Latest / I Used To Be Crap At Sales / Build Your Sales Confidence | EP13 | James Ski

Transcript

Build Your Sales Confidence | EP13 | James Ski · I Used To Be Crap At Sales

• 0:00
  Mark Ackers: Welcome
• 0:00
  to the
• 0:00
  podcast.
• 0:01
  Here's a
• 0:01
  sneak peek
• 0:02
  of what's
• 0:02
  coming up
• 0:03
  in today's
• 0:03
  episode.
• 0:04
  We've got
• 0:04
  the
• 0:05
  previous
• 0:06
  top global
• 0:07
  seller for
• 0:07
  LinkedIn,
• 0:08
  2016, 17
• 0:09
  and 18,
• 0:11
  with a
• 0:11
  social
• 0:11
  selling
• 0:12
  index of
• 0:12
  97 out of
• 0:13
  100 ski
• 0:14
  James Ski: is
• 0:15
  an
• 0:15
  abbreviation
• 0:15
  of my full
• 0:16
  surname.
• 0:16
  I'm half
• 0:17
  polish.
• 0:17
  Did not
• 0:18
  Mark Ackers: know
• 0:18
  that.
• 0:18
  Yeah,
• 0:19
  what's
• 0:19
  your full
• 0:19
  surname?
• 0:20
  Did you
• 0:21
  used to be
• 0:21
  crap at
• 0:21
  sales? I
• 0:22
  did, how
• 0:23
  crap are
• 0:23
  we
• 0:23
  talking?
• 0:24
  James Ski: I
• 0:24
  was
• 0:24
  pretty,
• 0:25
  like
• 0:25
  anxious.
• 0:25
  So I did
• 0:26
  door to
• 0:26
  door,
• 0:27
  which was
• 0:27
  knocking
• 0:27
  on doors,
• 0:28
  persuading
• 0:28
  people to
• 0:29
  get their
• 0:29
  milk
• 0:29
  delivered.
• 0:30
  I remember
• 0:30
  my very
• 0:31
  first day
• 0:32
  in a phone
• 0:33
  based
• 0:33
  role,
• 0:34
  literally
• 0:34
  given a
• 0:34
  phone book
• 0:35
  by a
• 0:36
  former
• 0:36
  mechanic
• 0:37
  who turned
• 0:37
  sales
• 0:38
  manager.
• 0:38
  And I
• 0:39
  remember
• 0:39
  that first
• 0:40
  dial that
• 0:41
  I made,
• 0:41
  and
• 0:41
  literally,
• 0:42
  I was
• 0:42
  shaking,
• 0:43
  right? And
• 0:44
  when that
• 0:44
  person
• 0:45
  picked up
• 0:45
  the phone,
• 0:45
  I hung up.
• 0:46
  I didn't
• 0:46
  even
• 0:46
  speak. I
• 0:47
  could not
• 0:47
  speak. I
• 0:48
  was so
• 0:48
  nervous.
• 0:49
  Mark Ackers: Once
• 0:50
  ranked the
• 0:51
  world's
• 0:51
  number one
• 0:52
  social
• 0:52
  seller,
• 0:52
  being
• 0:52
  number
• 0:53
  James Ski: one
• 0:53
  was
• 0:53
  important.
• 0:54
  It wasn't
• 0:55
  easy to
• 0:55
  become
• 0:55
  number one
• 0:56
  global
• 0:56
  biller.
• 0:57
  You know,
• 0:57
  like I was
• 0:58
  depressed
• 0:58
  when I
• 0:58
  joined
• 0:59
  LinkedIn,
• 0:59
  and no one
• 1:00
  knew this
• 1:00
  at the
• 1:00
  time, but
• 1:01
  I was so
• 1:01
  depressed
• 1:02
  that when
• 1:02
  I was
• 1:03
  getting
• 1:03
  introduced
• 1:03
  to people,
• 1:04
  I was
• 1:04
  walking
• 1:05
  around
• 1:05
  LinkedIn
• 1:06
  offices, I
• 1:06
  was so
• 1:07
  uncomfortable
• 1:08
  with that,
• 1:08
  because I
• 1:09
  had such
• 1:09
  high
• 1:09
  anxiety. I
• 1:10
  was so
• 1:10
  depressed
• 1:10
  that I
• 1:11
  would
• 1:11
  literally
• 1:11
  hide
• 1:12
  myself
• 1:12
  away from
• 1:13
  people
• 1:13
  because I
• 1:13
  couldn't
• 1:14
  handle the
• 1:14
  interaction.
• 1:15
  Mark Ackers: And
• 1:15
  it's nice
• 1:15
  that you
• 1:16
  take the
• 1:16
  time to
• 1:17
  help
• 1:17
  people,
• 1:18
  and maybe
• 1:18
  you come
• 1:19
  to a place
• 1:19
  of that's
• 1:20
  the help
• 1:20
  you wanted
• 1:21
  to have
• 1:21
  earlier in
• 1:22
  your
• 1:22
  career.
• 1:22
  James Ski: My
• 1:22
  great
• 1:23
  mission is
• 1:23
  to help
• 1:24
  people
• 1:24
  with their
• 1:25
  confidence.
• 1:25
  If you
• 1:26
  believe
• 1:26
  more in
• 1:26
  yourself,
• 1:27
  if you
• 1:27
  back
• 1:27
  yourself
• 1:28
  more, you
• 1:28
  do more,
• 1:29
  you
• 1:29
  achieve
• 1:29
  more, you
• 1:30
  earn more.
• 1:31
  Sales.
• 1:31
  Mark Ackers: Is
• 1:31
  obviously
• 1:31
  taxing.
• 1:32
  It's
• 1:33
  anxiety
• 1:33
  inducing.
• 1:34
  It's
• 1:35
  pressure
• 1:35
  filled.
• 1:36
  Walk me
• 1:37
  through.
• 1:37
  What do
• 1:38
  you do to
• 1:39
  manage
• 1:39
  some of
• 1:40
  the
• 1:40
  tension
• 1:40
  that this
• 1:41
  profession
• 1:41
  brings to
• 1:42
  you.
• 1:42
  James Ski: I
• 1:42
  used to be
• 1:43
  that guy
• 1:43
  that would
• 1:44
  work seven
• 1:44
  days a
• 1:44
  week, and
• 1:45
  I really
• 1:45
  didn't
• 1:46
  have a
• 1:46
  purpose
• 1:47
  outside of
• 1:47
  that. I
• 1:48
  mean, it
• 1:48
  got me
• 1:49
  accelerated
• 1:50
  my career
• 1:50
  and my
• 1:50
  earnings
• 1:51
  and stuff
• 1:51
  like that.
• 1:52
  But there
• 1:52
  is more to
• 1:53
  business
• 1:53
  and life
• 1:54
  and
• 1:54
  success
• 1:54
  take
• 1:55
  Mark Ackers: me
• 1:55
  through
• 1:55
  some of
• 1:55
  the like
• 1:56
  the
• 1:56
  memorable
• 1:56
  things
• 1:57
  that sales
• 1:57
  leaders
• 1:57
  have come
• 1:58
  to you
• 1:58
  with
• 1:58
  problems
• 1:59
  and
• 1:59
  needing
• 1:59
  help. You
• 2:00
  James Ski: know,
• 2:00
  I'm
• 2:00
  probably
• 2:01
  one of the
• 2:01
  most
• 2:01
  connected
• 2:02
  to sales
• 2:02
  leaders in
• 2:03
  in the UK,
• 2:04
  particularly
• 2:04
  last 1218,
• 2:05
  months, a
• 2:06
  lot of
• 2:06
  sales
• 2:06
  leaders
• 2:06
  have
• 2:07
  reached
• 2:07
  out. Maybe
• 2:08
  sales
• 2:08
  isn't a
• 2:08
  career for
• 2:09
  me.
• 2:14
  Mark Ackers: Hello
• 2:14
  and
• 2:15
  welcome to
• 2:15
  the latest
• 2:16
  episode of
• 2:16
  The I used
• 2:17
  to be crap
• 2:17
  at sales
• 2:18
  podcast.
• 2:18
  I'm your
• 2:19
  host, Mark
• 2:19
  Akers, co
• 2:20
  founder
• 2:20
  and Head
• 2:21
  of Sales
• 2:21
  here at my
• 2:22
  sales
• 2:22
  coach, we
• 2:23
  called the
• 2:23
  podcast
• 2:24
  this
• 2:24
  because
• 2:24
  it's true
• 2:25
  and all of
• 2:26
  our guests
• 2:26
  say the
• 2:27
  same.
• 2:28
  Speaking
• 2:28
  of guests
• 2:29
  today in
• 2:30
  the orange
• 2:30
  shares,
• 2:31
  I've got
• 2:32
  right this
• 2:32
  intro is
• 2:33
  quite a
• 2:33
  mouthful.
• 2:34
  We've got
• 2:34
  the
• 2:35
  previous
• 2:36
  top global
• 2:37
  seller for
• 2:37
  LinkedIn,
• 2:38
  2016, 17
• 2:39
  and 18,
• 2:41
  with a
• 2:41
  social
• 2:41
  selling
• 2:42
  index of
• 2:42
  97 out of
• 2:43
  100 once
• 2:45
  ranked the
• 2:45
  world's
• 2:46
  number one
• 2:46
  social
• 2:47
  seller.
• 2:47
  The
• 2:47
  founder of
• 2:48
  SaaS
• 2:48
  growth,
• 2:49
  the number
• 2:50
  one sales
• 2:50
  revenue
• 2:51
  conference
• 2:51
  in the UK
• 2:52
  and
• 2:52
  Europe,
• 2:52
  founder of
• 2:53
  circles
• 2:53
  network,
• 2:54
  co founder
• 2:55
  of Link
• 2:55
  deal
• 2:56
  sales,
• 2:56
  Director
• 2:57
  of rock
• 2:57
  star
• 2:58
  Property
• 2:58
  Partners,
• 2:59
  a man with
• 3:00
  nearly
• 3:00
  40,000
• 3:02
  LinkedIn
• 3:02
  followers,
• 3:03
  the author
• 3:04
  of How to
• 3:04
  Build
• 3:05
  sales
• 3:05
  confidence.
• 3:06
  And you
• 3:07
  might know
• 3:07
  this guest
• 3:08
  already,
• 3:09
  but he
• 3:09
  flies the
• 3:10
  flag
• 3:10
  really
• 3:10
  well for
• 3:11
  mental
• 3:11
  health in
• 3:12
  sales and
• 3:13
  perhaps
• 3:13
  best known
• 3:14
  as the
• 3:14
  founder
• 3:15
  and face
• 3:15
  of sales
• 3:16
  confidence,
• 3:17
  if you've
• 3:18
  not
• 3:18
  guessed it
• 3:18
  by now, I
• 3:19
  mean, you
• 3:19
  must have
• 3:20
  surely it
• 3:21
  is James
• 3:22
  skeet.
• 3:22
  James big.
• 3:24
  Welcome to
• 3:24
  the orange
• 3:25
  chair and
• 3:26
  the
• 3:26
  podcast
• 3:27
  James Ski: amazing.
• 3:28
  Well,
• 3:28
  thanks for
• 3:28
  having me.
• 3:29
  Sounds
• 3:30
  like I
• 3:30
  have been
• 3:30
  busy, and
• 3:32
  I have, in
• 3:32
  some ways,
• 3:33
  but you
• 3:33
  know
• 3:33
  what's
• 3:33
  quite
• 3:34
  funny
• 3:34
  sitting
• 3:34
  here, what
• 3:35
  I really
• 3:35
  like about
• 3:36
  these
• 3:36
  moments is
• 3:36
  how you
• 3:36
  can just
• 3:37
  pause and
• 3:38
  reflect on
• 3:39
  how long
• 3:39
  we've
• 3:40
  known each
• 3:40
  other. And
• 3:41
  actually
• 3:42
  we had met
• 3:42
  maybe
• 3:42
  previously,
• 3:43
  but we
• 3:43
  actually
• 3:44
  hung out
• 3:44
  at SAS
• 3:44
  Grove, the
• 3:45
  very first
• 3:46
  conference
• 3:46
  at the
• 3:47
  Olympic
• 3:47
  Park, if
• 3:47
  you
• 3:48
  remember.
• 3:49
  And there
• 3:49
  were a few
• 3:50
  things
• 3:50
  funny that
• 3:51
  we may or
• 3:51
  may not
• 3:52
  talk about
• 3:53
  that
• 3:53
  happens,
• 3:53
  but we had
• 3:54
  a little
• 3:54
  bit of a
• 3:55
  party
• 3:55
  afterwards.
• 3:56
  And I
• 3:56
  think that
• 3:56
  really
• 3:56
  cemented
• 3:57
  the
• 3:57
  beginning
• 3:58
  of our
• 3:58
  long, long
• 3:59
  relationship.
• 3:59
  Mark Ackers: It
• 4:00
  certainly
• 4:00
  did. Yeah,
• 4:00
  it was
• 4:01
  maybe
• 4:01
  seven,
• 4:01
  eight
• 4:02
  years ago,
• 4:03
  and we are
• 4:03
  filming
• 4:03
  this
• 4:04
  podcast on
• 4:04
  a Friday
• 4:05
  afternoon.
• 4:06
  It is gone
• 4:06
  four
• 4:06
  o'clock,
• 4:07
  and we've
• 4:07
  gone for a
• 4:07
  beer.
• 4:08
  Cheers,
• 4:09
  Joe. Let's
• 4:12
  start
• 4:12
  with, what
• 4:13
  are you
• 4:13
  doing in
• 4:14
  Newcastle?
• 4:15
  Yeah,
• 4:15
  James Ski: okay,
• 4:15
  great
• 4:15
  question.
• 4:16
  So
• 4:16
  actually,
• 4:16
  I've spent
• 4:17
  a lot of
• 4:17
  time in
• 4:17
  Newcastle
• 4:19
  over many
• 4:19
  years. So
• 4:19
  my dad's
• 4:20
  lived up
• 4:20
  here now
• 4:21
  for
• 4:21
  probably
• 4:21
  about 25
• 4:22
  years. He
• 4:22
  lives the
• 4:24
  other side
• 4:24
  of Baden
• 4:25
  mill,
• 4:25
  Hexen way,
• 4:26
  just by
• 4:27
  Hadrian's
• 4:27
  Wall. He
• 4:27
  owns a
• 4:28
  converted
• 4:29
  chapel
• 4:29
  that he
• 4:30
  converted
• 4:30
  many years
• 4:31
  ago, which
• 4:31
  is really
• 4:31
  quite
• 4:32
  cool. And
• 4:33
  I've spent
• 4:33
  a lot of
• 4:34
  time
• 4:34
  coming up
• 4:34
  here as a
• 4:35
  kid. And
• 4:36
  also,
• 4:37
  interestingly,
• 4:39
  and you
• 4:39
  kind of
• 4:39
  did allude
• 4:40
  to it. I
• 4:40
  do talk
• 4:41
  about
• 4:41
  mental
• 4:41
  health. I
• 4:41
  actually
• 4:42
  spent some
• 4:42
  time in
• 4:43
  one of
• 4:43
  your local
• 4:44
  establishments
• 4:45
  in warp of
• 4:45
  St
• 4:45
  George's,
• 4:46
  which is a
• 4:46
  mental
• 4:47
  health
• 4:47
  hospital
• 4:47
  up here.
• 4:48
  And I have
• 4:48
  to say
• 4:48
  it's the
• 4:49
  best one
• 4:49
  of the
• 4:49
  seven I've
• 4:50
  spent time
• 4:51
  in. It's
• 4:51
  fantastic.
• 4:52
  The staff
• 4:53
  are
• 4:53
  amazing,
• 4:55
  and the
• 4:56
  quality of
• 4:56
  the care
• 4:57
  is
• 4:57
  brilliant.
• 4:58
  And so
• 4:58
  like I've
• 4:59
  spent. In
• 5:00
  time up
• 5:00
  here. I've
• 5:01
  partyed up
• 5:02
  here, and
• 5:03
  today,
• 5:03
  this
• 5:03
  weekend,
• 5:04
  I'm up
• 5:04
  here
• 5:04
  visiting
• 5:05
  my dad and
• 5:05
  obviously
• 5:06
  hanging
• 5:06
  out with
• 5:07
  you guys.
• 5:07
  It's
• 5:07
  Mark Ackers: a
• 5:07
  pleasure
• 5:08
  to have
• 5:08
  you in the
• 5:08
  office. I
• 5:09
  mean,
• 5:09
  you've
• 5:09
  been in
• 5:09
  the office
• 5:10
  since you
• 5:10
  got in
• 5:10
  before me,
• 5:11
  and this
• 5:11
  is
• 5:11
  probably
• 5:12
  the first
• 5:12
  time we've
• 5:13
  really
• 5:13
  spoke you.
• 5:13
  You have
• 5:14
  been non
• 5:15
  stop. I
• 5:15
  mean, the
• 5:15
  devil
• 5:16
  works
• 5:16
  hard, but
• 5:16
  you work
• 5:17
  harder.
• 5:17
  You've
• 5:18
  been non
• 5:18
  stop.
• 5:18
  We've been
• 5:19
  doing
• 5:19
  James Ski: Yeah.
• 5:20
  So it's
• 5:20
  interesting,
• 5:21
  like,
• 5:21
  there are
• 5:22
  a few
• 5:22
  things
• 5:22
  going on
• 5:22
  in my
• 5:23
  world
• 5:23
  right now,
• 5:24
  and I've
• 5:24
  relaunched
• 5:25
  sales
• 5:25
  confidence
• 5:26
  under a
• 5:26
  kind of a
• 5:27
  new
• 5:27
  purpose.
• 5:27
  And our
• 5:28
  purpose is
• 5:29
  really,
• 5:29
  this year,
• 5:29
  helping
• 5:30
  1000
• 5:30
  people get
• 5:31
  jobs in
• 5:32
  sales. And
• 5:33
  so I've
• 5:34
  been
• 5:34
  speaking
• 5:34
  to a lot
• 5:35
  of hiring
• 5:35
  managers
• 5:35
  about
• 5:36
  their
• 5:36
  hiring
• 5:36
  requirements
• 5:37
  around
• 5:37
  SDRs and
• 5:39
  graduates.
• 5:40
  That's
• 5:40
  been a lot
• 5:40
  of calls
• 5:41
  today.
• 5:42
  I've also
• 5:43
  had calls
• 5:43
  with a
• 5:44
  very big
• 5:45
  influencer
• 5:48
  that I
• 5:48
  will name
• 5:49
  job. His
• 5:49
  name's
• 5:49
  Simon
• 5:49
  Squibb. He
• 5:50
  wrote the
• 5:50
  four world
• 5:51
  forward of
• 5:51
  my book
• 5:52
  How to
• 5:53
  Build
• 5:53
  sales
• 5:53
  confidence,
• 5:54
  and I've
• 5:54
  been
• 5:55
  talking to
• 5:55
  him about
• 5:56
  some
• 5:56
  collaborations
• 5:57
  around a
• 5:57
  platform
• 5:58
  that he's
• 5:58
  launched
• 5:59
  called
• 5:59
  Help Bank,
• 5:59
  which is
• 6:00
  basically
• 6:00
  about
• 6:01
  helping
• 6:01
  people at
• 6:02
  every
• 6:02
  stage of
• 6:02
  their
• 6:03
  business
• 6:03
  entrepreneur
• 6:04
  journey,
• 6:04
  which was
• 6:05
  very cool.
• 6:06
  And then
• 6:06
  I've had a
• 6:07
  couple of
• 6:07
  conversations
• 6:08
  with
• 6:08
  prospects
• 6:09
  and
• 6:09
  opportunities.
• 6:09
  So really,
• 6:10
  it's been
• 6:10
  phone
• 6:10
  based, and
• 6:12
  I actually
• 6:13
  don't work
• 6:13
  this hard
• 6:14
  on Friday,
• 6:15
  for some
• 6:16
  reason,
• 6:16
  I've just
• 6:16
  packed my
• 6:17
  diary. But
• 6:18
  yeah, it's
• 6:19
  been
• 6:19
  calls,
• 6:19
  it's been
• 6:20
  opportunities.
• 6:21
  And
• 6:21
  actually,
• 6:22
  this is a
• 6:22
  great way
• 6:23
  to wrap up
• 6:23
  the week,
• 6:24
  to sit in
• 6:25
  the orange
• 6:26
  chairs
• 6:26
  with you.
• 6:27
  Mark Ackers: Well,
• 6:27
  it's great
• 6:27
  to have
• 6:27
  you. And
• 6:28
  yeah,
• 6:28
  Simon
• 6:29
  Squibb, I
• 6:29
  see a lot
• 6:29
  of these
• 6:30
  videos,
• 6:30
  actually
• 6:30
  on social
• 6:31
  media.
• 6:31
  He's a
• 6:32
  really
• 6:32
  interesting
• 6:33
  James Ski: person.
• 6:33
  He's
• 6:33
  honestly,
• 6:34
  and I
• 6:35
  genuinely
• 6:36
  mean this
• 6:36
  because
• 6:36
  I've got
• 6:36
  to know
• 6:37
  the guy.
• 6:38
  He is such
• 6:39
  a top
• 6:39
  bloke, and
• 6:39
  he
• 6:39
  genuinely
• 6:40
  wants to
• 6:41
  help
• 6:41
  people.
• 6:41
  You know,
• 6:41
  he's a
• 6:42
  he's a
• 6:42
  multi
• 6:42
  millionaire
• 6:43
  many times
• 6:43
  over, he's
• 6:44
  made his
• 6:44
  money,
• 6:44
  he's
• 6:44
  created
• 6:45
  his
• 6:45
  wealth,
• 6:45
  and he's
• 6:46
  got a
• 6:46
  really
• 6:47
  burning
• 6:47
  desire to
• 6:48
  help
• 6:48
  people out
• 6:49
  in a way
• 6:49
  that he
• 6:49
  clearly
• 6:50
  didn't
• 6:50
  have when
• 6:51
  he started
• 6:51
  out in his
• 6:52
  career.
• 6:52
  And
• 6:53
  actually,
• 6:53
  the story
• 6:53
  of how I
• 6:54
  got to
• 6:54
  know him,
• 6:54
  I was on a
• 6:55
  tick tock
• 6:55
  live and
• 6:56
  waited my
• 6:57
  turn to
• 6:57
  have a Q A
• 6:58
  with him.
• 6:59
  Finally
• 6:59
  got onto
• 7:00
  the Q and
• 7:01
  A, and
• 7:01
  while we
• 7:01
  were on
• 7:02
  the Q and
• 7:02
  A, he
• 7:02
  obviously
• 7:03
  clued up
• 7:03
  to the
• 7:04
  fact that
• 7:04
  I knew
• 7:04
  what I was
• 7:05
  talking
• 7:05
  about.
• 7:05
  Then
• 7:06
  realized
• 7:06
  he was
• 7:06
  giving me
• 7:07
  a lot of
• 7:07
  valuable
• 7:08
  advice,
• 7:09
  and then
• 7:09
  said, in
• 7:10
  front of
• 7:10
  like, a
• 7:10
  few 1000
• 7:11
  people in
• 7:11
  this live
• 7:12
  listen, I
• 7:12
  think I
• 7:12
  could add
• 7:13
  value to
• 7:13
  your
• 7:13
  business.
• 7:14
  I said,
• 7:14
  Well,
• 7:14
  maybe you
• 7:14
  can. And
• 7:15
  he's like,
• 7:16
  Well, how
• 7:16
  about I
• 7:16
  mentor you
• 7:17
  for a
• 7:17
  year? And
• 7:18
  I was
• 7:18
  like,
• 7:18
  Yeah,
• 7:18
  fantastic.
• 7:19
  He goes,
• 7:19
  but it's
• 7:19
  gonna cost
• 7:20
  you 10k so
• 7:21
  literally,
• 7:22
  I did have
• 7:22
  10k so I
• 7:23
  said,
• 7:23
  Yeah, I'll
• 7:23
  do it, and
• 7:24
  we're
• 7:24
  live. So
• 7:24
  that's the
• 7:25
  contract.
