't be afraid of asking. They are only human beings, nothing more. Elin: Thank you. Christer: You all are. Sure. Elin: You always end this in such a wise way. I love that way you answer this one. Christer: Yeah, thank you for that. Elin: I believe this was very valuable for our listeners, the way you answered it, so thank you. Yeah, it is. Yeah. Christer: Mm-hmm. I hope so too. I hope so too. At least I made you think, right? Yeah, that's good. And I really like these sessions because it makes me think as well. Elin: Okay. Christer: What is important is that, you know, what is the definition of success? Success, and when we say everything we do is to your success, let's go a little bit deeper on that. What is success? It has nothing to do with money. It has nothing to do with prestige. It has nothing to do with attention. Elin: Hmm. Christer: Success is that you live the life you truly want to And Elin: Mmm. Mmm. Christer: if we can help you with that. then I'm very very grateful for that. And that is Elin: Hmm. Christer: why we make this podcast and that is why we say everything we do is to your success. Elin: So, thanks. Christer: And have a wonderful day. Bye bye for now. Elin: Bye bye.