• 7:26
  So I said,
• 7:26
  when I get
• 7:27
  off this
• 7:27
  live our
• 7:28
  LinkedIn
• 7:28
  connected
• 7:29
  with you,
• 7:29
  send me an
• 7:30
  invoice
• 7:30
  and I'll
• 7:30
  pay it. So
• 7:31
  he we did
• 7:32
  it anyway.
• 7:33
  He started
• 7:34
  consulting
• 7:34
  with me.
• 7:34
  We started
• 7:35
  to become
• 7:35
  friends.
• 7:36
  Six months
• 7:37
  down the
• 7:37
  line, he
• 7:38
  reached
• 7:38
  out to me.
• 7:38
  Said,
• 7:39
  Listen,
• 7:39
  I've been
• 7:39
  thinking.
• 7:40
  I said,
• 7:40
  What's it?
• 7:40
  He goes,
• 7:40
  he's not
• 7:41
  sitting
• 7:41
  well with
• 7:42
  me that
• 7:42
  I've taken
• 7:43
  10k out
• 7:43
  away from
• 7:44
  you. I'm
• 7:44
  going to
• 7:45
  give you
• 7:45
  back the
• 7:46
  money. He
• 7:46
  literally
• 7:47
  deposited
• 7:47
  the money
• 7:47
  back in my
• 7:48
  account.
• 7:48
  And said,
• 7:49
  my whole
• 7:50
  philosophy
• 7:50
  is about
• 7:51
  helping
• 7:51
  people. I
• 7:52
  don't need
• 7:52
  your
• 7:53
  money. I'd
• 7:53
  rather you
• 7:54
  invest
• 7:54
  that 10k
• 7:55
  Do
• 7:55
  Mark Ackers: you
• 7:55
  think part
• 7:56
  of that
• 7:56
  was he
• 7:57
  just
• 7:57
  wanted to
• 7:58
  make sure
• 7:58
  you were
• 7:58
  in
• 7:59
  James Ski: Yeah,
• 7:59
  I think he
• 8:00
  was
• 8:00
  testing
• 8:00
  it, you
• 8:01
  know, it
• 8:01
  was live,
• 8:02
  it was
• 8:02
  public,
• 8:02
  you know,
• 8:03
  I was, I
• 8:03
  wasn't
• 8:04
  beating
• 8:04
  myself up,
• 8:04
  but we got
• 8:05
  into a
• 8:05
  really
• 8:06
  kind of,
• 8:07
  you know,
• 8:07
  there's a
• 8:07
  lot of
• 8:07
  people
• 8:08
  that get
• 8:08
  on those
• 8:08
  conversations
• 8:09
  with him
• 8:09
  that
• 8:10
  aren't
• 8:10
  experienced
• 8:11
  in
• 8:11
  business,
• 8:11
  aren't
• 8:11
  experienced
• 8:12
  in sales,
• 8:12
  and I
• 8:13
  think he
• 8:13
  clicked
• 8:14
  very
• 8:14
  quickly
• 8:14
  that I
• 8:15
  knew what
• 8:15
  I was
• 8:15
  talking
• 8:16
  about,
• 8:16
  right? So
• 8:16
  I think
• 8:17
  when he
• 8:17
  started to
• 8:18
  understand
• 8:19
  the
• 8:19
  questions
• 8:19
  I was
• 8:19
  asking
• 8:20
  him. He
• 8:20
  was like,
• 8:21
  I'm giving
• 8:21
  away my
• 8:21
  knowledge
• 8:22
  here. And
• 8:22
  this guy
• 8:23
  sounds
• 8:23
  like he
• 8:24
  might be
• 8:24
  able to
• 8:24
  pay. And
• 8:25
  so he
• 8:26
  threw that
• 8:26
  out there.
• 8:26
  I
• 8:27
  obviously
• 8:27
  wasn't
• 8:28
  gonna,
• 8:28
  even if I
• 8:28
  didn't
• 8:29
  quite have
• 8:29
  the money
• 8:29
  in that
• 8:30
  moment, I
• 8:30
  wasn't
• 8:31
  gonna say
• 8:31
  no to it.
• 8:31
  So I
• 8:33
  committed.
• 8:33
  So yeah,
• 8:33
  maybe. But
• 8:34
  ultimately,
• 8:35
  what
• 8:35
  transpired,
• 8:36
  and he,
• 8:36
  I've heard
• 8:37
  him tell
• 8:37
  this story
• 8:38
  on stages,
• 8:38
  is that he
• 8:40
  genuinely
• 8:41
  wants to
• 8:41
  be known
• 8:42
  now at
• 8:42
  this stage
• 8:42
  of his
• 8:43
  life and
• 8:43
  career,
• 8:44
  for
• 8:44
  helping
• 8:44
  people for
• 8:45
  free. Now,
• 8:45
  of course,
• 8:46
  he has
• 8:46
  ways of
• 8:46
  monetizing
• 8:47
  his
• 8:47
  audience,
• 8:47
  and he has
• 8:48
  revenue
• 8:49
  streams,
• 8:49
  etc, but
• 8:49
  this whole
• 8:51
  help bank
• 8:52
  and this
• 8:52
  purpose
• 8:53
  for and
• 8:53
  asking
• 8:54
  people,
• 8:54
  you know
• 8:54
  what, what
• 8:55
  your dream
• 8:55
  is, is
• 8:56
  genuinely
• 8:56
  about
• 8:57
  helping
• 8:57
  people
• 8:57
  unlock
• 8:58
  their
• 8:58
  potential.
• 8:58
  And I
• 8:59
  think when
• 8:59
  I think of
• 9:00
  like sales
• 9:00
  confidence
• 9:01
  and the
• 9:01
  philosophy
• 9:02
  of sales
• 9:02
  confidence
• 9:03
  is
• 9:03
  important
• 9:03
  to me. I
• 9:04
  really
• 9:04
  genuinely
• 9:05
  want to
• 9:05
  help
• 9:05
  people
• 9:06
  unlock
• 9:06
  their
• 9:06
  confidence,
• 9:07
  because
• 9:07
  it's a
• 9:08
  life
• 9:08
  changer.
• 9:09
  If you
• 9:09
  believe
• 9:10
  more in
• 9:10
  yourself,
• 9:10
  if you
• 9:11
  back
• 9:11
  yourself
• 9:11
  more, you
• 9:13
  do more,
• 9:13
  you
• 9:13
  achieve
• 9:14
  more, you
• 9:14
  earn more,
• 9:15
  you get
• 9:16
  the
• 9:16
  partner
• 9:16
  you want.
• 9:17
  And
• 9:17
  actually,
• 9:18
  my great
• 9:19
  mission is
• 9:19
  to help
• 9:20
  people
• 9:20
  with their
• 9:20
  confidence
• 9:21
  is just
• 9:21
  happens to
• 9:22
  be that be
• 9:23
  that my
• 9:23
  profession
• 9:23
  is sales,
• 9:24
  and that's
• 9:24
  what I'm
• 9:24
  known for
• 9:25
  right now.
• 9:25
  But longer
• 9:26
  term is
• 9:26
  it's
• 9:26
  helping
• 9:27
  people
• 9:27
  with
• 9:27
  confidence
• 9:28
  is what's
• 9:28
  really
• 9:28
  important
• 9:29
  to
• 9:29
  Mark Ackers: me.
• 9:29
  I can see
• 9:30
  why you
• 9:30
  and Simon
• 9:30
  get on so
• 9:31
  well. What
• 9:31
  a great
• 9:32
  story.
• 9:33
  Maybe one
• 9:33
  day I come
• 9:33
  to
• 9:34
  podcast,
• 9:34
  hey, maybe
• 9:35
  let's
• 9:35
  start
• 9:36
  where we
• 9:36
  always
• 9:36
  start.
• 9:37
  Then with
• 9:38
  a yes, no
• 9:38
  question,
• 9:39
  did you
• 9:40
  used to be
• 9:40
  crap at
• 9:41
  sales. I
• 9:41
  did. How
• 9:42
  crap were
• 9:42
  we
• 9:42
  talking? I
• 9:43
  was
• 9:43
  pretty,
• 9:45
  James Ski: like
• 9:45
  anxious.
• 9:46
  So I'll
• 9:46
  give you
• 9:46
  this the
• 9:47
  story of
• 9:47
  my first
• 9:50
  phone
• 9:51
  based
• 9:51
  sales
• 9:52
  role. So I
• 9:52
  did door
• 9:52
  to door,
• 9:53
  which was
• 9:55
  persuade
• 9:55
  knocking
• 9:55
  on doors,
• 9:56
  persuading
• 9:56
  people to
• 9:57
  get their
• 9:57
  milk
• 9:57
  delivered,
• 9:58
  right?
• 9:59
  Which?
• 10:00
  Still
• 10:00
  ridiculous,
• 10:00
  but the
• 10:01
  milk
• 10:01
  delivery
• 10:02
  man
• 10:02
  industry
• 10:02
  was going
• 10:03
  like that.
• 10:04
  You know,
• 10:04
  retail
• 10:05
  buying
• 10:05
  your milk,
• 10:05
  and Tescos
• 10:06
  and other
• 10:06
  name
• 10:07
  brands was
• 10:07
  going like
• 10:08
  that, but
• 10:08
  we were
• 10:08
  persuading
• 10:09
  people to
• 10:09
  get their
• 10:09
  milk
• 10:10
  delivered,
• 10:10
  and that
• 10:10
  was very
• 10:11
  difficult,
• 10:12
  but I
• 10:12
  remember
• 10:13
  my very
• 10:14
  first day
• 10:15
  in a phone
• 10:16
  based
• 10:16
  role,
• 10:17
  literally
• 10:18
  given a
• 10:18
  phone book
• 10:20
  by a
• 10:21
  former
• 10:22
  mechanic
• 10:22
  who turned
• 10:23
  sales
• 10:23
  manager,
• 10:24
  and I
• 10:24
  remember
• 10:25
  that first
• 10:26
  dial that
• 10:26
  I made,
• 10:27
  and
• 10:27
  literally,
• 10:28
  I was
• 10:28
  shaking,
• 10:29
  right? And
• 10:30
  when that
• 10:30
  person
• 10:31
  picked up
• 10:31
  the phone,
• 10:31
  I hung up,
• 10:33
  I didn't
• 10:33
  even
• 10:33
  speak. I
• 10:33
  could not
• 10:34
  speak. I
• 10:34
  was so
• 10:35
  nervous,
• 10:36
  and that
• 10:37
  lasted for
• 10:37
  like, a
• 10:38
  week. And
• 10:39
  so it's
• 10:39
  actually
• 10:39
  interesting
• 10:40
  when I
• 10:40
  look at
• 10:41
  new SDRs
• 10:42
  or sales
• 10:42
  people
• 10:42
  starting
• 10:43
  now that
• 10:43
  crack on,
• 10:44
  and I
• 10:44
  think
• 10:44
  you've got
• 10:45
  no idea
• 10:45
  how scared
• 10:46
  I was and
• 10:46
  how crap I
• 10:47
  was in
• 10:47
  those
• 10:48
  first few
• 10:48
  weeks of
• 10:49
  phone
• 10:49
  based
• 10:49
  sales. And
• 10:50
  normally
• 10:50
  Mark Ackers: asked
• 10:51
  like, what
• 10:51
  point of
• 10:51
  your
• 10:51
  career
• 10:52
  rushes to
• 10:52
  the front
• 10:53
  of your
• 10:53
  mind? But
• 10:53
  it feels
• 10:54
  like
• 10:54
  that's the
• 10:54
  moment
• 10:55
  that sort
• 10:56
  of lives
• 10:56
  rent free
• 10:57
  in your
• 10:57
  head, so
• 10:57
  James Ski: to
• 10:57
  speak,
• 10:58
  completely.
• 10:58
  I mean, I
• 10:59
  was so
• 11:00
  nervous,
• 11:01
  so afraid,
• 11:03
  was
• 11:03
  getting,
• 11:04
  you know,
• 11:04
  tongue
• 11:04
  tied on
• 11:05
  all the
• 11:06
  conversations.
• 11:06
  Didn't
• 11:06
  know how
• 11:07
  to respond
• 11:07
  to people,
• 11:08
  didn't
• 11:09
  know what
• 11:09
  to say
• 11:09
  back,
• 11:10
  didn't
• 11:10
  know how
• 11:10
  to
• 11:10
  overcome
• 11:11
  objections.
• 11:11
  It was a
• 11:12
  car crash.
• 11:12
  Why didn't
• 11:13
  you just
• 11:14
  quit? I
• 11:14
  was very
• 11:15
  motivated
• 11:16
  to be in
• 11:17
  sales and
• 11:18
  in
• 11:18
  business
• 11:19
  for a very
• 11:19
  young age.
• 11:20
  I always
• 11:21
  had, I
• 11:21
  harbored
• 11:22
  an
• 11:22
  ambition
• 11:22
  to run my
• 11:23
  own
• 11:23
  company or
• 11:23
  companies,
• 11:24
  and I'd
• 11:25
  read a lot
• 11:25
  of
• 11:26
  biographies,
• 11:26
  a lot of
• 11:27
  self help
• 11:27
  books, a
• 11:28
  lot of get
• 11:28
  rich
• 11:28
  books, and
• 11:29
  every
• 11:30
  single one
• 11:30
  of those
• 11:31
  books
• 11:31
  pretty
• 11:31
  much said,
• 11:32
  you know,
• 11:33
  if you
• 11:33
  want to be
• 11:34
  successful
• 11:34
  in
• 11:34
  business,
• 11:35
  you need
• 11:35
  to be
• 11:35
  great at
• 11:36
  sales. So
• 11:37
  I wasn't
• 11:37
  going to
• 11:37
  let you
• 11:38
  know the
• 11:39
  anxiety or
• 11:39
  the pain
• 11:40
  of those
• 11:40
  initial
• 11:41
  weeks on
• 11:41
  the phone
• 11:42
  stopped me
• 11:42
  from
• 11:43
  pursuing
• 11:44
  what I was
• 11:44
  setting
• 11:44
  out to
• 11:45
  pursue.
• 11:45
  And also
• 11:46
  my
• 11:46
  background.
• 11:46
  I have a
• 11:46
  sporting
• 11:47
  background.
• 11:47
  I was a
• 11:48
  high
• 11:48
  performance
• 11:48
  rowing
• 11:49
  athlete,
• 11:49
  and you
• 11:50
  don't
• 11:50
  quit, you
• 11:50
  navigate
• 11:51
  overcome
• 11:51
  challenges,
• 11:52
  and you
• 11:52
  improve
• 11:53
  every
• 11:53
  single
• 11:54
  day, and
• 11:54
  you become
• 11:54
  the best
• 11:55
  version of
• 11:55
  yourself.
• 11:56
  And so
• 11:56
  even if
• 11:56
  you're
• 11:57
  crap
• 11:57
  today,
• 11:58
  like if
• 11:58
  you put in
• 11:58
  the work
• 11:59
  and you
• 11:59
  learn, you
• 12:00
  iterate,
• 12:00
  you can
• 12:01
  become
• 12:01
  great.
• 12:02
  Mark Ackers: Can
• 12:02
  I share
• 12:03
  why I'm so
• 12:03
  excited to
• 12:03
  have you
• 12:04
  as a guest
• 12:04
  today? Go
• 12:05
  on. You've
• 12:05
  been in
• 12:05
  sales for
• 12:06
  a long
• 12:06
  time.
• 12:07
  You've
• 12:07
  been
• 12:07
  there.
• 12:08
  You've
• 12:08
  done it.
• 12:08
  You've got
• 12:08
  your hands
• 12:09
  dirty.
• 12:09
  You've got
• 12:10
  experience
• 12:10
  of selling
• 12:11
  by the
• 12:12
  nature of
• 12:12
  your
• 12:12
  career.
• 12:13
  You've met
• 12:14
  a
• 12:14
  ridiculous
• 12:14
  amount of
• 12:15
  sales
• 12:15
  professionals
• 12:16
  and and
• 12:17
  leaders.
• 12:18
  You'd have
• 12:18
  heard the
• 12:18
  horror
• 12:19
  stories.
• 12:20
  You'd have
• 12:20
  seen the
• 12:21
  big
• 12:21
  success
• 12:21
  stories.
• 12:22
  You built
• 12:23
  sales
• 12:23
  community
• 12:24
  that was
• 12:24
  thriving,
• 12:25
  and then
• 12:25
  got hit by
• 12:26
  COVID, and
• 12:27
  then
• 12:27
  you've
• 12:27
  come out
• 12:27
  the other
• 12:28
  side of
• 12:28
  it, and
• 12:29
  you fly
• 12:29
  the flag,
• 12:30
  as I said
• 12:30
  in the
• 12:31
  intro for
• 12:31
  mental
• 12:32
  health,
• 12:32
  you also
• 12:33
  make me
• 12:33
  laugh a
• 12:34
  lot,
• 12:34
  right?
• 12:34
  Like the
• 12:34
  quick fire
• 12:35
  round was
• 12:35
  hilarious.
• 12:37
  And in
• 12:37
  this
• 12:37
  episode,
• 12:38
  what I
• 12:38
  really
• 12:38
  want to do
• 12:39
  is get to
• 12:39
  know how
• 12:40
  you manage
• 12:41
  those
• 12:41
  situations,
• 12:43
  the
• 12:43
  stories
• 12:43
  that
• 12:43
  you've
• 12:44
  learned
• 12:44
  stresses
• 12:45
  that come
• 12:46
  with a
• 12:46
  role. And
• 12:47
  I think
• 12:48
  anyone
• 12:48
  that's
• 12:48
  listening
• 12:49
  to this
• 12:49
  podcast
• 12:49
  now, like
• 12:50
  just has
• 12:51
  to stick
• 12:51
  around,
• 12:51
  because I
• 12:52
  know this
• 12:52
  is gonna
• 12:52
  be a good
• 12:53
  episode
• 12:53
  that is
• 12:54
  gonna be
• 12:54
  filled
• 12:55
  with like,
• 12:55
  highs and
• 12:56
  lows.
• 12:57
  Let's
• 12:57
  start with
• 12:58
  a bang,
• 12:58
  right?
• 12:59
  Let's hear
• 13:00
  some of
• 13:00
  your
• 13:00
  biggest
• 13:01
  howlers.
• 13:01
  First of
• 13:02
  all, if
• 13:02
  you just
• 13:02
  remember
• 13:03
  being a
• 13:04
  quota
• 13:04
  carrier at
• 13:05
  LinkedIn,
• 13:06
  there must
• 13:06
  be a
• 13:07
  Howler
• 13:07
  there.
• 13:07
  That's
• 13:08
  worth
• 13:08
  sharing.
• 13:08
  That's
• 13:08
  funny.
• 13:09
  Hello. I'm
• 13:09
  Mark the
• 13:10
  host of
• 13:10
  the I used
• 13:11
  to be crap
• 13:11
  at sales
• 13:12
  podcast.
• 13:12
  Thank you
• 13:13
  for
• 13:13
  listening.
• 13:13
  We called
• 13:14
  the
• 13:14
  podcast
• 13:14
  that
• 13:14
  because
• 13:15
  it's true
• 13:15
  and all of
• 13:16
  our guests
• 13:16
  say the
• 13:17
  same. As a
• 13:18
  sales
• 13:18
  leader,
• 13:18
  you would
• 13:19
  have been
• 13:19
  crap at
• 13:19
  sales
• 13:19
  once, no
• 13:20
  doubt, but
• 13:20
  that
• 13:20
  changed,
• 13:21
  and now
• 13:21
  you're
• 13:22
  responsible
• 13:22
  for a
• 13:22
  team. It's
• 13:23
  your job
• 13:23
  to help
• 13:24
  that team
• 13:24
  get to
• 13:25
  where you
• 13:25
  need to
• 13:25
  get them
• 13:26
  to, but
• 13:26
  also it's
• 13:26
  your job
• 13:27
  to develop
• 13:27
  and grow
• 13:28
  them as
• 13:28
  sales
• 13:28
  professionals.
• 13:29
  Here's the
• 13:29
  problem,
• 13:30
  you don't
• 13:30
  have the
• 13:30
  time. You
• 13:31
  are too
• 13:32
  busy with
• 13:32
  other
• 13:33
  competing
• 13:33
  priorities,
• 13:34
  and I get
• 13:34
  it, but
• 13:34
  that
• 13:35
  doesn't
• 13:35
  mean your
• 13:35
  sales team
• 13:36
  should
• 13:36
  miss out.
• 13:36
  It doesn't
• 13:37
  mean they
• 13:37
  shouldn't
• 13:37
  fulfill
• 13:38
  that
• 13:38
  potential
• 13:38
  and grow
• 13:39
  that's
• 13:39
  where we
• 13:40
  come in.
• 13:40
  If you'd
• 13:40
  be curious
• 13:41
  to hear
• 13:41
  about how
• 13:42
  we're
• 13:42
  working
• 13:42
  with
• 13:43
  organizations
• 13:44
  providing
• 13:44
  their team
• 13:45
  with
• 13:45
  expert
• 13:46
  coaching
• 13:46
  on a one
• 13:47
  to one
• 13:47
  basis, get
• 13:48
  in touch.
• 13:49
  Be happy
• 13:49
  to have a
• 13:49
  conversation.
• 13:50
  Well,
• 13:50
  James Ski: there's
• 13:50
  a couple
• 13:51
  of
• 13:51
  interesting
• 13:52
  anecdotes
• 13:52
  from my
• 13:52
  time at
• 13:53
  LinkedIn,
• 13:53
  so not
• 13:54
  many
• 13:54
  people
• 13:54
  know it,
• 13:55
  and it's
• 13:55
  actually
• 13:55
  the one of
• 13:56
  the few
• 13:57
  things
• 13:57
  that is
• 13:57
  not listed
• 13:58
  on my
• 13:58
  LinkedIn
• 13:59
  profile.
• 14:00
  But prior
• 14:00
  to
• 14:01
  LinkedIn,
• 14:01
  I worked
• 14:02
  at a SaaS
• 14:02
  company
• 14:03
  called
• 14:03
  huddle,
• 14:03
  which was
• 14:04
  a very
• 14:05
  well known
• 14:06
  British
• 14:07
  enterprise
• 14:08
  collaboration
• 14:08
  platform.
• 14:09
  It's kind
• 14:09
  of a
• 14:09
  competitor
• 14:10
  to Box or
• 14:11
  Dropbox.
• 14:11
  They
• 14:11
  became the
• 14:12
  success
• 14:12
  stories,
• 14:13
  and huddle
• 14:13
  did not
• 14:14
  but it was
• 14:14
  a great
• 14:15
  environment.
• 14:15
  I actually
• 14:16
  set up a
• 14:16
  company
• 14:17
  after I
• 14:17
  read Aaron
• 14:18
  Ross' book
• 14:18
  Predictable
• 14:19
  Revenue
• 14:19
  called
• 14:20
  outbound
• 14:20
  sales
• 14:20
  limited.
• 14:21
  That was
• 14:21
  my very
• 14:22
  first
• 14:22
  business.
• 14:23
  Started
• 14:23
  consulting
• 14:24
  companies,
• 14:25
  and it
• 14:26
  didn't go
• 14:26
  well. I
• 14:27
  ended up
• 14:28
  in
• 14:28
  hospital,
• 14:28
  had a
• 14:28
  breakdown,
• 14:29
  and then I
• 14:30
  joined
• 14:31
  LinkedIn.
• 14:31
  And so
• 14:32
  fortunately,
• 14:33
  LinkedIn
• 14:34
  is one of
• 14:34
  the best
• 14:35
  companies
• 14:35
  in the
• 14:35
  world, and
• 14:37
  I was
• 14:37
  depressed
• 14:38
  when I
• 14:38
  joined
• 14:38
  LinkedIn,
• 14:39
  and no one
• 14:39
  knew this
• 14:40
  at the
• 14:40
  time, but
• 14:40
  I was so
• 14:41
  depressed
• 14:41
  that when
• 14:42
  I was
• 14:43
  getting
• 14:43
  introduced
• 14:43
  to people,
• 14:44
  I was
• 14:44
  walking
• 14:45
  around
• 14:45
  LinkedIn
• 14:46
  offices,
• 14:47
  it was
• 14:48
  open floor
• 14:49
  plan each
• 14:49
  day. You
• 14:50
  could sit
• 14:51
  wherever
• 14:51
  you
• 14:51
  wanted, so
• 14:52
  everybody
• 14:52
  would mix
• 14:52
  it. I was
• 14:53
  so
• 14:53
  uncomfortable
• 14:54
  with that,
• 14:55
  because I
• 14:55
  had such
• 14:56
  high
• 14:56
  anxiety. I
• 14:56
  was so
• 14:57
  depressed
• 14:57
  that I
• 14:57
  would
• 14:57
  literally
• 14:58
  hide
• 14:58
  myself
• 14:59
  away from
• 14:59
  people. So
• 15:00
  I couldn't
• 15:00
  handle the
• 15:00
  interaction.
• 15:01
  So there
• 15:02
  was this
• 15:02
  real
• 15:03
  struggle
• 15:03
  for me for
• 15:04
  about six
• 15:04
  months.
• 15:05
  And one of
• 15:06
  the funny
• 15:06
  moments of
• 15:07
  that and,
• 15:09
  you know,
• 15:09
  people
• 15:09
  really
• 15:09
  don't talk
• 15:10
  about this
• 15:10
  in sales,
• 15:11
  but I
• 15:11
  remember
• 15:11
  literally
• 15:12
  leaving
• 15:13
  the office
• 15:13
  one day,
• 15:13
  calling my
• 15:14
  dad, and
• 15:14
  then I
• 15:15
  called my
• 15:15
  mom, and
• 15:15
  this is
• 15:16
  how it
• 15:16
  went. I
• 15:16
  called my
• 15:17
  dad, I
• 15:17
  said, Dad,
• 15:17
  I don't
• 15:17
  think I
• 15:18
  can handle
• 15:18
  this
• 15:18
  company,
• 15:19
  LinkedIn.
• 15:19
  It's too
• 15:20
  difficult.
• 15:21
  I don't
• 15:21
  know what
• 15:22
  I'm doing.
• 15:22
  It's not
• 15:23
  working.
• 15:24
  And His
• 15:25
  attitude
• 15:26
  was, like,
• 15:27
  you know,
• 15:27
  if you're
• 15:28
  not adding
• 15:28
  value, you
• 15:29
  need to go
• 15:30
  some Okay,
• 15:31
  fine, dad,
• 15:32
  you know,
• 15:32
  I called
• 15:33
  my mom, I
• 15:33
  said, Mom,
• 15:34
  like, you
• 15:36
  know, I
• 15:36
  really
• 15:36
  don't
• 15:37
  think I
• 15:37
  can do the
• 15:37
  job. And
• 15:39
  she's
• 15:39
  like,
• 15:39
  well, if
• 15:39
  you quit,
• 15:40
  how you
• 15:40
  gonna pay
• 15:40
  the bills,
• 15:41
  you know?
• 15:41
  So I had
• 15:42
  these two
• 15:42
  versions
• 15:43
  of
• 15:43
  stories,
• 15:43
  and
• 15:44
  luckily, I
• 15:44
  didn't
• 15:44
  take any
• 15:45
  of their
• 15:45
  advice, or
• 15:46
  I didn't
• 15:46
  quit, at
• 15:47
  least
• 15:47
  anyway. So
• 15:48
  that was
• 15:48
  like some,
• 15:49
  some kind
• 15:50
  of the
• 15:50
  pain side
• 15:51
  that I
• 15:52
  experienced.
• 15:53
  The other
• 15:53
  thing was
• 15:55
  this
• 15:55
  social
• 15:56
  selling
• 15:56
  index,
• 15:57
  right? I I
• 15:59
  made it my
• 15:59
  goal to
• 16:00
  become the
• 16:00
  number one
• 16:01
  at
• 16:02
  LinkedIn,
• 16:02
  on
• 16:02
  LinkedIn
• 16:03
  globally.
• 16:04
  And this
• 16:04
  is also
• 16:05
  annoys me
• 16:05
  slightly,
• 16:06
  because
• 16:07
  this is an
• 16:07
  ego
• 16:07
  talking
• 16:08
  thing now,
• 16:08
  but no one
• 16:09
  really
• 16:09
  talks
• 16:09
  about
• 16:09
  this,
• 16:09
  about me,
• 16:10
  like I was
• 16:10
  literally
• 16:11
  the number
• 16:11
  one on the
• 16:12
  planet at
• 16:13
  one point,
• 16:14
  and I set
• 16:14
  myself
• 16:15
  this goal
• 16:15
  to become
• 16:15
  number
• 16:16
  one. And I
• 16:17
  started,
• 16:17
  like in in
• 16:18
  the
• 16:18
  hundreds,
• 16:19
  and I'm up
• 16:19
  against
• 16:20
  all people
• 16:20
  that are
• 16:20
  in sales
• 16:21
  at
• 16:21
  LinkedIn.
• 16:21
  There's
• 16:22
  like, 3000
• 16:22
  people.
• 16:23
  And once I
• 16:23
  started to
• 16:24
  get into
• 16:24
  the top
• 16:24
  50, I
• 16:25
  started to
• 16:26
  call round
• 16:26
  the other
• 16:27
  people in
• 16:27
  the top
• 16:27
  50. So
• 16:28
  like, I
• 16:28
  would call
• 16:29
  the Dutch
• 16:29
  guy or the
• 16:30
  American
• 16:30
  guy say,
• 16:30
  Hey, my
• 16:31
  name is
• 16:31
  James key.
• 16:32
  I'm based
• 16:32
  in London.
• 16:33
  I want to
• 16:33
  get a
• 16:33
  score of
• 16:34
  97 out of
• 16:35
  100 How
• 16:36
  did you
• 16:36
  get to 90
• 16:37
  out of 100
• 16:37
  they're
• 16:38
  like, Oh,
• 16:38
  I've done
• 16:38
  this. Done
• 16:39
  this and
• 16:39
  this. So I
• 16:40
  used to
• 16:40
  hack away,
• 16:41
  and
• 16:41
  eventually
• 16:41
  I cracked
• 16:42
  the top
• 16:43
  10. And
• 16:44
  anyway,
• 16:44
  when you
• 16:44
  get into
• 16:45
  the top
• 16:45
  10, it's
• 16:46
  intense,
• 16:47
  because
• 16:47
  you're on
• 16:47
  LinkedIn
• 16:48
  all day,
• 16:48
  every day,
• 16:48
  posting
• 16:49
  content,
• 16:49
  trying to
• 16:50
  figure out
• 16:50
  the
• 16:50
  algorithm.
• 16:51
  So a
• 16:51
  couple of
• 16:52
  things I
• 16:52
  did. I
• 16:54
  found out
• 16:54
  that some
• 16:55
  of the top
• 16:55
  10 were no
• 16:56
  longer at
• 16:57
  LinkedIn,
• 16:58
  so I
• 16:58
  called the
• 16:59
  administrator,
• 16:59
  and I
• 17:00
  said,
• 17:00
  Listen,
• 17:01
  those two
• 17:01
  people
• 17:01
  don't work
• 17:02
  at
• 17:02
  LinkedIn
• 17:02
  anymore,
• 17:03
  so can you
• 17:03
  remove
• 17:04
  them? That
• 17:04
  bumped me
• 17:05
  a couple
• 17:05
  of places,
• 17:06
  right? So
• 17:06
  that was
• 17:06
  quite a
• 17:07
  funny one.
• 17:08
  And then
• 17:08
  we got
• 17:09
  into,
• 17:09
  like, the
• 17:09
  top five
• 17:10
  at this
• 17:10
  point. And
• 17:11
  I called
• 17:12
  all of
• 17:12
  them, and
• 17:13
  I said,
• 17:13
  Listen,
• 17:13
  I'm coming
• 17:14
  for you,
• 17:14
  like, I'm
• 17:15
  coming for
• 17:15
  number one
• 17:16
  spot, so
• 17:17
  you need
• 17:17
  to move
• 17:17
  aside. Let
• 17:18
  me know
• 17:18
  what's
• 17:18
  going on.
• 17:19
  Some of
• 17:19
  them, you
• 17:19
  know, took
• 17:20
  it in
• 17:20
  jazz. Some
• 17:20
  of them
• 17:21
  were like,
• 17:21
  No, that's
• 17:22
  not going
• 17:22
  to happen.
• 17:23
  Basically,
• 17:24
  completely
• 17:24
  figured
• 17:24
  out how to
• 17:25
  crack the
• 17:26
  code. I
• 17:27
  even tried
• 17:27
  to call
• 17:28
  the
• 17:28
  product
• 17:29
  team in
• 17:30
  the valley
• 17:31
  to find
• 17:32
  out what
• 17:32
  the
• 17:32
  algorithm
• 17:33
  was to get
• 17:33
  100. And
• 17:34
  basically
• 17:34
  someone
• 17:34
  told me,
• 17:35
  and don't
• 17:36
  you, Ryan,
• 17:36
  I don't
• 17:36
  know how
• 17:37
  close they
• 17:37
  were, but
• 17:38
  basically
• 17:38
  someone in
• 17:39
  product
• 17:39
  says you
• 17:39
  cannot get
• 17:40
  100 out
• 17:40
  100 we
• 17:41
  just don't
• 17:41
  allow it,
• 17:42
  so don't
• 17:42
  bother. So
• 17:43
  I kind of
• 17:44
  took that,
• 17:44
  and then
• 17:44
  eventually
• 17:46
  I became
• 17:46
  number
• 17:46
  one. And
• 17:47
  honestly,
• 17:47
  it was
• 17:48
  like
• 17:48
  winning an
• 17:48
  Olympic
• 17:49
  gold
• 17:49
  medal. I
• 17:50
  was so
• 17:50
  high,
• 17:51
  literally,
• 17:52
  I was
• 17:53
  buzzing.
• 17:54
  And we
• 17:54
  used to
• 17:55
  have
• 17:55
  scooters
• 17:55
  in the
• 17:56
  London
• 17:56
  office, so
• 17:57
  I jumped
• 17:57
  on the
• 17:57
  scooters
• 17:58
  and
• 17:58
  started,
• 17:58
  like,
• 17:58
  going
• 17:59
  around
• 17:59
  everyone
• 17:59
  telling
• 18:00
  them I'd
• 18:00
  made the
• 18:00
  number one
• 18:01
  spot. No
• 18:01
  one gave a
• 18:02
  shit. No
• 18:03
  one cared,
• 18:03
  literally,
• 18:03
  no one in
• 18:04
  my team,
• 18:04
  no one in
• 18:05
  London.
• 18:05
  They had
• 18:05
  no
• 18:05
  interest
• 18:06
  in it. I
• 18:07
  emailed
• 18:08
  the CEO of
• 18:08
  LinkedIn
• 18:09
  to tell
• 18:09
  him that
• 18:10
  I'd become
• 18:10
  number
• 18:10
  one. Jeff
• 18:11
  Weiner,
• 18:11
  didn't get
• 18:12
  response.
• 18:13
  I emailed
• 18:14
  all the
• 18:15
  executives.
• 18:16
  I got a
• 18:16
  few like
• 18:17
  responses
• 18:18
  from them.
• 18:19
  But I
• 18:19
  think what
• 18:20
  was, what,
• 18:21
  what's the
• 18:21
  takeaway
• 18:21
  from that?
• 18:22
  One, you
• 18:23
  know,
• 18:23
  achievement
• 18:25
  and
• 18:25
  success is
• 18:26
  really in
• 18:27
  the eye of
• 18:27
  the
• 18:28
  beholder,
• 18:28
  and it's
• 18:29
  what is,
• 18:30
  what
• 18:30
  matters to
• 18:30
  you, and
• 18:32
  that
• 18:32
  mattered
• 18:32
  to me, and
• 18:33
  it was
• 18:33
  important
• 18:33
  to me, and
• 18:34
  I achieved
• 18:34
  that goal,
• 18:35
  and I got
• 18:36
  personal
• 18:36
  satisfaction.
• 18:38
  But the
• 18:38
  other big
• 18:39
  lesson is,
• 18:40
  no one
• 18:40
  cares
• 18:41
  about your
• 18:41
  success,
• 18:42
  no one,
• 18:43
  not your
• 18:43
  parents,
• 18:44
  not your
• 18:44
  wife, not
• 18:45
  your kids,
• 18:46
  no one.
• 18:46
  You really
• 18:47
  have to
• 18:47
  define
• 18:48
  your own
• 18:49
  success
• 18:49
  pathways.
• 18:50
  Because
• 18:50
  when I got
• 18:51
  that goal
• 18:51
  and I was
• 18:52
  promoting
• 18:53
  it, it
• 18:54
  didn't
• 18:54
  matter to
• 18:54
  anyone.
• 18:55
  And then
• 18:56
  the other
• 18:56
  thing is,
• 18:57
  I got so
• 18:58
  hyper, and
• 18:58
  I'm
• 18:58
  bipolar,
• 18:59
  so it
• 18:59
  really
• 18:59
  didn't
• 19:00
  help that
• 19:00
  that year,
• 19:01
  you know,
• 19:01
  I was so
• 19:02
  buzzing of
• 19:03
  getting
• 19:03
  number
• 19:03
  one, I had
• 19:04
  like, a
• 19:05
  hyper
• 19:05
  manic
• 19:05
  episode,
• 19:06
  ended up
• 19:06
  in
• 19:06
  hospital.
• 19:07
  That was
• 19:07
  actually
• 19:07
  the year
• 19:08
  it was
• 19:08
  2016 that
• 19:09
  I first
• 19:09
  came to
• 19:10
  more Perth
• 19:11
  outside
• 19:11
  Newcastle.
• 19:12
  So it's
• 19:12
  kind of
• 19:12
  ironic
• 19:13
  that we're
• 19:13
  talking
• 19:13
  about it,
• 19:14
  because I
• 19:14
  was so
• 19:16
  happy, so
• 19:17
  buzzed off
• 19:18
  the back
• 19:18
  of it, and
• 19:19
  then it
• 19:19
  led to
• 19:19
  kind of
• 19:20
  other
• 19:20
  behaviors
• 19:21
  that you
• 19:22
  know,
• 19:22
  added a
• 19:22
  bit of a
• 19:23
  meltdown.
• 19:23
  So, you
• 19:23
  know, it's
• 19:24
  a bit of a
• 19:24
  long
• 19:24
  story, but
• 19:25
  a couple
• 19:25
  of
• 19:25
  experiences
• 19:27
  that I
• 19:27
  went
• 19:27
  through at
• 19:27
  LinkedIn,
• 19:28
  it's
• 19:28
  Mark Ackers: an
• 19:28
  incredible
• 19:29
  story for
• 19:30
  many
• 19:30
  reasons,
• 19:31
  right?
• 19:31
  Like the
• 19:31
  determination,
• 19:32
  the ways
• 19:34
  in which
• 19:35
  you seeked
• 19:36
  to get to
• 19:37
  the next
• 19:37
  level. And
• 19:39
  I think
• 19:40
  I'm always
• 19:41
  sad for
• 19:41
  you, like
• 19:41
  you say
• 19:41
  you didn't
• 19:42
  get that
• 19:42
  recognition
• 19:43
  that you
• 19:44
  wanted,
• 19:44
  but I also
• 19:45
  am pleased
• 19:46
  for you,
• 19:46
  because it
• 19:47
  meant more
• 19:48
  to you,
• 19:48
  and that
• 19:48
  feels like
• 19:49
  that's
• 19:49
  what
• 19:49
  mattered.
• 19:51
  Why that
• 19:52
  out of
• 19:52
  everything
• 19:52
  you could
• 19:53
  achieve?
• 19:53
  Why was
• 19:54
  that the
• 19:55
  thing that
• 19:55
  you sort
• 19:56
  of become
• 19:56
  obsessed
• 19:57
  with? You
• 19:57
  James Ski: know,
• 19:57
  I grew up
• 19:58
  in a an
• 19:58
  environment
• 19:59
  at my
• 19:59
  school.
• 20:00
  School. I
• 20:00
  grew up in
• 20:00
  Windsor. I
• 20:01
  went to a
• 20:01
  school
• 20:01
  called the
• 20:02
  Windsor
• 20:02
  Boys
• 20:02
  School,
• 20:03
  and
• 20:03
  they're a
• 20:03
  top
• 20:03
  performing
• 20:04
  rowing
• 20:04
  school.
• 20:05
  And you
• 20:06
  know, the
• 20:07
  philosophy
• 20:07
  there is
• 20:08
  that you
• 20:09
  train to
• 20:09
  become
• 20:09
  number
• 20:10
  one, you
• 20:10
  become the
• 20:11
  best of
• 20:12
  the best.
• 20:12
  And so it
• 20:13
  is
• 20:13
  instilled
• 20:14
  in me to
• 20:14
  want to be
• 20:14
  number one
• 20:15
  in any
• 20:15
  work
• 20:15
  environment
• 20:16
  or in
• 20:16
  business.
• 20:17
  In life,
• 20:18
  I'm
• 20:18
  actually
• 20:18
  much more
• 20:19
  chilled
• 20:19
  now. I
• 20:19
  don't
• 20:19
  really
• 20:20
  need to be
• 20:20
  number
• 20:20
  one. I'm
• 20:21
  comfortable,
• 20:22
  you know,
• 20:22
  sitting in
• 20:23
  the ranks
• 20:23
  or
• 20:23
  whatever.
• 20:24
  But back
• 20:25
  then, and
• 20:25
  when I was
• 20:26
  in my
• 20:26
  early
• 20:26
  stages of
• 20:27
  my career,
• 20:27
  when I was
• 20:28
  at
• 20:28
  LinkedIn,
• 20:28
  being
• 20:29
  number one
• 20:29
  was
• 20:29
  important.
• 20:30
  It wasn't
• 20:31
  easy to
• 20:31
  become
• 20:32
  number one
• 20:32
  global
• 20:33
  Biller,
• 20:33
  you know,
• 20:34
  like, and
• 20:35
  doing 10s
• 20:36
  of
• 20:36
  millions
• 20:36
  of dollar
• 20:36
  deals,
• 20:37
  there were
• 20:37
  some mega
• 20:37
  stars at
• 20:38
  LinkedIn,
• 20:39
  so it kind
• 20:39
  of felt
• 20:40
  like a way
• 20:40
  that I
• 20:40
  could get
• 20:41
  recognition.
• 20:42
  I think
• 20:42
  there's a
• 20:42
  part of me
• 20:43
  that likes
• 20:43
  to be
• 20:43
  obviously
• 20:45
  recognized
• 20:45
  for
• 20:45
  something.
• 20:46
  That's an
• 20:47
  ego thing.
• 20:47
  I like to
• 20:48
  be
• 20:48
  noticed. I
• 20:49
  like to be
• 20:49
  seen. I
• 20:50
  like
• 20:50
  attention.
• 20:51
  And it
• 20:51
  just felt
• 20:52
  like that
• 20:52
  was the
• 20:53
  way that I
• 20:54
  could show
• 20:56
  people
• 20:56
  that I'd
• 20:57
  overcome
• 20:57
  my
• 20:58
  challenge
• 20:59
  and I can
• 21:00
  achieve
• 21:00
  something.
• 21:00
  Do you
• 21:01
  know why
• 21:01
  it's
• 21:01
  actually
• 21:02
  it's hit
• 21:02
  me now, I
• 21:03
  think,
• 21:04
  having
• 21:04
  joined
• 21:05
  that
• 21:05
  company in
• 21:06
  this
• 21:06
  depressive
• 21:07
  episode,
• 21:08
  and no one
• 21:09
  knowing
• 21:09
  about it,
• 21:09
  I
• 21:10
  eventually
• 21:10
  came out
• 21:11
  and told
• 21:11
  people at
• 21:12
  LinkedIn
• 21:12
  that I had
• 21:12
  this
• 21:13
  bipolar
• 21:13
  disorder
• 21:13
  and I'd
• 21:14
  been in
• 21:14
  hospital.
• 21:15
  And
• 21:15
  LinkedIn
• 21:15
  were
• 21:15
  amazingly
• 21:16
  supportive,
• 21:17
  amazingly
• 21:18
  supportive.
• 21:18
  And I can
• 21:19
  just think
• 21:19
  back to my
• 21:20
  managers
• 21:20
  and HR and
• 21:21
  people
• 21:21
  there a
• 21:23
  lot of the
• 21:23
  time, the
• 21:24
  self
• 21:24
  stigma
• 21:25
  that you
• 21:25
  have
• 21:25
  around
• 21:25
  mental
• 21:26
  health, my
• 21:26
  kind of
• 21:27
  body armor
• 21:27
  is like,
• 21:28
  you know,
• 21:28
  what? I
• 21:29
  might have
• 21:29
  a mental
• 21:30
  illness,
• 21:30
  but if I'm
• 21:30
  number
• 21:31
  one, you
• 21:32
  can't
• 21:32
  challenge
• 21:32
  me. So I
• 21:33
  think
• 21:34
  there's a
• 21:34
  lot of
• 21:34
  like, you
• 21:35
  know, a
• 21:36
  part of me
• 21:37
  that feels
• 21:39
  upset that
• 21:40
  I have to
• 21:40
  live with
• 21:41
  this
• 21:41
  illness,
• 21:41
  but if I'm
• 21:42
  number
• 21:42
  one, or
• 21:43
  I'm
• 21:43
  recognized,
• 21:44
  or people
• 21:44
  know who I
• 21:44
  am for
• 21:45
  being
• 21:45
  great at
• 21:45
  something,
• 21:46
  then then
• 21:47
  they look
• 21:47
  past the
• 21:48
  bipolar
• 21:48
  part and
• 21:49
  think, Oh,
• 21:49
  he's fine.
• 21:49
  He's a
• 21:50
  good guy,
• 21:50
  and he's
• 21:50
  top of
• 21:51
  what he
• 21:51
  does. So I
• 21:52
  think I
• 21:52
  have this
• 21:52
  constant,
• 21:53
  like,
• 21:54
  motivation
• 21:55
  to
• 21:56
  outperform
• 21:57
  other
• 21:57
  peoples
• 21:57
  and show
• 21:58
  myself as
• 21:58
  a
• 21:59
  successful
• 22:00
  person.
• 22:01
  Because I
• 22:01
  guess a
• 22:01
  part of me
• 22:02
  doesn't
• 22:03
  feel like
• 22:03
  that, you
• 22:03
  know, like
• 22:04
  feels like
• 22:05
  I'm
• 22:05
  different,
• 22:06
  and feels
• 22:06
  like I
• 22:07
  have this,
• 22:08
  you know,
• 22:08
  illness,
• 22:09
  that means
• 22:10
  that I've
• 22:10
  caused my
• 22:11
  family and
• 22:12
  my kids
• 22:12
  and other
• 22:13
  people
• 22:13
  challenges,
• 22:14
  and no one
• 22:15
  really
• 22:15
  knows that
• 22:15
  other than
• 22:16
  me. You
• 22:16
  know
• 22:17
  what's
• 22:17
  happened?
• 22:17
  And yes, I
• 22:18
  do talk
• 22:18
  about it
• 22:19
  publicly,
• 22:19
  but I
• 22:21
  think, you
• 22:21
  know, it's
• 22:22
  a, it's a
• 22:22
  good way
• 22:23
  to kind of
• 22:23
  protect
• 22:24
  myself, to
• 22:24
  say, Yeah,
• 22:24
  I'm
• 22:25
  bipolar.
• 22:25
  But by the
• 22:25
  way, I'm
• 22:26
  the best
• 22:26
  at what I
• 22:26
  do. So,
• 22:27
  you know,
• 22:28
  don't dig
• 22:28
  me out for
• 22:28
  being
• 22:29
  bipolar.
• 22:29
  Or, you
• 22:30
  know, if
• 22:30
  you look
• 22:30
  at media,
• 22:31
  and you
• 22:31
  look at
• 22:32
  TV, and
• 22:33
  you look
• 22:33
  at film,
• 22:34
  and you
• 22:34
  see some
• 22:35
  of these
• 22:35
  bipolar
• 22:36
  characters,
• 22:36
  and it's
• 22:37
  extreme,
• 22:37
  and so
• 22:38
  when
• 22:38
  people
• 22:39
  hear I'm
• 22:39
  bipolar,
• 22:39
  they
• 22:40
  immediately
• 22:40
  say, well,
• 22:41
  he's
• 22:41
  probably
• 22:41
  like that
• 22:42
  guy, or he
• 22:42
  must be
• 22:43
  like my
• 22:43
  uncle, or
• 22:44
  on me. It
• 22:44
  doesn't
• 22:44
  matter.
• 22:45
  We're all
• 22:45
  individual,
• 22:46
  you know,
• 22:46
  like, it
• 22:46
  doesn't
• 22:47
  matter who
• 22:47
  you are,
• 22:47
  what your
• 22:47
  background
• 22:48
  is, we're
• 22:49
  all
• 22:49
  individuals.
• 22:50
  And, you
• 22:52
  know,
• 22:52
  that's
• 22:52
  just
• 22:52
  probably
• 22:53
  something
• 22:53
  that's
• 22:53
  driven me.
• 22:54
  There's
• 22:55
  lots to
• 22:55
  break down
• 22:56
  there.
• 22:57
  Mark Ackers: First
• 22:57
  of all,
• 22:57
  just
• 22:58
  applaud
• 22:58
  the
• 22:58
  honesty. I
• 22:59
  think the
• 23:00
  thing that
• 23:00
  I'm sort
• 23:01
  of picking
• 23:01
  out from
• 23:02
  that, like
• 23:02
  the
• 23:02
  themes,
• 23:03
  is, is
• 23:03
  that need
• 23:05
  for
• 23:05
  approval,
• 23:06
  is that
• 23:07
  feeling
• 23:07
  like you
• 23:08
  have
• 23:08
  something
• 23:08
  to prove,
• 23:09
  and it
• 23:09
  feels like
• 23:10
  you've had
• 23:10
  that as
• 23:11
  far back
• 23:12
  as you can
• 23:12
  remember,
• 23:13
  um, but
• 23:14
  also you
• 23:15
  said
• 23:15
  you're far
• 23:15
  more
• 23:16
  chilled
• 23:16
  now it
• 23:16
  doesn't
• 23:17
  affect you
• 23:17
  as much.
• 23:18
  What's
• 23:18
  changed?
• 23:19
  Well,
• 23:19
  James Ski: I'm
• 23:19
  37 now,
• 23:21
  you know,
• 23:21
  last time
• 23:21
  I was in
• 23:22
  hospital
• 23:22
  was four
• 23:23
  years ago,
• 23:24
  COVID
• 23:24
  happened.
• 23:25
  I think
• 23:25
  that
• 23:25
  impacted a
• 23:26
  lot of
• 23:26
  people,
• 23:27
  quite a
• 23:27
  few things
• 23:27
  I wanted
• 23:28
  to achieve
• 23:29
  when I was
• 23:30
  a teenager
• 23:30
  or in my
• 23:31
  20s. And I
• 23:33
  feel like
• 23:33
  I've had a
• 23:33
  pretty
• 23:34
  good life.
• 23:34
  And I
• 23:36
  think I've
• 23:36
  also
• 23:37
  achieved,
• 23:38
  sorry,
• 23:38
  I've also
• 23:39
  not
• 23:39
  achieved a
• 23:40
  lot of
• 23:40
  things,
• 23:41
  and I've
• 23:41
  realized
• 23:42
  that that
• 23:42
  doesn't
• 23:42
  matter
• 23:43
  either.
• 23:44
  And, you
• 23:45
  know,
• 23:45
  getting
• 23:46
  your
• 23:46
  number,
• 23:47
  you know,
• 23:47
  for the
• 23:48
  year, is
• 23:49
  nice, but
• 23:49
  it doesn't
• 23:50
  matter.
• 23:51
  You know,
• 23:51
  like
• 23:51
  getting
• 23:52
  that next
• 23:53
  car is
• 23:53
  nice, but
• 23:54
  it doesn't
• 23:55
  matter.
• 23:55
  Like, I
• 23:56
  think I'm
• 23:56
  just, I
• 23:57
  just value
• 23:58
  people,
• 23:58
  relationships,
• 23:59
  experiences,
• 24:01
  my
• 24:02
  children,
• 24:04
  you know,
• 24:04
  health
• 24:05
  much more.
• 24:06
  Whereas I
• 24:06
  think I
• 24:07
  came from
• 24:07
  a very
• 24:08
  black and
• 24:09
  white
• 24:09
  mindset
• 24:10
  that it
• 24:10
  was
• 24:11
  winning or
• 24:12
  nothing,
• 24:13
  or it was
• 24:14
  hitting
• 24:14
  120% of
• 24:15
  target or
• 24:16
  nothing,
• 24:16
  or it was
• 24:16
  earning
• 24:17
  100k a
• 24:17
  year, or I
• 24:18
  wasn't
• 24:18
  good
• 24:18
  enough,
• 24:19
  and I'm
• 24:19
  just not
• 24:20
  like that
• 24:20
  anymore.
• 24:20
  Like, do I
• 24:21
  believe in
• 24:22
  my head
• 24:23
  that I'm
• 24:23
  going to
• 24:23
  continue
• 24:24
  to grow,
• 24:24
  develop,
• 24:25
  be
• 24:25
  extremely
• 24:26
  successful,
• 24:27
  and, you
• 24:28
  know,
• 24:28
  achieve my
• 24:29
  dreams? I
• 24:29
  do, but if
• 24:31
  I don't,
• 24:31
  it's not
• 24:31
  going to
• 24:32
  bother me.
• 24:32
  Do you
• 24:33
  believe
• 24:33
  that it
• 24:33
  won't
• 24:34
  bother
• 24:34
  you? No,
• 24:35
  honestly.
• 24:35
  I mean,
• 24:36
  like, in
• 24:36
  the sense
• 24:37
  that,
• 24:38
  like, I'll
• 24:39
  be fine,
• 24:40
  like, I'm
• 24:40
  not going
• 24:41
  to be
• 24:41
  depressed,
• 24:41
  right? If,
• 24:42
  is what I
• 24:42
  mean. You
• 24:43
  know,
• 24:43
  let's say
• 24:44
  I don't
• 24:44
  know which
• 24:45
  is one of
• 24:46
  my goals,
• 24:46
  you know,
• 24:46
  one of my
• 24:47
  goals is
• 24:48
  to get
• 24:48
  sales
• 24:48
  confidence
• 24:49
  to its
• 24:49
  first
• 24:50
  million,
• 24:50
  and then I
• 24:50
  want to
• 24:51
  get it to
• 24:51
  5 million,
• 24:52
  and I want
• 24:52
  to get to
• 24:53
  10. It
• 24:53
  would
• 24:53
  bother me
• 24:54
  that if I
• 24:55
  can't do
• 24:55
  that, but
• 24:56
  I'll just
• 24:57
  move on,
• 24:57
  like, I'll
• 24:57
  do
• 24:58
  something
• 24:58
  else.
• 24:58
  Mark Ackers: Do
• 24:58
  you think
• 24:59
  your. It
• 25:00
  in you to
• 25:00
  know when
• 25:01
  enough is
• 25:01
  enough. I
• 25:02
  James Ski: do
• 25:03
  think now
• 25:04
  I do
• 25:04
  again. I
• 25:05
  wouldn't
• 25:05
  if you
• 25:06
  asked me
• 25:06
  that
• 25:06
  question
• 25:06
  five years
• 25:07
  ago. No, I
• 25:07
  was
• 25:07
  clueless.
• 25:08
  I didn't
• 25:08
  really
• 25:08
  know, you
• 25:09
  know, it
• 25:09
  was all
• 25:10
  like,
• 25:10
  anything's
• 25:10
  possible.
• 25:11
  There's no
• 25:12
  limit on
• 25:12
  anything.
• 25:13
  Just keep
• 25:13
  going more
• 25:14
  more more.
• 25:14
  I really
• 25:15
  don't feel
• 25:16
  like that.
• 25:16
  I honestly
• 25:17
  do a lot
• 25:17
  of this
• 25:17
  for fun.
• 25:18
  Like, I
• 25:19
  like
• 25:19
  working
• 25:19
  hard, I
• 25:20
  like
• 25:20
  achieving.
• 25:21
  I like
• 25:21
  making
• 25:21
  money. I
• 25:22
  like
• 25:22
  sales. I
• 25:23
  like
• 25:23
  closing
• 25:23
  deals. You
• 25:24
  know, as
• 25:24
  long as I
• 25:25
  can
• 25:26
  sustain my
• 25:27
  family and
• 25:27
  my some of
• 25:28
  my
• 25:28
  personal
• 25:29
  ambitions,
• 25:30
  like, it's
• 25:32
  a game,
• 25:32
  really,
• 25:32
  isn't it?
• 25:33
  Like, it's
• 25:33
  just a
• 25:34
  score
• 25:34
  card, you
• 25:35
  know, a
• 25:35
  million of
• 25:36
  this or 10
• 25:37
  million of
• 25:37
  that, what
• 25:38
  does it
• 25:38
  really
• 25:38
  mean?
• 25:38
  Like, it
• 25:40
  doesn't
• 25:40
  mean
• 25:40
  anything.
• 25:41
  So I just
• 25:42
  think,
• 25:42
  like, it's
• 25:43
  just, it's
• 25:44
  part of
• 25:44
  the game.
• 25:44
  And like,
• 25:45
  yeah, I
• 25:45
  would like
• 25:46
  to be able
• 25:46
  to, you
• 25:47
  know, add
• 25:48
  that onto
• 25:48
  my
• 25:49
  LinkedIn,
• 25:49
  CV,
• 25:50
  whatever.
• 25:50
  But if I
• 25:51
  don't, I
• 25:51
  don't feel
• 25:52
  any I
• 25:52
  don't
• 25:52
  think I'm
• 25:53
  a bad
• 25:54
  person or
• 25:54
  worse, or
• 25:55
  didn't
• 25:55
  achieve
• 25:55
  anything,
• 25:56
  I'm just
• 25:56
  trying my
• 25:57
  best. Is
• 25:58
  Mark Ackers: that,
• 25:58
  because
• 25:58
  you've
• 25:58
  realized
• 25:59
  no one
• 26:00
  else
• 26:00
  cares.
• 26:02
  James Ski: That's
• 26:02
  the bottom
• 26:03
  line. You
• 26:04
  know, it
• 26:04
  no one
• 26:05
  does care.
• 26:06
  And it's
• 26:06
  really,
• 26:08
  you know,
• 26:08
  quite
• 26:08
  harsh, but
• 26:09
  it doesn't
• 26:10
  so what
• 26:10
  matters to
• 26:11
  me,
• 26:11
  therefore,
• 26:11
  is all
• 26:12
  those
• 26:12
  things I
• 26:12
  just said,
• 26:13
  and, and,
• 26:15
  you know,
• 26:15
  from a
• 26:15
  point in
• 26:16
  time, you
• 26:17
  know, the
• 26:17
  money
• 26:18
  matters,
• 26:18
  and then
• 26:18
  it doesn't
• 26:19
  matter,
• 26:19
  like, you
• 26:19
  just move
• 26:20
  on, like I
• 26:21
  said, it's
• 26:21
  a game,
• 26:21
  it's the
• 26:22
  levels.
• 26:22
  It's like,
• 26:23
  I don't
• 26:23
  know what
• 26:24
  games you
• 26:24
  played
• 26:25
  growing
• 26:25
  up, I used
• 26:25
  to play
• 26:26
  like Tomb
• 26:26
  Raider, or
• 26:27
  like Grand
• 26:28
  Theft
• 26:28
  Auto, or
• 26:29
  the these
• 26:30
  strategic
• 26:30
  games
• 26:30
  where you
• 26:31
  had to get
• 26:31
  to the
• 26:32
  next
• 26:32
  level.
• 26:33
  Once you
• 26:33
  complete a
• 26:34
  game, you
• 26:34
  just move
• 26:35
  on to the
• 26:35
  next game.
• 26:36
  And if you
• 26:36
  don't, you
• 26:37
  just quit
• 26:37
  or you do
• 26:38
  something
• 26:38
  different.
• 26:39
  Like, it's
• 26:39
  just, I
• 26:40
  don't
• 26:40
  know, it's
• 26:40
  just like
• 26:41
  fluidity
• 26:41
  of life,
• 26:42
  isn't it?
• 26:42
  It just
• 26:43
  everything
• 26:43
  moves on.
• 26:44
  I think
• 26:44
  that is
• 26:44
  also quite
• 26:45
  sad, isn't
• 26:45
  it? You
• 26:46
  know, they
• 26:46
  always
• 26:46
  say, oh,
• 26:46
  you know,
• 26:47
  when you
• 26:47
  lose
• 26:48
  someone,
• 26:48
  oh, well,
• 26:48
  you know,
• 26:49
  you've got
• 26:49
  to get on
• 26:49
  with it. I
• 26:50
  think, oh,
• 26:50
  that's
• 26:50
  bits like,
• 26:51
  No, I
• 26:51
  don't want
• 26:52
  you to get
• 26:52
  if I die.
• 26:52
  I don't
• 26:53
  want you
• 26:53
  to get on
• 26:54
  with it. I
• 26:54
  want you
• 26:54
  to, you
• 26:55
  know,
• 26:55
  grieve me
• 26:56
  forever.
• 26:56
  But that's
• 26:57
  not
• 26:57
  reality.
• 26:57
  You just
• 26:58
  got to get
• 26:59
  on with
• 26:59
  it. So I
• 26:59
  think
• 27:00
  that's
• 27:00
  probably
• 27:00
  my
• 27:01
  philosophy
• 27:01
  nowadays
• 27:02
  Mark Ackers: when
• 27:02
  you talk
• 27:02
  about
• 27:03
  forever,
• 27:03
  and that,
• 27:03
  I think
• 27:04
  forever,
• 27:04
  for most
• 27:05
  people, is
• 27:05
  like 100
• 27:06
  years. I
• 27:06
  think when
• 27:07
  you think
• 27:07
  about,
• 27:07
  like deep
• 27:08
  time,
• 27:09
  James Ski: billion
• 27:10
  years,
• 27:11
  whatever,
• 27:11
  there is
• 27:12
  no end.
• 27:12
  There's no
• 27:12
  end, this
• 27:13
  is it.
• 27:13
  Mark Ackers: There'll
• 27:13
  be a point
• 27:14
  in time
• 27:14
  where your
• 27:15
  name is
• 27:16
  never said
• 27:16
  again. You
• 27:17
  never
• 27:17
  thought of
• 27:18
  again. I
• 27:19
  can tell
• 27:19
  where your
• 27:20
  face, I
• 27:20
  feel like
• 27:20
  that's
• 27:21
  bothering
• 27:21
  you a
• 27:21
  little
• 27:22
  bit, and I
• 27:22
  can see
• 27:23
  why it's
• 27:23
  getting
• 27:24
  comfortable,
• 27:24
  that isn't
• 27:25
  it. And I
• 27:25
  think
• 27:26
  realizing
• 27:26
  that no
• 27:27
  one else
• 27:27
  cares,
• 27:27
  it's about
• 27:28
  what you
• 27:29
  want to
• 27:29
  achieve
• 27:29
  and making
• 27:31
  the most
• 27:31
  of the
• 27:31
  friendships
• 27:32
  you've
• 27:32
  got.
• 27:32
  Obviously,
• 27:33
  your
• 27:33
  children,
• 27:34
  your
• 27:34
  family up
• 27:35
  to see
• 27:35
  your dad
• 27:35
  this
• 27:36
  weekend.
• 27:36
  It's about
• 27:36
  making the
• 27:37
  most of
• 27:37
  now and
• 27:38
  getting
• 27:38
  too
• 27:39
  wrapped up
• 27:39
  in the
• 27:39
  game. So
• 27:40
  you gotta
• 27:40
  be able to
• 27:40
  put the
• 27:41
  game down.
• 27:41
  And, and
• 27:41
  that's
• 27:42
  James Ski: another
• 27:42
  thing I
• 27:42
  used to
• 27:43
  be. I
• 27:45
  mean, even
• 27:45
  jokes, I
• 27:45
  think, in
• 27:46
  the Quick
• 27:46
  Fire,
• 27:46
  like, you
• 27:47
  know,
• 27:47
  what's my
• 27:48
  alternative
• 27:48
  to what I
• 27:49
  used to
• 27:49
  be, that
• 27:49
  guy that
• 27:50
  would work
• 27:50
  seven days
• 27:51
  a week,
• 27:51
  right? And
• 27:52
  I really
• 27:53
  didn't
• 27:53
  have a
• 27:54
  purpose
• 27:54
  outside of
• 27:55
  that. And
• 27:57
  I would
• 27:57
  always
• 27:58
  say, I
• 27:58
  enjoy it
• 27:59
  and, and I
• 28:00
  did, like,
• 28:01
  I didn't
• 28:01
  bother me,
• 28:01
  and it got
• 28:02
  me
• 28:03
  accelerated
• 28:03
  my career
• 28:04
  and my
• 28:04
  earnings
• 28:04
  and stuff
• 28:05
  like that.
• 28:05
  But there
• 28:06
  is more to
• 28:07
  business
• 28:08
  and life
• 28:08
  and
• 28:08
  success,
• 28:09
  you know,
• 28:09
  I do it.
• 28:09
  For me, it
• 28:10
  all
• 28:10
  integrates,
• 28:10
  you know,
• 28:11
  like,
• 28:11
  today's
• 28:11
  been fun,
• 28:13
  it's been
• 28:13
  business,
• 28:13
  it's been
• 28:14
  friendship,
• 28:14
  and then
• 28:15
  I'll see
• 28:15
  my dad
• 28:15
  later and
• 28:16
  his wife
• 28:16
  like so
• 28:18
  for me,
• 28:18
  that's the
• 28:19
  freedom of
• 28:19
  being a
• 28:19
  business
• 28:20
  owner. Is
• 28:20
  that you
• 28:21
  can choose
• 28:21
  where you
• 28:22
  want to
• 28:22
  be, where
• 28:22
  you want
• 28:23
  to go, who
• 28:23
  you want
• 28:23
  to
• 28:24
  interact
• 28:24
  with, and
• 28:25
  I think
• 28:25
  that is
• 28:26
  like a
• 28:26
  real
• 28:27
  that's
• 28:27
  priceless.
• 28:28
  That's
• 28:28
  like that
• 28:29
  priceless
• 28:29
  experience.
• 28:30
  But what I
• 28:31
  definitely
• 28:31
  have
• 28:31
  realized,
• 28:32
  especially
• 28:32
  spending
• 28:33
  time in
• 28:33
  mental
• 28:33
  health
• 28:34
  hospitals,
• 28:34
  is that it
• 28:35
  really
• 28:35
  doesn't
• 28:35
  matter if
• 28:37
  you're
• 28:37
  wearing
• 28:37
  Hugo Boss,
• 28:38
  or you
• 28:39
  know
• 28:39
  you've got
• 28:39
  a petite
• 28:40
  Philippe
• 28:40
  watch or,
• 28:41
  you know,
• 28:42
  you're at
• 28:42
  the Monaco
• 28:43
  Grand
• 28:43
  Prix, or
• 28:43
  you're
• 28:44
  watching
• 28:44
  the TV the
• 28:46
  Grand Prix
• 28:46
  on Monaco.
• 28:47
  So, like,
• 28:47
  one of my
• 28:47
  life goals
• 28:48
  was to go
• 28:48
  to Monaco.
• 28:49
  I've been.
• 28:49
  It is
• 28:49
  incredible.
• 28:50
  I want to
• 28:50
  go again.
• 28:51
  But
• 28:51
  actually,
• 28:51
  you can
• 28:51
  watch the
• 28:52
  whole of
• 28:52
  Monaco at
• 28:53
  home, and
• 28:53
  most
• 28:53
  people
• 28:54
  have got
• 28:54
  access to
• 28:54
  a TV, or
• 28:55
  can find a
• 28:55
  TV. So,
• 28:57
  you know,
• 28:57
  really,
• 28:59
  it's just
• 29:00
  finding a
• 29:00
  way to
• 29:01
  enjoy life
• 29:02
  experiences,
• 29:03
  isn't it,
• 29:04
  but you
• 29:04
  have to
• 29:04
  choose
• 29:05
  those life
• 29:05
  experiences,
• 29:07
  and you
• 29:07
  have to
• 29:07
  decide
• 29:08
  what
• 29:08
  matters to
• 29:09
  you,
• 29:09
  because
• 29:09
  again,
• 29:11
  what you
• 29:12
  do, what
• 29:12
  you
• 29:12
  experience,
• 29:13
  doesn't
• 29:13
  matter to
• 29:14
  anyone
• 29:14
  else.
• 29:14
  Mark Ackers: So
• 29:14
  I really
• 29:15
  enjoyed
• 29:15
  that sort
• 29:16
  of passage
• 29:17
  of
• 29:17
  conversation.
• 29:18
  We just
• 29:18
  had feel
• 29:19
  like we
• 29:19
  didn't get
• 29:19
  the
• 29:20
  Howler.
• 29:20
  Let's talk
• 29:21
  about,
• 29:22
  look, you
• 29:22
  run events
• 29:23
  business,
• 29:24
  right?
• 29:24
  That must
• 29:25
  just come
• 29:26
  with so
• 29:27
  many
• 29:27
  opportunities
• 29:28
  to muck up
• 29:29
  right
• 29:29
  events.
• 29:29
  Tell us a
• 29:30
  couple of
• 29:30
  stories.
• 29:31
  Well,
• 29:31
  there
• 29:31
  James Ski: is
• 29:31
  one, and
• 29:32
  you, you
• 29:32
  were
• 29:32
  there. So
• 29:34
  the very
• 29:34
  first SAS
• 29:35
  growth
• 29:35
  conference
• 29:36
  we did at
• 29:36
  the
• 29:37
  Olympic
• 29:37
  Park, I
• 29:38
  didn't
• 29:38
  think
• 29:38
  you'd tell
• 29:39
  this
• 29:39
  story.
• 29:39
  This is
• 29:39
  really
• 29:40
  funny.
• 29:40
  I've got
• 29:41
  to and the
• 29:43
  stress of
• 29:44
  putting on
• 29:44
  an event
• 29:45
  is insane.
• 29:48
  There are
• 29:48
  so many
• 29:49
  moving
• 29:49
  parts, the
• 29:49
  speakers,
• 29:50
  the
• 29:50
  attendees,
• 29:51
  the
• 29:51
  sponsors,
• 29:52
  the venue,
• 29:53
  the food,
• 29:54
  the
• 29:54
  logistics,
• 29:55
  it is an
• 29:55
  incredible
• 29:56
  amount to
• 29:57
  manage.
• 29:58
  And you
• 29:59
  know, at.
• 30:00
  This
• 30:00
  particular
• 30:00
  event, we
• 30:01
  had an AV
• 30:01
  set up,
• 30:02
  managing
• 30:03
  the the
• 30:05
  site and
• 30:05
  the
• 30:05
  presentations
• 30:06
  for the
• 30:07
  speakers,
• 30:08
  and just
• 30:08
  as I was
• 30:09
  walking on
• 30:09
  stage to
• 30:11
  open up
• 30:12
  the event,
• 30:12
  everyone
• 30:13
  in the
• 30:14
  audience
• 30:14
  started
• 30:15
  laughing
• 30:15
  hysterically,
• 30:16
  and I
• 30:17
  didn't
• 30:17
  know why,
• 30:18
  but what I
• 30:19
  didn't
• 30:20
  realize is
• 30:20
  that the
• 30:21
  AV guy's
• 30:21
  laptop
• 30:22
  that was
• 30:22
  connected
• 30:22
  to the big
• 30:23
  screen,
• 30:23
  his Porn
• 30:24
  was coming
• 30:25
  up on the
• 30:25
  screen
• 30:26
  behind me.
• 30:27
  And so
• 30:28
  someone
• 30:28
  points it
• 30:28
  out to me
• 30:29
  on the
• 30:29
  stage. I
• 30:30
  get
• 30:30
  flustered.
• 30:30
  Everyone
• 30:31
  start, I'm
• 30:31
  like, It's
• 30:32
  not me.
• 30:32
  And
• 30:32
  everyone's
• 30:33
  like, of
• 30:33
  course,
• 30:33
  it's your
• 30:33
  porn. And,
• 30:35
  you know,
• 30:35
  so that
• 30:36
  completely
• 30:36
  broke the
• 30:37
  ice for
• 30:38
  that, that
• 30:38
  event, and
• 30:40
  that was,
• 30:40
  you know,
• 30:41
  it turned
• 30:41
  out to be
• 30:42
  very
• 30:42
  funny, and
• 30:43
  that was
• 30:43
  quite an
• 30:43
  interesting
• 30:44
  moment.
• 30:46
  You know,
• 30:46
  I've had
• 30:46
  events
• 30:47
  where, you
• 30:48
  know,
• 30:48
  speakers
• 30:49
  have not
• 30:49
  turned up,
• 30:50
  like I've
• 30:51
  had events
• 30:52
  where the
• 30:53
  very, very
• 30:53
  first
• 30:54
  sales
• 30:54
  confidence
• 30:55
  event was
• 30:56
  supposed
• 30:56
  to be
• 30:56
  held. And
• 30:57
  I've got a
• 30:57
  bug bear
• 30:58
  at this.
• 30:58
  So I'm
• 30:58
  going to
• 30:58
  say it was
• 30:59
  supposed
• 30:59
  to be held
• 31:00
  at
• 31:00
  LinkedIn
• 31:01
  office in
• 31:01
  London.
• 31:01
  While I
• 31:02
  was still
• 31:02
  working at
• 31:03
  LinkedIn
• 31:04
  for
• 31:04
  various
• 31:04
  reasons,
• 31:05
  politically,
• 31:05
  24 hours
• 31:06
  before the
• 31:07
  event, I
• 31:07
  was told
• 31:08
  that I
• 31:09
  wasn't
• 31:09
  allowed to
• 31:09
  go ahead,
• 31:10
  and I had
• 31:10
  100 people
• 31:11
  coming,
• 31:13
  and I had
• 31:14
  no venue,
• 31:15
  so I had
• 31:15
  to call
• 31:15
  round and
• 31:16
  hustle,
• 31:17
  and I
• 31:17
  found a
• 31:18
  venue down
• 31:18
  the road.
• 31:19
  So I had
• 31:19
  to inform
• 31:20
  everybody
• 31:20
  that was
• 31:21
  coming to
• 31:21
  the
• 31:21
  LinkedIn
• 31:22
  HQ in
• 31:22
  London to
• 31:22
  go London
• 31:23
  to go to
• 31:23
  this other
• 31:24
  venue.
• 31:24
  Anyway, we
• 31:24
  got to
• 31:25
  that
• 31:25
  venue. And
• 31:26
  the reason
• 31:26
  why it was
• 31:27
  available
• 31:27
  24 hours,
• 31:28
  with 24
• 31:29
  hours
• 31:29
  notice, is
• 31:30
  there was
• 31:30
  a
• 31:30
  pneumatic
• 31:31
  drilling
• 31:31
  going
• 31:31
  outside.
• 31:32
  So if you
• 31:33
  watch the
• 31:33
  very first
• 31:33
  sales,
• 31:34
  confidence
• 31:34
  events
• 31:35
  event on
• 31:36
  YouTube,
• 31:37
  all you
• 31:37
  hear is
• 31:37
  drilling
• 31:38
  over the
• 31:38
  speakers,
• 31:38
  you know.
• 31:39
  So I've
• 31:39
  had
• 31:39
  examples
• 31:40
  of really
• 31:41
  bad food.
• 31:41
  Take the
• 31:42
  COVID. I
• 31:43
  put 25,000
• 31:44
  pounds
• 31:44
  deposit on
• 31:45
  1000
• 31:46
  person
• 31:47
  venue.
• 31:47
  COVID hit
• 31:48
  I lost my
• 31:48
  deposit.
• 31:50
  You know,
• 31:51
  there is
• 31:52
  been
• 31:53
  absolute
• 31:54
  hell at
• 31:55
  times. And
• 31:56
  you know,
• 31:56
  people
• 31:56
  come in
• 31:57
  like, I
• 31:58
  don't
• 31:58
  know, or
• 31:59
  late, or
• 31:59
  they on
• 32:00
  the day,
• 32:01
  like, Oh,
• 32:01
  can I sort
• 32:02
  out my
• 32:02
  mate? And
• 32:03
  I don't
• 32:03
  realize I
• 32:04
  have 1000
• 32:05
  things to
• 32:05
  do, and
• 32:06
  they turn
• 32:06
  up, and it
• 32:07
  all looks
• 32:07
  great.
• 32:07
  And, you
• 32:08
  know, the
• 32:08
  experience
• 32:09
  is great.
• 32:09
  And, you
• 32:10
  know,
• 32:10
  genuine, I
• 32:10
  have been
• 32:11
  fortunate.
• 32:11
  I think I
• 32:12
  was
• 32:12
  talking
• 32:13
  about this
• 32:13
  with
• 32:13
  someone
• 32:14
  today,
• 32:14
  actually,
• 32:14
  on the
• 32:14
  call. I
• 32:16
  really
• 32:16
  care about
• 32:17
  people and
• 32:17
  people
• 32:18
  having a
• 32:18
  great
• 32:18
  experience,
• 32:19
  and I
• 32:20
  think that
• 32:21
  is what
• 32:21
  resonates
• 32:22
  and why
• 32:22
  people
• 32:23
  have
• 32:23
  enjoyed
• 32:23
  the events
• 32:24
  over the
• 32:24
  years.
• 32:24
  Because,
• 32:25
  you know,
• 32:25
  they get
• 32:26
  to know
• 32:26
  me. I like
• 32:27
  to have,
• 32:28
  you know,
• 32:28
  good time.
• 32:29
  I have a
• 32:29
  lot of
• 32:30
  bands, a
• 32:30
  few jibes
• 32:31
  on stage,
• 32:32
  but
• 32:33
  ultimately,
• 32:34
  I do want
• 32:34
  you to
• 32:35
  feel great
• 32:36
  about
• 32:36
  being in
• 32:37
  that
• 32:37
  environment.
• 32:39
  But you
• 32:39
  know, a
• 32:39
  lot of
• 32:40
  things
• 32:40
  have to be
• 32:40
  in place
• 32:41
  to make
• 32:41
  that
• 32:41
  experience
• 32:42
  good.
• 32:43
  Mark Ackers: I
• 32:43
  can
• 32:43
  imagine.
• 32:43
  And I
• 32:44
  mean,
• 32:44
  obviously
• 32:44
  some some
• 32:45
  horror
• 32:45
  stories
• 32:45
  there, but
• 32:46
  it feels
• 32:46
  like,
• 32:47
  understandably,
• 32:48
  we can
• 32:48
  look back
• 32:49
  and laugh
• 32:49
  now, but
• 32:50
  yeah, I
• 32:51
  remember
• 32:52
  you
• 32:52
  walking up
• 32:53
  on stage,
• 32:53
  and I
• 32:55
  remember
• 32:55
  you
• 32:55
  saying,
• 32:56
  it's not
• 32:56
  mine, it's
• 32:57
  my
• 32:57
  friends.
• 32:58
  This
• 33:00
  pornography
• 33:00
  coming up
• 33:01
  on the
• 33:01
  screen.
• 33:02
  And what I
• 33:03
  remember
• 33:03
  more than
• 33:04
  anything
• 33:04
  else, is
• 33:05
  several
• 33:06
  hours
• 33:06
  later,
• 33:06
  we're in
• 33:07
  that bar
• 33:07
  four
• 33:08
  quarters,
• 33:09
  and I
• 33:09
  can't
• 33:09
  remember
• 33:10
  who
• 33:10
  started
• 33:10
  the chant.
• 33:11
  Wasn't me
• 33:12
  guilty of
• 33:14
  just James
• 33:15
  ski, his
• 33:15
  mate likes
• 33:16
  porno.
• 33:17
  Just
• 33:17
  everybody's
• 33:18
  singing.
• 33:19
  James ski,
• 33:20
  his mate
• 33:20
  likes
• 33:21
  Paulo.
• 33:22
  James Ski: Do
• 33:22
  you
• 33:22
  remember
• 33:22
  all the
• 33:23
  champagne
• 33:24
  left over
• 33:24
  and we
• 33:25
  ended up
• 33:25
  spraying
• 33:26
  it
• 33:26
  outside,
• 33:26
  like that
• 33:28
  was so
• 33:29
  funny that
• 33:29
  night.
• 33:30
  Yeah,
• 33:30
  Mark Ackers: that
• 33:30
  was
• 33:30
  honestly,
• 33:31
  such a
• 33:31
  good
• 33:32
  event,
• 33:32
  such a
• 33:32
  good
• 33:33
  night. And
• 33:33
  you're
• 33:33
  right,
• 33:34
  like, that
• 33:34
  was
• 33:35
  obviously
• 33:35
  a horror
• 33:36
  story,
• 33:36
  really,
• 33:37
  but you
• 33:37
  know, it's
• 33:38
  not, it
• 33:38
  broke the
• 33:39
  ice. It
• 33:39
  was really
• 33:40
  funny. It
• 33:40
  was really
• 33:40
  memorable,
• 33:41
  and you've
• 33:42
  got what's
• 33:42
  really
• 33:42
  important,
• 33:43
  a funny
• 33:43
  story for
• 33:44
  life out
• 33:44
  of it,
• 33:45
  like you
• 33:45
  stood at
• 33:46
  the event
• 33:47
  with
• 33:47
  however
• 33:47
  many
• 33:48
  hundreds
• 33:48
  of people
• 33:49
  porn spa
• 33:49
  in the
• 33:50
  background,
• 33:50
  and you're
• 33:51
  trying to
• 33:51
  say it's
• 33:51
  not yours.
• 33:53
  Everyone
• 33:54
  thinks it
• 33:54
  is. Most
• 33:57
  organizations
• 33:58
  equip
• 33:58
  their
• 33:58
  sellers
• 33:59
  with all
• 33:59
  the
• 33:59
  technology
• 34:00
  they need
• 34:01
  to be
• 34:01
  successful.
• 34:02
  Technology
• 34:02
  that
• 34:03
  trebles
• 34:03
  the amount
• 34:03
  of emails
• 34:04
  they can
• 34:04
  send,
• 34:05
  quadruples
• 34:05
  the amount
• 34:06
  of dials
• 34:06
  they can
• 34:07
  make,
• 34:08
  technology
• 34:08
  that
• 34:08
  enables
• 34:09
  you to see
• 34:09
  accounts
• 34:10
  that you
• 34:10
  should
• 34:10
  prospect
• 34:11
  into,
• 34:12
  phone
• 34:12
  numbers at
• 34:13
  your
• 34:13
  fingertips.
• 34:14
  Technology
• 34:14
  to make a
• 34:15
  sales rep
• 34:15
  more
• 34:16
  efficient
• 34:17
  with their
• 34:17
  time.
• 34:17
  Here's the
• 34:18
  missing
• 34:18
  piece,
• 34:19
  actually
• 34:19
  making
• 34:20
  your
• 34:20
  sellers
• 34:20
  better at
• 34:21
  selling
• 34:22
  better at
• 34:22
  their
• 34:23
  profession.
• 34:23
  That's the
• 34:24
  missing
• 34:24
  piece. All
• 34:25
  this
• 34:25
  technology
• 34:26
  is really
• 34:26
  helpful in
• 34:27
  speeding a
• 34:28
  wrap up,
• 34:28
  but none
• 34:29
  of it
• 34:29
  actually
• 34:30
  helps the
• 34:30
  seller get
• 34:31
  better at
• 34:31
  their
• 34:31
  profession.
• 34:32
  That's
• 34:32
  what my
• 34:33
  sales
• 34:33
  coach
• 34:33
  does. We
• 34:34
  work with
• 34:35
  the
• 34:35
  individuals
• 34:36
  in your
• 34:36
  team and
• 34:37
  you as
• 34:37
  their
• 34:37
  leader to
• 34:38
  help them
• 34:39
  become the
• 34:39
  best
• 34:39
  versions
• 34:40
  of
• 34:40
  themselves.
• 34:40
  We have
• 34:41
  coaches
• 34:41
  that work
• 34:42
  with
• 34:42
  sellers
• 34:42
  tactically,
• 34:43
  from
• 34:44
  outbounding,
• 34:45
  Discovery
• 34:45
  calls,
• 34:46
  demos,
• 34:46
  negotiation,
• 34:47
  closing,
• 34:48
  you name
• 34:48
  it, and
• 34:49
  mentally
• 34:49
  impostor
• 34:50
  syndrome,
• 34:51
  anxiety,
• 34:52
  stress and
• 34:52
  weight of
• 34:52
  targets.
• 34:53
  Our
• 34:53
  coaches
• 34:54
  have been
• 34:55
  there and
• 34:55
  done it
• 34:55
  and had
• 34:56
  success in
• 34:57
  those
• 34:57
  roles,
• 34:58
  obviously
• 34:59
  by now.
• 35:00
  Get your
• 35:00
  sales
• 35:00
  confidence.
• 35:01
  You have
• 35:01
  met so
• 35:02
  many sales
• 35:03
  leaders
• 35:03
  and pros.
• 35:04
  Um, there
• 35:05
  must have
• 35:06
  been a
• 35:06
  number of
• 35:06
  times and
• 35:07
  you talk
• 35:07
  about
• 35:07
  people
• 35:08
  just
• 35:08
  messaging
• 35:08
  you and
• 35:09
  asking for
• 35:09
  help, etc.
• 35:10
  But there
• 35:10
  must be a
• 35:10
  number of
• 35:11
  times that
• 35:11
  people
• 35:12
  come to
• 35:12
  you with
• 35:12
  problems
• 35:13
  and
• 35:13
  situations
• 35:14
  that they
• 35:14
  need help
• 35:15
  with. Take
• 35:15
  me through
• 35:16
  some of
• 35:16
  the like
• 35:16
  the
• 35:16
  memorable
• 35:17
  things
• 35:18
  that sales
• 35:18
  leaders
• 35:18
  have come
• 35:19
  to you
• 35:19
  with
• 35:19
  problems
• 35:20
  and
• 35:20
  needing
• 35:20
  help,
• 35:20
  yeah.
• 35:21
  James Ski: I
• 35:21
  mean, it's
• 35:21
  been
• 35:21
  interesting.
• 35:22
  I think,
• 35:22
  you know,
• 35:23
  reputationally
• 35:24
  And
• 35:25
  arguably,
• 35:26
  you know,
• 35:26
  I'm
• 35:26
  probably
• 35:27
  one of the
• 35:27
  most
• 35:27
  connected
• 35:28
  to sales
• 35:28
  leaders in
• 35:29
  the UK.
• 35:31
  And I
• 35:33
  think in
• 35:34
  recent
• 35:34
  years,
• 35:35
  particularly
• 35:36
  after the
• 35:36
  tech boom,
• 35:37
  post
• 35:37
  COVID. You
• 35:38
  know, when
• 35:38
  every
• 35:38
  digitalization
• 35:39
  got
• 35:39
  accelerated,
• 35:41
  everything
• 35:41
  in SaaS
• 35:42
  was
• 35:42
  booming.
• 35:42
  You know,
• 35:43
  sales
• 35:43
  leaders
• 35:43
  were
• 35:44
  winning.
• 35:44
  Was great.
• 35:44
  And then
• 35:45
  obviously
• 35:45
  we had the
• 35:46
  crash and
• 35:46
  the
• 35:46
  redundancies
• 35:47
  and the
• 35:47
  cuts and,
• 35:48
  you know,
• 35:49
  the drive
• 35:49
  from VCs
• 35:50
  to
• 35:50
  efficiency
• 35:51
  and
• 35:51
  profit.
• 35:51
  Hello,
• 35:52
  like, you
• 35:52
  know,
• 35:52
  business
• 35:53
  has got to
• 35:53
  be
• 35:53
  profitable.
• 35:54
  And
• 35:54
  really,
• 35:55
  you know,
• 35:55
  a lot of
• 35:56
  VPs and
• 35:57
  sales
• 35:57
  leaders
• 35:58
  lost their
• 35:58
  jobs. A
• 35:59
  lot of
• 35:59
  people
• 36:00
  considered
• 36:00
  like
• 36:00
  fractional
• 36:01
  and
• 36:02
  flexible
• 36:02
  working.
• 36:02
  There's a
• 36:03
  lot more
• 36:03
  of that
• 36:03
  now
• 36:04
  available.
• 36:04
  But you
• 36:05
  know, when
• 36:05
  you've got
• 36:06
  high
• 36:06
  outgoings
• 36:07
  and you're
• 36:07
  used to
• 36:08
  high
• 36:08
  income,
• 36:08
  you need
• 36:09
  to find
• 36:10
  your way.
• 36:10
  So I think
• 36:11
  you know,
• 36:12
  particularly
• 36:12
  the last
• 36:13
  1218,
• 36:13
  months, a
• 36:14
  lot of
• 36:14
  sales
• 36:14
  leaders
• 36:15
  have
• 36:15
  reached
• 36:15
  out. You
• 36:17
  know,
• 36:17
  they've
• 36:18
  not been
• 36:18
  in work
• 36:18
  for six
• 36:19
  months,
• 36:20
  and it's
• 36:21
  really
• 36:21
  getting to
• 36:22
  them, and
• 36:23
  they lose
• 36:24
  their
• 36:24
  confidence,
• 36:25
  you know,
• 36:25
  they're
• 36:25
  struggling
• 36:26
  to
• 36:26
  understand
• 36:27
  how
• 36:27
  they're
• 36:27
  not
• 36:27
  valuable
• 36:28
  to
• 36:28
  someone.
• 36:30
  Their
• 36:30
  imposter
• 36:30
  syndrome
• 36:31
  starts to
• 36:32
  increase,
• 36:32
  and they
• 36:32
  think,
• 36:33
  well,
• 36:33
  maybe I'm
• 36:33
  not right
• 36:33
  for this.
• 36:34
  Maybe
• 36:34
  sales
• 36:34
  isn't a
• 36:35
  career for
• 36:35
  me, and
• 36:36
  I've
• 36:37
  noticed a
• 36:38
  lot of
• 36:38
  that in
• 36:40
  2024 and
• 36:41
  the back
• 36:41
  end of
• 36:42
  2023
• 36:42
  particularly.
• 36:44
  And so for
• 36:45
  me, I
• 36:46
  would like
• 36:47
  to think
• 36:47
  of myself
• 36:48
  as like a
• 36:49
  confidence
• 36:49
  boosting
• 36:50
  mirror. If
• 36:51
  you talk
• 36:51
  to me,
• 36:52
  you've got
• 36:52
  a problem,
• 36:52
  or you
• 36:53
  don't
• 36:53
  think
• 36:54
  you're
• 36:54
  doing well
• 36:54
  right now,
• 36:54
  you're not
• 36:55
  good
• 36:55
  enough. I
• 36:55
  just want
• 36:56
  to point
• 36:56
  out all
• 36:56
  the great
• 36:57
  things
• 36:57
  about you,
• 36:57
  to remind
• 36:58
  you that
• 36:59
  you're
• 36:59
  fantastic
• 36:59
  at what
• 37:00
  you do,
• 37:00
  you're
• 37:01
  going to
• 37:01
  be
• 37:01
  successful.
• 37:02
  You will
• 37:02
  figure it
• 37:03
  out, and
• 37:03
  you will
• 37:03
  get there.
• 37:04
  I'll give
• 37:04
  you a
• 37:04
  prime
• 37:04
  example.
• 37:05
  Like, you
• 37:05
  know,
• 37:05
  we're
• 37:06
  doing
• 37:06
  this. We
• 37:08
  offer at
• 37:08
  sales
• 37:08
  confidence
• 37:09
  2.0 I'm
• 37:10
  kind of
• 37:11
  coining it
• 37:12
  right now.
• 37:13
  We help
• 37:13
  companies
• 37:14
  hire
• 37:14
  salespeople,
• 37:15
  and we
• 37:15
  help
• 37:15
  salespeople
• 37:16
  get jobs.
• 37:17
  And I had
• 37:17
  a guy on
• 37:18
  an
• 37:18
  assessment
• 37:18
  day the
• 37:19
  other day
• 37:19
  for
• 37:20
  graduates.
• 37:21
  He was for
• 37:22
  looking
• 37:23
  for an SDR
• 37:24
  role. He
• 37:25
  was 35 and
• 37:27
  he wanted
• 37:27
  an SDR
• 37:28
  role. And
• 37:29
  afterwards,
• 37:29
  I said,
• 37:30
  Listen, we
• 37:30
  need to
• 37:31
  talk like,
• 37:31
  what's
• 37:32
  your
• 37:32
  situation?
• 37:32
  Give me
• 37:33
  the
• 37:33
  background.
• 37:33
  And he
• 37:34
  gave me
• 37:34
  the
• 37:34
  background.
• 37:35
  He had
• 37:35
  some
• 37:35
  challenges,
• 37:35
  life,
• 37:36
  family,
• 37:36
  business.
• 37:38
  And he
• 37:39
  said, You
• 37:39
  know, I
• 37:41
  transitioned.
• 37:42
  I've kept
• 37:42
  doing
• 37:42
  these SDR
• 37:43
  roles.
• 37:43
  Every time
• 37:43
  I've got
• 37:44
  an SDR
• 37:44
  job, they
• 37:45
  keep
• 37:45
  telling
• 37:45
  me, I'm
• 37:45
  gonna
• 37:46
  become an
• 37:46
  AE. I've
• 37:47
  led teams
• 37:48
  in the
• 37:48
  past, but
• 37:49
  it's not
• 37:49
  happening.
• 37:51
  I said, So
• 37:51
  what are
• 37:51
  you
• 37:51
  applying
• 37:52
  for right
• 37:52
  now? I
• 37:52
  said, I'm
• 37:53
  applying
• 37:53
  for more
• 37:54
  SDR jobs.
• 37:54
  I said,
• 37:55
  No, you're
• 37:55
  an AE. In
• 37:56
  fact,
• 37:56
  you're a
• 37:56
  leader.
• 37:57
  But you
• 37:57
  know, if
• 37:58
  you're not
• 37:58
  quite
• 37:58
  comfortable
• 37:59
  and ready
• 37:59
  to go back
• 38:00
  to
• 38:00
  leadership,
• 38:00
  like,
• 38:00
  focus on
• 38:01
  an age of
• 38:01
  and he's
• 38:02
  like, God,
• 38:02
  you're so
• 38:02
  right.
• 38:03
  What am I
• 38:03
  doing? And
• 38:04
  sometimes
• 38:04
  just, you
• 38:05
  know,
• 38:05
  people
• 38:05
  need that
• 38:06
  little
• 38:07
  confidence
• 38:08
  boost or
• 38:08
  little bit
• 38:09
  of a
• 38:09
  reminder
• 38:10
  that
• 38:10
  you're
• 38:10
  good. And
• 38:11
  I have
• 38:11
  experienced
• 38:11
  it where I
• 38:12
  just,
• 38:12
  especially
• 38:13
  when I'm
• 38:13
  depressed,
• 38:13
  like, I
• 38:14
  just
• 38:14
  forget
• 38:14
  what I've
• 38:15
  achieved
• 38:15
  and what
• 38:16
  I've what
• 38:16
  I'm good
• 38:16
  at. And,
• 38:17
  you know,
• 38:18
  you
• 38:18
  wallow,
• 38:18
  don't you,
• 38:18
  and you
• 38:19
  just then
• 38:19
  stop
• 38:20
  putting
• 38:20
  yourself
• 38:21
  out there.
• 38:22
  So yeah,
• 38:22
  that's,
• 38:23
  that's
• 38:23
  kind of
• 38:23
  anecdotally,
• 38:24
  some of
• 38:24
  the things
• 38:25
  I've seen
• 38:25
  in the
• 38:26
  last 1218,
• 38:27
  months.
• 38:27
  Mark Ackers: And
• 38:27
  it's nice
• 38:28
  that you
• 38:28
  take the
• 38:29
  time to
• 38:30
  help
• 38:30
  people, if
• 38:32
  I may.
• 38:32
  Maybe it
• 38:33
  comes from
• 38:33
  a place of
• 38:34
  that's the
• 38:34
  help you
• 38:35
  wanted to
• 38:35
  have early
• 38:36
  on in your
• 38:36
  career.
• 38:37
  Completely.
• 38:37
  What about
• 38:38
  yourself
• 38:38
  now,
• 38:38
  though,
• 38:38
  like,
• 38:38
  obviously,
• 38:39
  you're a
• 38:39
  founder of
• 38:40
  your own
• 38:40
  business?
• 38:41
  Well,
• 38:41
  mobile
• 38:41
  business.
• 38:41
  We go back
• 38:42
  to that
• 38:42
  intro that
• 38:43
  was bloody
• 38:43
  hard work
• 38:44
  to get
• 38:44
  through.
• 38:44
  Yeah. Who
• 38:45
  do you
• 38:45
  turn to?
• 38:45
  Obviously,
• 38:46
  mentioned
• 38:46
  Simon
• 38:46
  Squibb,
• 38:47
  but I'm
• 38:47
  guessing
• 38:47
  he's not
• 38:48
  someone
• 38:48
  you
• 38:48
  couldn't
• 38:48
  contact.
• 38:49
  Regular,
• 38:50
  sure.
• 38:50
  Yeah. So
• 38:51
  who, who
• 38:51
  do you
• 38:51
  turn to
• 38:52
  for help?
• 38:52
  Because
• 38:52
  it's quite
• 38:53
  a lonely
• 38:53
  place
• 38:53
  being a
• 38:54
  founder.
• 38:54
  Yeah,
• 38:54
  James Ski: it
• 38:55
  is. It's
• 38:55
  an
• 38:55
  interesting
• 38:56
  one. Do
• 38:56
  you know
• 38:57
  what I've
• 38:57
  struggled
• 38:58
  with that?
• 38:58
  I actually
• 38:58
  have a
• 38:59
  list of I
• 39:01
  call it my
• 39:01
  dream 20.
• 39:02
  It's a
• 39:02
  list of
• 39:03
  what I
• 39:03
  consider
• 39:04
  the most
• 39:05
  interesting,
• 39:06
  successful
• 39:07
  entrepreneurs
• 39:07
  on the
• 39:08
  planet.
• 39:08
  I've
• 39:09
  actually
• 39:09
  met half
• 39:09
  of them,
• 39:10
  pretty
• 39:10
  cool.
• 39:11
  Like, you
• 39:12
  know, I've
• 39:12
  got photos
• 39:13
  with them,
• 39:14
  and I've
• 39:14
  interacted
• 39:15
  with them,
• 39:15
  and I want
• 39:16
  to
• 39:16
  eventually
• 39:16
  meet all
• 39:16
  of them,
• 39:17
  and I go
• 39:17
  on their
• 39:17
  courses, I
• 39:18
  read their
• 39:18
  books.
• 39:19
  Like, it's
• 39:20
  a good
• 39:20
  question.
• 39:21
  I mean, to
• 39:21
  be honest,
• 39:22
  I have to
• 39:22
  well admit
• 39:23
  I'll call
• 39:23
  out. I'll
• 39:24
  call out.
• 39:25
  You know,
• 39:26
  your co
• 39:26
  founder,
• 39:27
  Kevin,
• 39:27
  like he,
• 39:29
  over the
• 39:29
  years, has
• 39:31
  been
• 39:31
  someone it
• 39:31
  doesn't
• 39:32
  matter if
• 39:32
  I'm doing
• 39:32
  well or
• 39:33
  I'm not, I
• 39:34
  can just
• 39:35
  chat to
• 39:35
  him and he
• 39:37
  he will
• 39:37
  just hear
• 39:38
  me out.
• 39:39
  And so I
• 39:39
  think I've
• 39:40
  built out
• 39:40
  a group of
• 39:41
  people
• 39:43
  who, at
• 39:43
  any time,
• 39:44
  I can just
• 39:45
  call them,
• 39:46
  and it
• 39:46
  doesn't
• 39:46
  matter if
• 39:47
  it's good,
• 39:47
  it doesn't
• 39:47
  matter if
• 39:48
  it's bad,
• 39:49
  they're
• 39:49
  just
• 39:49
  giving me
• 39:49
  that time.
• 39:50
  So I think
• 39:51
  I've built
• 39:51
  like I
• 39:52
  wouldn't
• 39:52
  say it's
• 39:52
  one
• 39:53
  particular
• 39:53
  person. I
• 39:54
  would say
• 39:54
  it's a
• 39:54
  group of
• 39:55
  individuals
• 39:56
  who know
• 39:57
  me, know
• 39:58
  my
• 39:58
  history,
• 39:58
  know my
• 39:59
  challenges,
• 39:59
  with my.
• 40:00
  Mental
• 40:00
  Health.
• 40:01
  And, you
• 40:02
  know, it's
• 40:03
  really
• 40:03
  nice,
• 40:03
  actually.
• 40:03
  They're
• 40:04
  just happy
• 40:04
  to hear me
• 40:05
  out and
• 40:05
  just happy
• 40:06
  to say,
• 40:07
  well, you
• 40:08
  know, take
• 40:08
  your time,
• 40:08
  think it
• 40:09
  over. And
• 40:10
  so, yeah,
• 40:11
  it's a
• 40:11
  group of
• 40:12
  individuals
• 40:12
  that I've
• 40:13
  got to
• 40:14
  know over
• 40:14
  the years
• 40:14
  who I'm
• 40:15
  comfortable
• 40:15
  sharing my
• 40:16
  challenges
• 40:16
  with, as
• 40:17
  well as
• 40:17
  some very
• 40:18
  close
• 40:18
  mates that
• 40:19
  I'm happy
• 40:19
  to talk
• 40:19
  to. So
• 40:20
  let's talk
• 40:20
  Mark Ackers: about
• 40:20
  this list.
• 40:21
  You say
• 40:21
  you got 20
• 40:22
  people on
• 40:22
  there.
• 40:22
  This feels
• 40:23
  like
• 40:23
  another
• 40:23
  social
• 40:24
  selling
• 40:24
  index
• 40:24
  thing,
• 40:24
  where for
• 40:25
  you, you
• 40:26
  want to
• 40:26
  achieve
• 40:27
  it. You
• 40:27
  want to
• 40:27
  take it
• 40:28
  all off.
• 40:28
  You've met
• 40:29
  half.
• 40:29
  Who's if I
• 40:30
  said that
• 40:30
  you can
• 40:31
  only meet
• 40:31
  one more
• 40:31
  person on
• 40:32
  that list.
• 40:32
  Who is it?
• 40:33
  It's
• 40:33
  James Ski: Jamie
• 40:33
  Foxx. So
• 40:35
  he's an
• 40:36
  actor,
• 40:36
  rapper,
• 40:37
  musician
• 40:38
  in the US,
• 40:39
  and he his
• 40:41
  story is,
• 40:43
  he talks
• 40:43
  about, I
• 40:43
  think it
• 40:44
  was la
• 40:44
  that he
• 40:46
  moved to,
• 40:47
  and the
• 40:47
  way he
• 40:47
  ended up
• 40:48
  getting
• 40:48
  on, like
• 40:49
  Kanye West
• 40:50
  albums and
• 40:51
  certain
• 40:53
  collaborations,
• 40:54
  he
• 40:54
  basically
• 40:55
  used to
• 40:55
  throw
• 40:55
  parties.
• 40:56
  So he
• 40:56
  became the
• 40:57
  party guy.
• 40:58
  So
• 40:59
  obviously,
• 40:59
  being the
• 41:00
  party guy.
• 41:00
  Everyone
• 41:01
  wanted to
• 41:01
  go to his
• 41:02
  party. And
• 41:02
  when he
• 41:02
  was at the
• 41:03
  party, or
• 41:04
  he would
• 41:04
  host the
• 41:05
  party, had
• 41:05
  a studio
• 41:06
  like this
• 41:06
  in his
• 41:06
  house, and
• 41:07
  he'd say
• 41:07
  to Kanye
• 41:08
  West and
• 41:08
  other
• 41:08
  people,
• 41:08
  Hey, do
• 41:09
  you want
• 41:09
  to, do you
• 41:10
  want to
• 41:10
  drop some
• 41:10
  beats? Do
• 41:11
  you want
• 41:11
  some raps?
• 41:12
  And they
• 41:12
  would come
• 41:12
  into his
• 41:13
  studio,
• 41:13
  and then
• 41:14
  he would
• 41:14
  gift them
• 41:15
  some lyric
• 41:16
  or gift
• 41:16
  them some
• 41:17
  track that
• 41:18
  he's built
• 41:18
  on. So I
• 41:19
  just think
• 41:20
  he is
• 41:22
  like, this
• 41:23
  is nothing
• 41:23
  to do with
• 41:23
  sales,
• 41:24
  really, or
• 41:24
  nothing. I
• 41:24
  mean, he's
• 41:25
  a very
• 41:25
  successful
• 41:26
  businessman
• 41:26
  as well,
• 41:27
  but I just
• 41:28
  like his
• 41:29
  approach
• 41:30
  to how
• 41:30
  he's built
• 41:31
  his life.
• 41:32
  And when
• 41:32
  you read
• 41:33
  about it,
• 41:33
  like it is
• 41:34
  really
• 41:34
  about
• 41:35
  being the
• 41:35
  host. And
• 41:37
  I've done
• 41:37
  that with
• 41:37
  sales
• 41:38
  confidence.
• 41:38
  I've been
• 41:38
  the host.
• 41:39
  So people
• 41:39
  have come
• 41:40
  to me.
• 41:40
  Come to
• 41:41
  your
• 41:41
  house.
• 41:41
  Yeah,
• 41:41
  people
• 41:42
  come to my
• 41:42
  house.
• 41:42
  Now, I
• 41:43
  want
• 41:43
  people to
• 41:44
  come
• 41:44
  there,
• 41:44
  share
• 41:45
  their
• 41:45
  stories,
• 41:45
  share
• 41:46
  their
• 41:46
  challenges,
• 41:47
  connect me
• 41:47
  to
• 41:47
  opportunity,
• 41:48
  feel
• 41:48
  welcome,
• 41:49
  so that I
• 41:49
  can build
• 41:50
  that
• 41:50
  network.
• 41:51
  So I think
• 41:52
  it would
• 41:52
  just be,
• 41:52
  he is
• 41:53
  probably
• 41:53
  my
• 41:53
  celebrity
• 41:54
  crush,
• 41:55
  like in
• 41:56
  that
• 41:57
  world, and
• 41:57
  I find him
• 41:58
  hilarious.
• 41:59
  I think
• 41:59
  he's super
• 42:00
  switched
• 42:00
  on it. I
• 42:00
  think he's
• 42:01
  quite a
• 42:01
  good actor
• 42:01
  as well.
• 42:02
  But yeah,
• 42:02
  I think
• 42:03
  just the
• 42:03
  way he's,
• 42:05
  you know,
• 42:05
  created
• 42:06
  his brand,
• 42:07
  and how
• 42:07
  he's built
• 42:08
  his
• 42:08
  lifestyle
• 42:09
  and
• 42:09
  business,
• 42:09
  I really
• 42:09
  like so
• 42:10
  Mark Ackers: what
• 42:10
  a great
• 42:11
  answer.
• 42:11
  Obviously,
• 42:12
  I was
• 42:12
  expected
• 42:12
  to be
• 42:13
  someone. I
• 42:13
  say, well,
• 42:13
  let's give
• 42:14
  a shout
• 42:14
  out. Let's
• 42:15
  tag him.
• 42:15
  You never
• 42:16
  know. But
• 42:16
  obviously,
• 42:17
  that's,
• 42:17
  that's
• 42:17
  quite
• 42:18
  different.
• 42:18
  Jamie Fox,
• 42:20
  I've got
• 42:20
  one
• 42:20
  similar,
• 42:21
  you know,
• 42:21
  um Arnold
• 42:22
  Schwarzenegger,
• 42:23
  James Ski: good
• 42:23
  show.
• 42:24
  Mark Ackers: Do
• 42:24
  you know
• 42:24
  what I
• 42:24
  mean?
• 42:24
  Conquered
• 42:25
  bodybuilding,
• 42:26
  it's been
• 42:26
  the army.
• 42:27
  Conquered
• 42:28
  movies,
• 42:29
  conquered
• 42:29
  politics.
• 42:30
  His book,
• 42:31
  the best
• 42:32
  autobiography
• 42:32
  title
• 42:33
  ever,
• 42:33
  yeah, best
• 42:34
  autobiography
• 42:35
  title.
• 42:35
  Total
• 42:35
  Recall.
• 42:36
  What a
• 42:36
  great
• 42:36
  title. I
• 42:37
  James Ski: just
• 42:37
  think, you
• 42:38
  know, he
• 42:39
  is such a
• 42:39
  great
• 42:39
  example of
• 42:40
  discipline
• 42:41
  are 100%
• 42:43
  and also,
• 42:44
  if you
• 42:44
  have a
• 42:44
  goal, go
• 42:45
  and get it
• 42:46
  and you
• 42:46
  can
• 42:47
  achieve
• 42:47
  it. Like,
• 42:47
  actually,
• 42:47
  my hair's
• 42:48
  going on.
• 42:48
  And just
• 42:49
  thinking
• 42:49
  of what
• 42:49
  he's
• 42:49
  achieved
• 42:50
  in his
• 42:50
  lifetime,
• 42:50
  you know,
• 42:51
  I'm sure
• 42:51
  if he
• 42:52
  really
• 42:52
  wanted, he
• 42:52
  could have
• 42:53
  become
• 42:53
  president,
• 42:53
  like, you
• 42:54
  know,
• 42:54
  without a
• 42:55
  doubt,
• 42:55
  right? You
• 42:56
  know, even
• 42:56
  his wife,
• 42:56
  I can't
• 42:57
  remember
• 42:57
  the exact
• 42:58
  story, but
• 42:58
  he married
• 42:59
  into a
• 42:59
  political
• 42:59
  family,
• 43:00
  you know,
• 43:00
  I don't
• 43:00
  think he's
• 43:01
  with her
• 43:01
  anymore,
• 43:01
  but, you
• 43:02
  know, like
• 43:02
  it is, it
• 43:03
  is, like,
• 43:03
  how you
• 43:04
  how you
• 43:06
  make
• 43:06
  choices,
• 43:06
  how you
• 43:07
  navigate
• 43:07
  life, like
• 43:08
  it is all
• 43:08
  possible,
• 43:09
  right, if
• 43:09
  you put
• 43:09
  yourself
• 43:10
  in the
• 43:10
  right
• 43:10
  places,
• 43:12
  you know.
• 43:12
  So he's a
• 43:14
  great song
• 43:14
  and, you
• 43:15
  know, and
• 43:15
  people are
• 43:16
  gonna, you
• 43:17
  know,
• 43:17
  probably
• 43:17
  switch off
• 43:17
  at this
• 43:18
  point. But
• 43:19
  I actually
• 43:19
  rate
• 43:19
  Donald
• 43:20
  Trump for
• 43:20
  what he's
• 43:21
  able to
• 43:21
  achieve,
• 43:21
  like like
• 43:23
  him,
• 43:23
  loathe
• 43:23
  him, hate
• 43:24
  him. You
• 43:25
  know that
• 43:25
  is a guy
• 43:26
  that sets
• 43:26
  his mind
• 43:27
  on
• 43:27
  something
• 43:28
  and
• 43:28
  literally
• 43:28
  goes for
• 43:29
  it.
• 43:29
  Regardless
• 43:30
  Mark Ackers: what
• 43:30
  you think
• 43:30
  of him, he
• 43:31
  has
• 43:31
  captivated
• 43:32
  enough
• 43:32
  people to
• 43:33
  vote him
• 43:33
  into the
• 43:33
  White
• 43:34
  House, and
• 43:34
  he's going
• 43:34
  to do it
• 43:35
  again. So
• 43:35
  yeah,
• 43:36
  regardless
• 43:36
  what you
• 43:36
  think of
• 43:37
  him, what
• 43:38
  he's
• 43:38
  achieved
• 43:39
  is that
• 43:39
  branding.
• 43:40
  But with
• 43:41
  Arnold
• 43:41
  Torsten,
• 43:42
  it's kind
• 43:42
  of just
• 43:42
  remind me
• 43:43
  what you
• 43:43
  said.
• 43:43
  Like, if
• 43:44
  you think
• 43:44
  about the
• 43:44
  levels in
• 43:45
  the games,
• 43:46
  complete
• 43:46
  the army,
• 43:47
  put it
• 43:47
  down.
• 43:48
  Completed
• 43:48
  body
• 43:49
  building
• 43:49
  put it
• 43:49
  down.
• 43:50
  Completed
• 43:50
  movies put
• 43:51
  it down.
• 43:52
  Politics
• 43:52
  put it
• 43:53
  down. You
• 43:53
  know, just
• 43:54
  like that,
• 43:54
  constantly
• 43:55
  reinvent
• 43:55
  himself
• 43:56
  and going
• 43:56
  after
• 43:56
  after new
• 43:57
  things.
• 43:57
  It's all
• 43:58
  about
• 43:58
  people
• 43:58
  inspire
• 43:59
  us. So at
• 44:00
  your
• 44:00
  events,
• 44:01
  you always
• 44:01
  have,
• 44:01
  like,
• 44:01
  three,
• 44:02
  four
• 44:02
  speakers.
• 44:03
  How many
• 44:04
  events you
• 44:04
  reckon you
• 44:05
  run? I
• 44:05
  mean,
• 44:05
  yeah,
• 44:06
  hundreds.
• 44:07
  A lot.
• 44:07
  We're
• 44:07
  talking
• 44:08
  like close
• 44:09
  to 1000
• 44:09
  speakers.
• 44:10
  I've spoke
• 44:11
  up,
• 44:12
  certainly
• 44:12
  one of
• 44:13
  yours.
• 44:13
  Like, five
• 44:14
  years ago,
• 44:14
  the cold
• 44:15
  calling
• 44:15
  one, yes,
• 44:16
  I think I
• 44:16
  did a
• 44:16
  second
• 44:17
  one,
• 44:17
  didn't I?
• 44:18
  Yeah, I
• 44:18
  spoke the
• 44:19
  STR survey
• 44:20
  recently,
• 44:21
  yeah, six
• 44:21
  months
• 44:22
  ago. So I
• 44:22
  spoke a
• 44:23
  couple of
• 44:23
  yours. But
• 44:24
  when you
• 44:24
  look back,
• 44:25
  and this
• 44:25
  is hard,
• 44:26
  because
• 44:26
  you've
• 44:26
  obviously
• 44:27
  had like
• 44:27
  1000
• 44:27
  speakers
• 44:29
  who
• 44:29
  inspired
• 44:29
  you the
• 44:30
  most, Oh,
• 44:30
  wow.
• 44:32
  James Ski: There's
• 44:32
  been some
• 44:33
  amazing
• 44:33
  stories,
• 44:34
  you know,
• 44:35
  that I've
• 44:35
  heard over
• 44:35
  the years,
• 44:36
  and often
• 44:37
  the most
• 44:37
  inspiring
• 44:38
  ones have
• 44:38
  been SDRs.
• 44:39
  I've loved
• 44:40
  seeing
• 44:41
  SDRs get
• 44:41
  up on
• 44:42
  stage, you
• 44:42
  know,
• 44:42
  limited
• 44:43
  experience,
• 44:43
  but loads
• 44:44
  of energy,
• 44:45
  you know.
• 44:45
  So there's
• 44:46
  a guy
• 44:46
  called
• 44:46
  James Hall
• 44:47
  that runs
• 44:47
  snowflake.
• 44:49
  He had to
• 44:50
  have his
• 44:50
  leg
• 44:50
  amputated
• 44:51
  because he
• 44:51
  got cancer
• 44:52
  Christ.
• 44:53
  And you
• 44:54
  know, he I
• 44:55
  actually
• 44:55
  worked
• 44:55
  with him
• 44:56
  at huddle
• 44:56
  back in
• 44:57
  the day.
• 44:58
  And he. Is
• 45:00
  a
• 45:00
  phenomenally
• 45:01
  grounded,
• 45:02
  successful,
• 45:03
  repeatably
• 45:04
  successful
• 45:05
  sales
• 45:06
  leader.
• 45:06
  And like,
• 45:07
  I think
• 45:07
  his talk
• 45:08
  about the
• 45:08
  snowflake
• 45:09
  journey, I
• 45:10
  think he
• 45:10
  said,
• 45:11
  Don't
• 45:11
  quote me
• 45:11
  on this.
• 45:12
  It would
• 45:12
  be on
• 45:13
  YouTube.
• 45:13
  But I
• 45:14
  think he
• 45:14
  said,
• 45:14
  like, his
• 45:15
  ARR target
• 45:16
  for a mere
• 45:17
  for
• 45:17
  snowflake
• 45:18
  was 1
• 45:18
  billion, a
• 45:20
  billion
• 45:20
  dollars.
• 45:21
  Like, you
• 45:22
  know, it
• 45:23
  is insane,
• 45:23
  like,
• 45:24
  those
• 45:24
  numbers.
• 45:24
  So, like,
• 45:26
  his story
• 45:27
  was
• 45:27
  pretty,
• 45:27
  pretty
• 45:28
  incredible.
• 45:29
  But you
• 45:29
  know what
• 45:29
  Shelly
• 45:30
  Lavery,
• 45:30
  she, yeah,
• 45:32
  she's the
• 45:32
  co founder
• 45:33
  of Jiminy.
• 45:33
  I think
• 45:33
  she was a
• 45:34
  drama
• 45:34
  school
• 45:35
  girl or an
• 45:35
  actress,
• 45:36
  but she
• 45:37
  did a
• 45:37
  really
• 45:37
  good
• 45:37
  performance
• 45:38
  about,
• 45:38
  like, you
• 45:39
  know, the
• 45:39
  importance
• 45:39
  of
• 45:40
  confidence
• 45:40
  and
• 45:40
  believing
• 45:41
  yourself
• 45:41
  and like
• 45:42
  that. That
• 45:42
  was a
• 45:42
  really
• 45:43
  good talk.
• 45:44
  Like pre
• 45:45
  COVID. I
• 45:47
  was there
• 45:47
  for that.
• 45:47
  Well,
• 45:48
  yeah, the
• 45:48
  Andes
• 45:49
  hotel,
• 45:49
  Mark Ackers: yeah,
• 45:50
  I really
• 45:50
  like
• 45:50
  Shelly.
• 45:51
  Shelly,
• 45:51
  you should
• 45:52
  come on
• 45:52
  this
• 45:52
  podcast
• 45:52
  we're
• 45:53
  trying to
• 45:53
  sort out,
• 45:54
  James Ski: yeah,
• 45:54
  definitely
• 45:54
  get Shelly
• 45:55
  on. She's,
• 45:55
  she's
• 45:55
  amazing.
• 45:56
  Her
• 45:56
  husband,
• 45:56
  Tom, she
• 45:56
  runs Jim.
• 45:57
  We need to
• 45:57
  go. Really
• 45:58
  great
• 45:58
  couple.
• 45:59
  The third
• 46:00
  person. Do
• 46:02
  you know
• 46:02
  what I've
• 46:03
  seen him
• 46:03
  today, so
• 46:04
  let's give
• 46:04
  him a
• 46:04
  shout at
• 46:04
  Tom,
• 46:05
  Boston.
• 46:05
  Yeah, so
• 46:07
  pre COVID,
• 46:08
  he came on
• 46:09
  and did a
• 46:10
  piece
• 46:10
  around
• 46:12
  personal
• 46:12
  branding
• 46:13
  and the
• 46:13
  power of
• 46:13
  video when
• 46:14
  he was
• 46:15
  early in
• 46:15
  his career
• 46:16
  at sales
• 46:16
  loft. And
• 46:17
  you know
• 46:17
  what? I
• 46:18
  think Tom
• 46:20
  has grown
• 46:20
  into his
• 46:22
  role. Do
• 46:22
  you know
• 46:22
  what I
• 46:23
  mean, like
• 46:23
  he now
• 46:23
  just seems
• 46:24
  like the
• 46:24
  comedian
• 46:24
  the
• 46:25
  character.
• 46:25
  And I
• 46:25
  think he's
• 46:26
  had that,
• 46:26
  I actually
• 46:26
  think he's
• 46:27
  had to
• 46:27
  work on
• 46:28
  that, that
• 46:28
  I don't
• 46:28
  think it's
• 46:29
  supernatural
• 46:29
  for him
• 46:30
  when you
• 46:30
  spend time
• 46:31
  with him
• 46:31
  one to
• 46:31
  one. And
• 46:32
  so I think
• 46:33
  he's a
• 46:33
  good
• 46:33
  example
• 46:34
  of, do you
• 46:34
  know he's
• 46:35
  put
• 46:35
  himself
• 46:36
  out there,
• 46:36
  consistently
• 46:37
  and
• 46:37
  continuously,
• 46:39
  and ended
• 46:39
  up
• 46:39
  building a
• 46:40
  phenomenal
• 46:41
  brand for
• 46:41
  himself.
• 46:42
  And you
• 46:42
  know, like
• 46:43
  he's just
• 46:44
  very
• 46:44
  funny. So
• 46:45
  yeah, he
• 46:46
  would be
• 46:46
  my third
• 46:47
  so, so
• 46:47
  those are
• 46:47
  my three.
• 46:48
  James
• 46:48
  Hall,
• 46:48
  currently
• 46:49
  at
• 46:49
  snowflake,
• 46:50
  Shelly,
• 46:51
  Lavery,
• 46:51
  Jiminy and
• 46:53
  thirdly,
• 46:53
  Tom
• 46:53
  Boston.
• 46:54
  Mark Ackers: Great
• 46:54
  listing.
• 46:56
  Is the key
• 46:56
  to being a
• 46:57
  good event
• 46:57
  speaker.
• 46:58
  James Ski: Great
• 46:59
  question,
• 46:59
  actually,
• 47:00
  because a
• 47:00
  lot of
• 47:00
  people get
• 47:01
  it wrong,
• 47:01
  being
• 47:02
  succinct,
• 47:03
  not
• 47:05
  pitching
• 47:05
  yourself,
• 47:06
  or
• 47:08
  throwing
• 47:08
  up your
• 47:09
  background.
• 47:09
  No one
• 47:10
  cares if
• 47:10
  you're on
• 47:10
  my stage
• 47:11
  at sales
• 47:11
  confidence,
• 47:12
  you're
• 47:12
  there on
• 47:12
  merit.
• 47:13
  Trust me,
• 47:13
  like I
• 47:14
  speak to a
• 47:14
  lot of
• 47:15
  people
• 47:15
  that want
• 47:16
  to be on
• 47:16
  sales
• 47:16
  confidence
• 47:17
  stages, I
• 47:17
  don't let
• 47:18
  people on
• 47:19
  there, so
• 47:20
  you have
• 47:21
  to you are
• 47:22
  already
• 47:22
  there on
• 47:22
  merit. So
• 47:23
  just
• 47:23
  deliver
• 47:23
  value.
• 47:26
  Also it's
• 47:27
  entertainment.
• 47:28
  I think
• 47:28
  people
• 47:28
  sometimes
• 47:29
  forget
• 47:29
  that it's
• 47:30
  not just
• 47:30
  about
• 47:31
  getting up
• 47:31
  there,
• 47:32
  delivering
• 47:32
  facts or
• 47:33
  achievements
• 47:33
  or
• 47:33
  milestones.
• 47:34
  It's about
• 47:35
  entertaining
• 47:35
  an
• 47:35
  audience
• 47:36
  that's got
• 47:36
  a listen
• 47:37
  for you
• 47:37
  for seven
• 47:38
  minutes,
• 47:38
  because
• 47:38
  that's the
• 47:39
  time we
• 47:39
  give
• 47:39
  people. So
• 47:40
  I think,
• 47:41
  you know,
• 47:41
  having
• 47:42
  that
• 47:44
  succinct,
• 47:45
  well
• 47:45
  structured
• 47:46
  talk where
• 47:47
  you can
• 47:49
  entertain
• 47:49
  people,
• 47:50
  make them
• 47:51
  feel
• 47:51
  something.
• 47:52
  So I kind
• 47:53
  of had
• 47:53
  this
• 47:53
  framework
• 47:54
  of, think,
• 47:56
  feel, act,
• 47:58
  make the
• 47:58
  audience
• 47:59
  think
• 47:59
  about
• 47:59
  something,
• 48:00
  make them
• 48:00
  feel it,
• 48:01
  so they
• 48:02
  actually
• 48:02
  feel
• 48:03
  something,
• 48:04
  and then
• 48:05
  get them
• 48:05
  to go and
• 48:06
  act. If
• 48:06
  they go
• 48:07
  and act on
• 48:07
  the advice
• 48:08
  or lessons
• 48:09
  that
• 48:09
  you've
• 48:09
  given
• 48:09
  them,
• 48:10
  you've had
• 48:10
  impact on
• 48:11
  someone's
• 48:11
  life, if
• 48:12
  they just
• 48:12
  think
• 48:12
  about it,
• 48:13
  it's
• 48:13
  great.
• 48:14
  Yeah, you
• 48:14
  could do a
• 48:14
  good talk.
• 48:15
  You
• 48:15
  haven't
• 48:15
  impacted
• 48:16
  them
• 48:16
  because
• 48:16
  they go
• 48:16
  and take
• 48:17
  action the
• 48:17
  next day
• 48:18
  or that
• 48:18
  evening
• 48:18
  based on
• 48:19
  what
• 48:19
  you've
• 48:19
  said.
• 48:19
  You're a
• 48:20
  great
• 48:20
  speaker,
• 48:21
  Mark Ackers: and
• 48:21
  without
• 48:21
  knowing
• 48:22
  whoever
• 48:22
  you're
• 48:23
  about to
• 48:23
  think of,
• 48:24
  talk to me
• 48:25
  about the
• 48:25
  biggest
• 48:26
  sort of
• 48:26
  car crash
• 48:26
  you've
• 48:27
  seen on
• 48:27
  stage, and
• 48:28
  how can it
• 48:28
  be
• 48:28
  avoided? I
• 48:29
  don't
• 48:29
  James Ski: want
• 48:29
  to swear,
• 48:30
  but very
• 48:30
  dry, very
• 48:32
  dry, very
• 48:33
  like
• 48:35
  boring.
• 48:36
  You know,
• 48:37
  had 100
• 48:38
  slides.
• 48:40
  Was
• 48:41
  looking
• 48:42
  down for
• 48:42
  the whole
• 48:44
  talk was
• 48:45
  behind the
• 48:46
  whatever
• 48:47
  the
• 48:48
  staging
• 48:49
  area was
• 48:50
  really
• 48:50
  didn't
• 48:51
  excite,
• 48:51
  didn't
• 48:52
  energize,
• 48:52
  didn't
• 48:52
  engage. It
• 48:54
  was pretty
• 48:55
  pathetic,
• 48:55
  to be
• 48:55
  honest.
• 48:56
  And I
• 48:56
  think it's
• 48:59
  disappointing
• 49:00
  when
• 49:00
  someone
• 49:01
  has such a
• 49:01
  high
• 49:02
  profile
• 49:02
  and they
• 49:03
  can't get
• 49:03
  up and
• 49:03
  communicate
• 49:04
  in a way
• 49:05
  that gets
• 49:06
  people to
• 49:06
  think,
• 49:06
  feel and
• 49:07
  act that
• 49:07
  Mark Ackers: feels
• 49:08
  more like
• 49:08
  that's
• 49:09
  just who
• 49:09
  they are,
• 49:09
  though it
• 49:10
  doesn't
• 49:10
  feel like
• 49:10
  they're
• 49:10
  saying you
• 49:11
  can avoid
• 49:11
  James Ski: I
• 49:11
  don't
• 49:12
  know, it's
• 49:12
  a hard
• 49:12
  question.
• 49:13
  I mean, I
• 49:13
  was Nia
• 49:13
  was
• 49:14
  talking to
• 49:14
  me earlier
• 49:14
  about, you
• 49:15
  know,
• 49:15
  traits of
• 49:15
  salespeople.
• 49:16
  I believe
• 49:17
  everybody
• 49:17
  can train
• 49:18
  to be more
• 49:18
  likable. I
• 49:19
  do. I
• 49:20
  think
• 49:20
  there are
• 49:21
  just ways
• 49:21
  of being,
• 49:22
  and I
• 49:23
  think you
• 49:24
  can
• 49:24
  therefore
• 49:24
  practice
• 49:25
  to be an
• 49:25
  entertaining
• 49:26
  or
• 49:26
  interesting
• 49:27
  speaker or
• 49:28
  turn your
• 49:28
  story into
• 49:29
  something
• 49:29
  that you
• 49:30
  know
• 49:30
  resonates
• 49:30
  with
• 49:31
  people. I
• 49:31
  think it
• 49:31
  takes
• 49:32
  practice,
• 49:32
  and I just
• 49:33
  don't
• 49:33
  think that
• 49:34
  particular
• 49:35
  person has
• 49:35
  got enough
• 49:36
  self
• 49:36
  awareness
• 49:37
  to realize
• 49:37
  that
• 49:38
  they're
• 49:38
  not very
• 49:38
  Mark Ackers: good
• 49:38
  at it.
• 49:39
  What are
• 49:39
  some of
• 49:39
  the things
• 49:40
  you can do
• 49:40
  then to
• 49:41
  become
• 49:41
  more
• 49:41
  likable.
• 49:42
  So
• 49:42
  likeability
• 49:43
  James Ski: is
• 49:44
  making or
• 49:45
  helping
• 49:45
  people
• 49:45
  feel good
• 49:46
  around
• 49:46
  you,
• 49:47
  right? So
• 49:49
  complimenting
• 49:50
  someone on
• 49:50
  something
• 49:50
  they've
• 49:51
  just done
• 49:51
  for you,
• 49:52
  or showing
• 49:53
  gratitude
• 49:53
  to someone
• 49:55
  warms you
• 49:56
  to that
• 49:56
  other
• 49:56
  person,
• 49:57
  they feel
• 49:57
  good that
• 49:58
  you've
• 49:58
  done
• 49:58
  something
• 49:59
  for them.
• 49:59
  Well.
• 50:00
  Prioritizing
• 50:00
  someone's
• 50:01
  needs
• 50:01
  before you
• 50:03
  being
• 50:05
  light
• 50:05
  hearted.
• 50:06
  You know,
• 50:06
  not being
• 50:07
  so
• 50:07
  serious,
• 50:07
  not
• 50:08
  getting
• 50:08
  down to
• 50:08
  business
• 50:09
  straight
• 50:09
  away. You
• 50:10
  know,
• 50:10
  being
• 50:11
  relaxed
• 50:12
  around
• 50:12
  someone,
• 50:13
  making
• 50:13
  someone
• 50:13
  feel
• 50:14
  comfortable.
• 50:15
  The best
• 50:15
  analogy
• 50:16
  is,
• 50:16
  everyone,
• 50:17
  I hope,
• 50:18
  has got
• 50:18
  someone
• 50:18
  you know,
• 50:18
  when you
• 50:19
  go into an
• 50:19
  old
• 50:20
  person's
• 50:20
  home, or,
• 50:22
  you know,
• 50:22
  your
• 50:22
  grands,
• 50:23
  and they
• 50:23
  offer you
• 50:23
  a cup of
• 50:24
  tea, and
• 50:25
  they chat
• 50:26
  about your
• 50:26
  day, and
• 50:26
  they want
• 50:27
  to know
• 50:27
  how work
• 50:28
  is, and
• 50:29
  they just,
• 50:30
  there's
• 50:30
  like a
• 50:31
  softness
• 50:32
  to them,
• 50:32
  you know,
• 50:32
  they're
• 50:33
  not hard,
• 50:33
  they're
• 50:33
  just
• 50:34
  loving,
• 50:35
  polite and
• 50:36
  friendly
• 50:36
  and
• 50:37
  likable.
• 50:38
  So like,
• 50:38
  if you can
• 50:39
  create
• 50:39
  that
• 50:39
  warmth
• 50:40
  with
• 50:41
  people.
• 50:42
  People
• 50:42
  will think
• 50:43
  you're
• 50:43
  more
• 50:43
  likable.
• 50:44
  Mark Ackers: And
• 50:44
  may I just
• 50:45
  take this
• 50:45
  time say
• 50:46
  thank you
• 50:46
  for coming
• 50:47
  into the
• 50:47
  office.
• 50:48
  You're
• 50:48
  doing a
• 50:48
  very good
• 50:49
  job. Can I
• 50:49
  get you
• 50:51
  another
• 50:51
  beer
• 50:52
  anytime?
• 50:53
  Let's talk
• 50:53
  about,
• 50:54
  like, the
• 50:54
  mental
• 50:55
  side of
• 50:55
  sales. And
• 50:56
  you have
• 50:56
  spoke
• 50:57
  about a
• 50:57
  lot
• 50:57
  already,
• 50:57
  which is,
• 50:58
  which is
• 50:58
  great. I
• 50:59
  love how
• 51:00
  open,
• 51:00
  honest you
• 51:00
  are about
• 51:01
  so many
• 51:01
  people
• 51:02
  would not
• 51:02
  share what
• 51:03
  you've
• 51:03
  shared,
• 51:03
  and it's
• 51:04
  okay not
• 51:04
  to, by the
• 51:05
  way,
• 51:05
  because
• 51:05
  it's a lot
• 51:06
  totally,
• 51:06
  Oh,
• 51:07
  absolutely.
• 51:07
  But talk
• 51:08
  to me
• 51:09
  about
• 51:10
  sales. You
• 51:11
  know, like
• 51:12
  a mental
• 51:13
  I've like,
• 51:13
  sales is
• 51:13
  obviously
• 51:14
  taxing.
• 51:14
  It's
• 51:15
  anxiety
• 51:15
  inducing,
• 51:16
  it's
• 51:17
  pressure
• 51:17
  filled,
• 51:18
  and even
• 51:19
  more so
• 51:19
  when you
• 51:20
  run your
• 51:20
  own
• 51:20
  business,
• 51:21
  just walk
• 51:22
  me
• 51:22
  through,
• 51:22
  and it
• 51:23
  feels like
• 51:23
  you've had
• 51:23
  a lot of
• 51:24
  experience
• 51:24
  in terms
• 51:25
  of, like,
• 51:25
  education
• 51:26
  and help
• 51:27
  from
• 51:27
  people.
• 51:28
  Like, what
• 51:29
  do you do
• 51:29
  to manage
• 51:30
  some of
• 51:30
  the
• 51:31
  tension
• 51:31
  that this
• 51:32
  profession
• 51:32
  brings to
• 51:33
  you?
• 51:33
  James Ski: For
• 51:33
  me
• 51:34
  personally,
• 51:35
  you know,
• 51:35
  and a lot
• 51:36
  of these
• 51:36
  are common
• 51:37
  commonalities
• 51:38
  or cliche
• 51:38
  obvious,
• 51:39
  like, you
• 51:39
  know,
• 51:39
  exercise
• 51:40
  is a big
• 51:40
  deal for
• 51:40
  me. I do
• 51:42
  try and
• 51:42
  run three,
• 51:43
  four times
• 51:43
  a week.
• 51:44
  And now
• 51:44
  back on
• 51:44
  the river,
• 51:45
  rowing in
• 51:46
  a rowing
• 51:46
  boat,
• 51:46
  which is a
• 51:46
  lot of
• 51:47
  fun. I go
• 51:47
  to the
• 51:47
  gym. So
• 51:49
  that's
• 51:50
  really
• 51:50
  important.
• 51:50
  Sleep is
• 51:52
  absolutely
• 51:52
  critical.
• 51:53
  Consistency
• 51:54
  on sleep
• 51:55
  is super,
• 51:56
  super
• 51:56
  important.
• 51:57
  Getting
• 51:57
  what you
• 51:58
  need, but
• 51:59
  just
• 51:59
  getting
• 51:59
  enough of
• 52:00
  it on a
• 52:00
  consistent
• 52:01
  basis, is
• 52:02
  really
• 52:03
  important,
• 52:04
  also not
• 52:08
  being
• 52:08
  super
• 52:09
  attached
• 52:10
  to the
• 52:10
  outcome.
• 52:12
  If the
• 52:12
  discovery
• 52:13
  call
• 52:13
  doesn't go
• 52:13
  well, so
• 52:14
  what if
• 52:14
  you don't
• 52:14
  close the
• 52:15
  deal? So
• 52:15
  what? Like
• 52:17
  you know
• 52:17
  your boss
• 52:17
  is telling
• 52:18
  you need
• 52:18
  to get a
• 52:19
  deal done
• 52:19
  by this
• 52:19
  time. If
• 52:20
  it doesn't
• 52:20
  happen. It
• 52:20
  doesn't
• 52:21
  happen
• 52:22
  like I had
• 52:22
  this
• 52:22
  thing. I
• 52:23
  had my
• 52:23
  first son
• 52:24
  when I was
• 52:25
  only 24
• 52:27
  which was
• 52:27
  reasonably
• 52:27
  young, and
• 52:28
  I remember
• 52:29
  some of my
• 52:29
  managers
• 52:30
  used to
• 52:30
  email me.
• 52:31
  This was
• 52:32
  before
• 52:32
  slack,
• 52:33
  urgent
• 52:33
  call me
• 52:34
  back, or
• 52:34
  urgent you
• 52:35
  need to
• 52:36
  go. No,
• 52:36
  nothing's
• 52:37
  urgent in
• 52:37
  business,
• 52:38
  what's
• 52:39
  urgent is
• 52:40
  if my the
• 52:41
  mother or
• 52:41
  my
• 52:41
  children
• 52:41
  calls me
• 52:42
  and my
• 52:42
  son's
• 52:43
  injured
• 52:43
  and He's
• 52:43
  in
• 52:43
  hospital,
• 52:44
  that's an
• 52:45
  urgent,
• 52:45
  that's
• 52:46
  emergency,
• 52:46
  really, in
• 52:47
  business,
• 52:48
  there's no
• 52:48
  there's
• 52:49
  nothing
• 52:49
  urgent, if
• 52:49
  I'm
• 52:50
  honest,
• 52:50
  like it's
• 52:51
  important
• 52:51
  and you
• 52:52
  can get to
• 52:52
  it, but
• 52:53
  it's not
• 52:53
  urgent. So
• 52:54
  I hate
• 52:54
  that kind
• 52:55
  of use of
• 52:56
  language
• 52:57
  around
• 52:57
  people.
• 52:58
  And I
• 52:59
  think, you
• 53:00
  know,
• 53:00
  it's, it's
• 53:01
  not being
• 53:01
  attached
• 53:02
  to the
• 53:02
  outcome.
• 53:03
  Yes,
• 53:03
  striving
• 53:04
  for it.
• 53:04
  Yes, put
• 53:04
  the work
• 53:05
  in. If
• 53:05
  you're not
• 53:05
  someone
• 53:06
  that
• 53:06
  doesn't
• 53:06
  put the
• 53:07
  work in,
• 53:07
  that's not
• 53:07
  good
• 53:07
  enough.
• 53:08
  But like,
• 53:08
  if it
• 53:09
  doesn't
• 53:09
  happen, it
• 53:09
  doesn't
• 53:10
  happen,
• 53:10
  like, just
• 53:10
  let go,
• 53:11
  move on,
• 53:11
  move to
• 53:11
  the next
• 53:12
  one, on to
• 53:12
  the next.
• 53:13
  So I think
• 53:14
  you know
• 53:15
  your
• 53:15
  mindset
• 53:16
  and how
• 53:16
  you kind
• 53:19
  of, you
• 53:19
  know, look
• 53:20
  at things,
• 53:20
  is really
• 53:21
  important,
• 53:21
  and you
• 53:22
  know what?
• 53:22
  It
• 53:22
  actually
• 53:22
  is funny
• 53:23
  enough for
• 53:24
  all the
• 53:24
  content I
• 53:25
  put out
• 53:25
  and the
• 53:26
  personal
• 53:26
  stuff,
• 53:26
  which I
• 53:27
  think
• 53:27
  people
• 53:27
  have
• 53:28
  different
• 53:28
  versions
• 53:29
  of me or
• 53:29
  seen
• 53:29
  different
• 53:30
  versions
• 53:30
  of me,
• 53:30
  I've read
• 53:31
  or
• 53:31
  listened
• 53:31
  to
• 53:32
  different
• 53:32
  versions
• 53:33
  of me. I
• 53:33
  actually,
• 53:34
  I get very
• 53:35
  few people
• 53:36
  that are
• 53:36
  like, I'm
• 53:38
  struggling
• 53:39
  in my
• 53:39
  number
• 53:39
  and, you
• 53:39
  know,
• 53:40
  because
• 53:40
  you've
• 53:40
  done the
• 53:40
  survey and
• 53:41
  we've done
• 53:41
  the
• 53:41
  reports,
• 53:42
  most
• 53:42
  salespeople
• 53:43
  are not
• 53:43
  hitting
• 53:43
  their
• 53:43
  number,
• 53:44
  but I
• 53:45
  don't
• 53:45
  think
• 53:45
  they're
• 53:45
  dealing
• 53:46
  with it. I
• 53:46
  honestly,
• 53:47
  I think
• 53:47
  there's a
• 53:47
  crisis in
• 53:48
  sales, if
• 53:48
  I have to
• 53:49
  say that
• 53:49
  out loud
• 53:50
  right now,
• 53:50
  where
• 53:51
  there is
• 53:51
  an
• 53:51
  epidemic
• 53:52
  of
• 53:52
  salespeople
• 53:53
  not
• 53:53
  hitting
• 53:53
  target,
• 53:55
  and they
• 53:55
  don't know
• 53:55
  what to
• 53:55
  do, and
• 53:56
  they don't
• 53:56
  know who
• 53:56
  to turn
• 53:57
  to, and
• 53:58
  they don't
• 53:58
  know how
• 53:59
  to talk
• 53:59
  about and
• 53:59
  so they're
• 54:00
  not. It's
• 54:00
  just being
• 54:01
  ignored
• 54:02
  because
• 54:02
  most sales
• 54:03
  people are
• 54:03
  not
• 54:03
  hitting
• 54:04
  their
• 54:04
  targets.
• 54:05
  So I don't
• 54:05
  know where
• 54:05
  they're
• 54:06
  going,
• 54:06
  because
• 54:06
  they're
• 54:06
  not coming
• 54:07
  to me,
• 54:07
  either as
• 54:07
  much as I
• 54:08
  thought
• 54:08
  they
• 54:08
  would, or
• 54:08
  at least
• 54:09
  if they're
• 54:09
  coming to
• 54:10
  me,
• 54:10
  they're
• 54:10
  not really
• 54:11
  sharing
• 54:11
  what's
• 54:12
  going on.
• 54:13
  So yeah, I
• 54:14
  think, you
• 54:15
  know,
• 54:15
  there's a
• 54:15
  lot of
• 54:16
  people
• 54:16
  trying to
• 54:17
  cope with
• 54:17
  this
• 54:17
  themselves,
• 54:18
  and you
• 54:20
  know, you
• 54:20
  need to do
• 54:20
  some of
• 54:21
  the things
• 54:21
  I've
• 54:21
  talked
• 54:21
  about.
• 54:22
  That's how
• 54:22
  I do it.
• 54:23
  Also, I
• 54:23
  have a
• 54:24
  well being
• 54:24
  team
• 54:24
  around me.
• 54:25
  I talk
• 54:25
  about this
• 54:26
  in my
• 54:26
  book, How
• 54:26
  To Build
• 54:27
  sales
• 54:27
  confidence.
• 54:28
  So I have
• 54:29
  a
• 54:29
  psychologist,
• 54:29
  I have a
• 54:30
  psychiatrist,
• 54:31
  I have a
• 54:31
  personal
• 54:32
  coach. I
• 54:33
  have a
• 54:33
  coach. You
• 54:35
  know, all
• 54:35
  of these
• 54:36
  people,
• 54:36
  plus some
• 54:37
  key family
• 54:38
  members
• 54:38
  and
• 54:38
  friends,
• 54:39
  know
• 54:40
  what's
• 54:40
  going on
• 54:40
  in my
• 54:40
  world. Can
• 54:41
  give me
• 54:42
  updates.
• 54:43
  Can share
• 54:43
  with me
• 54:44
  that I
• 54:44
  might be
• 54:44
  getting
• 54:44
  ahead of
• 54:45
  myself, or
• 54:45
  I don't
• 54:45
  seem quite
• 54:46
  right, or
• 54:47
  I'm
• 54:47
  behaving
• 54:47
  differently,
• 54:48
  and that
• 54:48
  just means
• 54:49
  that I can
• 54:50
  monitor
• 54:50
  myself and
• 54:51
  stay as
• 54:52
  well as
• 54:53
  possible.
• 54:53
  It feels
• 54:54
  Mark Ackers: like
• 54:54
  you really
• 54:54
  have just
• 54:55
  built a
• 54:55
  great team
• 54:57
  around you
• 54:58
  to help
• 54:58
  you and.
• 55:00
  Most
• 55:00
  people
• 55:00
  don't have
• 55:00
  that
• 55:00
  luxury,
• 55:01
  like you
• 55:01
  say, and
• 55:01
  they don't
• 55:02
  know who
• 55:02
  to talk
• 55:03
  to, don't
• 55:03
  want to
• 55:03
  some
• 55:04
  people
• 55:04
  probably
• 55:04
  don't even
• 55:05
  identify
• 55:06
  that.
• 55:06
  They've
• 55:07
  got these
• 55:07
  problems.
• 55:08
  That's
• 55:08
  true. What
• 55:09
  are the
• 55:09
  warning
• 55:10
  signs if
• 55:10
  you're an
• 55:10
  individual
• 55:12
  to look
• 55:12
  for? I've
• 55:13
  James Ski: never
• 55:13
  quite
• 55:13
  experienced,
• 55:14
  but I
• 55:14
  understand
• 55:15
  the
• 55:15
  concept of
• 55:15
  it, you
• 55:16
  know,
• 55:16
  like, I
• 55:16
  think they
• 55:16
  call it
• 55:17
  Monday
• 55:17
  blues, you
• 55:17
  know, if
• 55:18
  you're
• 55:18
  really on
• 55:19
  a Sunday,
• 55:19
  getting
• 55:20
  anxious
• 55:21
  about
• 55:21
  Monday
• 55:22
  morning,
• 55:22
  sitting
• 55:22
  down in
• 55:23
  the sales
• 55:23
  meeting or
• 55:24
  getting on
• 55:24
  the sales
• 55:25
  call, and
• 55:26
  you are,
• 55:26
  you know,
• 55:28
  your heart
• 55:28
  beats
• 55:28
  racing,
• 55:29
  you're
• 55:29
  stressed,
• 55:30
  like
• 55:31
  you're
• 55:31
  distracted.
• 55:31
  Your
• 55:32
  family's
• 55:32
  not
• 55:32
  getting
• 55:32
  their
• 55:33
  attention,
• 55:33
  or your
• 55:33
  partner's
• 55:34
  not
• 55:34
  getting
• 55:34
  your
• 55:34
  attention.
• 55:35
  Because
• 55:35
  you're
• 55:35
  stressed
• 55:36
  about
• 55:36
  Monday
• 55:37
  there's a
• 55:37
  problem.
• 55:38
  You need
• 55:38
  to speak
• 55:39
  to
• 55:39
  someone.
• 55:39
  You need
• 55:40
  to a
• 55:40
  professional.
• 55:41
  So I think
• 55:42
  if you're
• 55:43
  anxious,
• 55:44
  waking up
• 55:44
  in the
• 55:45
  morning,
• 55:45
  going into
• 55:46
  work, if
• 55:47
  you can't
• 55:48
  turn your
• 55:48
  laptop
• 55:49
  off, you
• 55:50
  know,
• 55:50
  especially
• 55:50
  with so
• 55:50
  many
• 55:51
  people
• 55:51
  that
• 55:51
  hybrid now
• 55:52
  work from
• 55:52
  home, like
• 55:53
  they're on
• 55:53
  their
• 55:53
  laptop
• 55:53
  till eight
• 55:54
  o'clock,
• 55:54
  nine
• 55:54
  o'clock at
• 55:55
  night, you
• 55:56
  don't have
• 55:56
  to do
• 55:57
  that, but
• 55:57
  you feel
• 55:57
  like you
• 55:58
  need to. I
• 55:58
  think
• 55:58
  you've got
• 55:59
  a problem.
• 56:00
  I think if
• 56:00
  you are,
• 56:02
  you know,
• 56:02
  abusing
• 56:03
  alcohol,
• 56:04
  drugs,
• 56:04
  other
• 56:05
  things,
• 56:05
  you've got
• 56:06
  a problem.
• 56:07
  If you
• 56:08
  are, you
• 56:11
  know,
• 56:11
  afraid to
• 56:12
  be honest
• 56:12
  about your
• 56:13
  pipeline
• 56:13
  to your
• 56:14
  manager,
• 56:14
  you've got
• 56:15
  a problem.
• 56:16
  So I think
• 56:16
  there's a
• 56:16
  there's
• 56:17
  number of
• 56:17
  things
• 56:18
  that you
• 56:19
  need to
• 56:19
  become
• 56:20
  aware of.
• 56:21
  And if
• 56:22
  you, you
• 56:23
  know
• 56:23
  experience
• 56:24
  that you
• 56:24
  you need
• 56:25
  to speak
• 56:25
  to a
• 56:25
  professional,
• 56:26
  and then
• 56:26
  you need
• 56:27
  to start
• 56:27
  thinking
• 56:28
  about, you
• 56:28
  know, are
• 56:29
  you in the
• 56:29
  right
• 56:30
  company?
• 56:30
  Have you
• 56:30
  got the
• 56:31
  right
• 56:31
  manager?
• 56:32
  Like,
• 56:33
  where can
• 56:33
  you get a
• 56:33
  system?
• 56:34
  And this
• 56:34
  is why,
• 56:35
  you know,
• 56:36
  I know
• 56:37
  you're
• 56:37
  not, it's
• 56:37
  not really
• 56:38
  the
• 56:38
  female,
• 56:38
  but this
• 56:39
  is why
• 56:39
  having a
• 56:39
  an outlet
• 56:40
  of a coach
• 56:41
  is
• 56:41
  critical
• 56:42
  because
• 56:42
  they're a
• 56:43
  third
• 56:43
  party.
• 56:44
  They're a
• 56:44
  person
• 56:44
  outside
• 56:45
  your
• 56:45
  organization
• 56:46
  that's not
• 56:46
  going to
• 56:47
  hold
• 56:47
  judgment,
• 56:47
  not going
• 56:48
  to take it
• 56:48
  to HR, not
• 56:49
  going to
• 56:50
  bring it
• 56:50
  up if
• 56:50
  you're not
• 56:51
  ready to
• 56:51
  bring it
• 56:52
  up. And
• 56:52
  it's
• 56:53
  amazing
• 56:53
  what can
• 56:54
  happen in
• 56:54
  those
• 56:55
  sessions
• 56:55
  where
• 56:56
  someone
• 56:56
  can just
• 56:57
  open up
• 56:57
  about
• 56:57
  their
• 56:58
  challenges
• 56:58
  and get
• 56:59
  honest
• 56:59
  feedback,
• 57:00
  direction
• 57:00
  and
• 57:01
  signposting
• 57:02
  to maybe
• 57:02
  other
• 57:02
  expertise
• 57:03
  or
• 57:03
  thoughts
• 57:04
  or people
• 57:04
  that
• 57:04
  Mark Ackers: can
• 57:04
  help them.
• 57:05
  Where do
• 57:05
  you think
• 57:06
  you'd be
• 57:06
  if you'd
• 57:06
  never had
• 57:07
  access to
• 57:08
  external
• 57:08
  support
• 57:08
  and
• 57:09
  coaches?
• 57:09
  James Ski: Probably
• 57:10
  be in
• 57:10
  hospital,
• 57:11
  you know,
• 57:11
  like, if
• 57:12
  I, if I
• 57:13
  didn't
• 57:13
  invest in
• 57:15
  my well
• 57:15
  being
• 57:15
  team, if I
• 57:16
  didn't
• 57:16
  invest in
• 57:17
  coaching,
• 57:17
  if I
• 57:17
  didn't,
• 57:19
  you know,
• 57:20
  look after
• 57:20
  myself.
• 57:21
  It's quite
• 57:21
  extreme to
• 57:22
  say this,
• 57:22
  but I
• 57:22
  could have
• 57:23
  been
• 57:23
  institutionalized
• 57:24
  into the
• 57:24
  point
• 57:25
  where I
• 57:25
  know,
• 57:25
  because
• 57:26
  I've met
• 57:26
  them,
• 57:27
  where you
• 57:27
  just don't
• 57:27
  leave
• 57:27
  hospital,
• 57:28
  you're
• 57:29
  just in
• 57:29
  it. That
• 57:29
  is where
• 57:30
  you live
• 57:31
  like and
• 57:31
  that is
• 57:31
  scary. And
• 57:33
  you know,
• 57:33
  I could
• 57:33
  have lost
• 57:34
  my
• 57:34
  businesses.
• 57:35
  I could
• 57:36
  have lost
• 57:36
  relationships
• 57:37
  if I
• 57:37
  didn't
• 57:38
  invest in
• 57:38
  myself.
• 57:39
  Because,
• 57:39
  you know,
• 57:40
  some of my
• 57:40
  behaviors
• 57:41
  that that
• 57:42
  led to my
• 57:42
  hospital
• 57:43
  admissions
• 57:43
  were, you
• 57:44
  know, not
• 57:44
  healthy.
• 57:45
  So, you
• 57:48
  know, it
• 57:48
  can, it
• 57:49
  can cause
• 57:50
  a lot of
• 57:50
  problems.
• 57:51
  And
• 57:52
  Mark Ackers: like
• 57:52
  you say,
• 57:52
  that's why
• 57:53
  having
• 57:53
  someone
• 57:54
  external,
• 57:55
  no
• 57:55
  judgment,
• 57:56
  safe space
• 57:58
  in sales
• 57:59
  and
• 58:00
  personally,
• 58:00
  as well,
• 58:01
  completely.
• 58:01
  Yeah, you
• 58:03
  shared
• 58:04
  some of
• 58:04
  the things
• 58:04
  that you
• 58:05
  you do.
• 58:06
  How much
• 58:07
  exercise
• 58:07
  do you
• 58:07
  get? A
• 58:07
  week
• 58:09
  James Ski: physical
• 58:09
  exercise,
• 58:10
  probably
• 58:10
  four or
• 58:11
  five
• 58:11
  hours.
• 58:11
  Mark Ackers: How
• 58:12
  much sleep
• 58:13
  do you
• 58:13
  get?
• 58:14
  James Ski: Probably
• 58:14
  8989,
• 58:15
  Mark Ackers: that's
• 58:15
  good.
• 58:16
  Yeah,
• 58:16
  that's
• 58:16
  good for a
• 58:17
  man with
• 58:17
  three
• 58:17
  James Ski: kids.
• 58:17
  Oh, well,
• 58:18
  I don't
• 58:18
  live with
• 58:19
  my kids.
• 58:20
  You know,
• 58:21
  when I've
• 58:21
  got them,
• 58:22
  it's
• 58:22
  probably
• 58:23
  less, but
• 58:23
  yeah,
• 58:24
  generally,
• 58:24
  eight,
• 58:24
  nine
• 58:24
  hours.
• 58:25
  Mark Ackers: If
• 58:25
  you're a
• 58:26
  manager,
• 58:27
  what are
• 58:28
  the
• 58:28
  telltale
• 58:28
  signs that
• 58:29
  someone in
• 58:29
  your team
• 58:30
  might be
• 58:30
  mentally
• 58:31
  struggling?
• 58:32
  Avoidance.
• 58:34
  James Ski: They're
• 58:34
  avoiding
• 58:36
  honest
• 58:37
  answers or
• 58:37
  what's
• 58:37
  going on.
• 58:38
  They're
• 58:38
  not
• 58:38
  telling
• 58:39
  you about
• 58:40
  home life.
• 58:41
  They're
• 58:41
  not
• 58:41
  sharing
• 58:42
  what's
• 58:42
  happening
• 58:43
  outside of
• 58:43
  work.
• 58:44
  They're
• 58:44
  avoidant.
• 58:45
  That is a
• 58:46
  real
• 58:46
  telltale
• 58:47
  sign that
• 58:47
  someone's
• 58:48
  struggling.
• 58:50
  I think,
• 58:52
  you know,
• 58:53
  you have,
• 58:53
  I don't
• 58:53
  know,
• 58:54
  opportunities
• 58:55
  to come,
• 58:55
  bring
• 58:55
  people
• 58:56
  together
• 58:56
  in the
• 58:56
  office,
• 58:57
  and you
• 58:58
  invite
• 58:59
  them over
• 58:59
  to hang
• 58:59
  out, they
• 59:00
  don't
• 59:00
  come, you
• 59:00
  know.
• 59:00
  Lola, I
• 59:01
  need to
• 59:01
  finish
• 59:01
  this. I'm
• 59:02
  busy. I'm
• 59:02
  busy. I'm
• 59:02
  busy.
• 59:03
  There's
• 59:03
  something
• 59:03
  going on.
• 59:04
  You know,
• 59:04
  they're
• 59:04
  struggling.
• 59:05
  They're
• 59:05
  they, they
• 59:07
  are not
• 59:07
  responsive
• 59:09
  as quickly
• 59:09
  as your
• 59:10
  other team
• 59:11
  members on
• 59:12
  Slack or
• 59:13
  other
• 59:14
  things, or
• 59:15
  usually
• 59:15
  it's a
• 59:16
  change. So
• 59:17
  if
• 59:17
  someone's
• 59:17
  super
• 59:18
  responsive
• 59:19
  all the
• 59:19
  time, and
• 59:19
  you've
• 59:19
  known them
• 59:20
  for six
• 59:20
  months and
• 59:21
  now
• 59:21
  they're
• 59:21
  not,
• 59:21
  something's
• 59:22
  going on,
• 59:23
  if
• 59:23
  someone's
• 59:23
  typically
• 59:24
  slow, but
• 59:24
  now
• 59:24
  they're
• 59:24
  responding
• 59:25
  really,
• 59:25
  really
• 59:25
  quickly
• 59:26
  something's
• 59:26
  going on.
• 59:26
  It's some
• 59:27
  kind of
• 59:27
  change
• 59:28
  that's
• 59:28
  happened
• 59:29
  where you
• 59:30
  need to
• 59:30
  stop and
• 59:30
  pause,
• 59:31
  take
• 59:31
  notice,
• 59:31
  and you
• 59:32
  need to,
• 59:32
  you know,
• 59:33
  delicately
• 59:33
  address it
• 59:34
  and bring
• 59:34
  it up with
• 59:35
  them.
• 59:36
  Let's
• 59:37
  Mark Ackers: move
• 59:37
  on now to
• 59:39
  confidence,
• 59:40
  which you
• 59:40
  know is
• 59:41
  something
• 59:41
  that you
• 59:41
  obviously
• 59:42
  spoke
• 59:42
  about as
• 59:43
  well, and
• 59:43
  that has
• 59:43
  led to
• 59:44
  you.
• 59:46
  Hello,
• 59:47
  sounds
• 59:47
  confidence.
• 59:48
  So those
• 59:48
  that are
• 59:49
  listening
• 59:49
  won't see,
• 59:50
  but I've
• 59:51
  got a copy
• 59:51
  of James's
• 59:52
  book in
• 59:52
  hand. This
• 59:53
  is
• 59:54
  actually
• 59:54
  the one
• 59:54
  that you
• 59:55
  gifted to
• 59:55
  Nia.
• 59:56
  Mine's at
• 59:56
  home. I
• 59:57
  had to buy
• 59:57
  mine. Nia
• 59:58
  got hers
• 59:59
  for free.
• 59:59
  Yeah.
• 1:00:00
  James Ski: What
• 1:00:00
  do you
• 1:00:00
  think she
• 1:00:01
  got
• 1:00:01
  signed.
• 1:00:01
  She
• 1:00:01
  Mark Ackers: got
• 1:00:01
  signed as
• 1:00:02
  well. She
• 1:00:02
  devalued
• 1:00:03
  it. Talk
• 1:00:04
  to me
• 1:00:04
  about
• 1:00:05
  right? How
• 1:00:05
  did you
• 1:00:06
  write this
• 1:00:06
  book? How
• 1:00:06
  did it
• 1:00:07
  come
• 1:00:07
  about? I
• 1:00:07
  James Ski: have
• 1:00:07
  a few
• 1:00:08
  books in
• 1:00:08
  me that
• 1:00:08
  I'm
• 1:00:08
  excited
• 1:00:09
  about
• 1:00:09
  writing. I
• 1:00:10
  really
• 1:00:10
  want to
• 1:00:10
  tell the
• 1:00:11
  story on
• 1:00:11
  my bipolar
• 1:00:12
  journey,
• 1:00:12
  but I want
• 1:00:14
  to tell it
• 1:00:14
  in the
• 1:00:15
  right time
• 1:00:15
  again,
• 1:00:16
  probably
• 1:00:16
  the ego. I
• 1:00:17
  want to
• 1:00:17
  achieve a
• 1:00:17
  certain
• 1:00:18
  amount
• 1:00:18
  before I
• 1:00:19
  tell that
• 1:00:19
  story,
• 1:00:19
  right? So
• 1:00:20
  I want to,
• 1:00:20
  I don't
• 1:00:20
  want to be
• 1:00:21
  judged on
• 1:00:21
  it. I
• 1:00:22
  don't want
• 1:00:22
  to reveal
• 1:00:22
  some of
• 1:00:23
  the, the
• 1:00:24
  bizarre
• 1:00:25
  adventures
• 1:00:26
  I've been
• 1:00:26
  on, as I
• 1:00:26
  like to
• 1:00:27
  call them.
• 1:00:27
  So this
• 1:00:28
  book
• 1:00:28
  really was
• 1:00:29
  in the
• 1:00:29
  making for
• 1:00:30
  a long,
• 1:00:30
  long time,
• 1:00:32
  and then I
• 1:00:32
  just
• 1:00:32
  committed
• 1:00:33
  to that
• 1:00:33
  goal. And
• 1:00:33
  I said,
• 1:00:34
  I'm going
• 1:00:34
  to write
• 1:00:34
  this book.
• 1:00:35
  And I, you
• 1:00:36
  know, had
• 1:00:36
  help. I
• 1:00:37
  had
• 1:00:37
  someone
• 1:00:37
  help me
• 1:00:38
  write it,
• 1:00:39
  and it was
• 1:00:40
  really
• 1:00:41
  important
• 1:00:41
  for me to
• 1:00:43
  own sales
• 1:00:44
  confidence
• 1:00:44
  globally.
• 1:00:45
  Like that
• 1:00:46
  concept
• 1:00:47
  that sales
• 1:00:48
  confidence
• 1:00:49
  is a
• 1:00:49
  philosophy,
• 1:00:50
  a way of
• 1:00:50
  showing up
• 1:00:51
  to work, a
• 1:00:52
  way of
• 1:00:52
  approaching
• 1:00:53
  your
• 1:00:53
  lifestyle
• 1:00:54
  and the
• 1:00:54
  pillars of
• 1:00:55
  sales
• 1:00:55
  confidence,
• 1:00:56
  or how to
• 1:00:56
  build
• 1:00:56
  sales
• 1:00:56
  confidence
• 1:00:57
  as the
• 1:00:57
  book is
• 1:00:58
  called a
• 1:00:58
  split
• 1:00:58
  between
• 1:00:59
  your
• 1:00:59
  mindset,
• 1:01:00
  your well
• 1:01:01
  being and
• 1:01:01
  performance.
• 1:01:03
  Most books
• 1:01:04
  talk about
• 1:01:04
  sales
• 1:01:05
  tactics,
• 1:01:06
  how to
• 1:01:06
  cold call,
• 1:01:07
  how to
• 1:01:07
  write
• 1:01:07
  emails,
• 1:01:08
  how to
• 1:01:09
  medic. You
• 1:01:09
  know, I
• 1:01:10
  can't
• 1:01:10
  stand
• 1:01:11
  medic.
• 1:01:12
  This is
• 1:01:12
  going to
• 1:01:12
  go down
• 1:01:13
  well, you
• 1:01:14
  know, it's
• 1:01:15
  just like
• 1:01:15
  it's so
• 1:01:16
  rigid,
• 1:01:17
  it's so
• 1:01:18
  robotic,
• 1:01:20
  it's so
• 1:01:21
  on, people
• 1:01:22
  friendly,
• 1:01:23
  right? But
• 1:01:24
  I get it.
• 1:01:24
  It has a
• 1:01:25
  framework.
• 1:01:25
  It works.
• 1:01:26
  And, you
• 1:01:26
  know, I
• 1:01:27
  know the
• 1:01:27
  medic guys
• 1:01:27
  and girls
• 1:01:28
  love it,
• 1:01:28
  but it's
• 1:01:29
  not that's
• 1:01:29
  not my
• 1:01:30
  vibe. I'm
• 1:01:30
  a, I'm a,
• 1:01:31
  genuinely,
• 1:01:32
  I'm fluid.
• 1:01:33
  I'm a bit
• 1:01:33
  of a
• 1:01:33
  maverick.
• 1:01:34
  So, so
• 1:01:35
  firstly, a
• 1:01:35
  lot of
• 1:01:35
  books talk
• 1:01:36
  about
• 1:01:36
  performance,
• 1:01:37
  really,
• 1:01:37
  this book
• 1:01:37
  focuses,
• 1:01:38
  and it
• 1:01:38
  probably
• 1:01:39
  could have
• 1:01:39
  just been
• 1:01:39
  on
• 1:01:40
  mindset,
• 1:01:40
  but it
• 1:01:40
  really
• 1:01:41
  focuses on
• 1:01:42
  mindset
• 1:01:43
  and well
• 1:01:43
  being. And
• 1:01:44
  mindset
• 1:01:44
  really
• 1:01:45
  talks
• 1:01:45
  about
• 1:01:46
  things
• 1:01:46
  like
• 1:01:47
  gratitude.
• 1:01:47
  You know,
• 1:01:47
  it took me
• 1:01:48
  till my
• 1:01:48
  30s, and
• 1:01:49
  still, I
• 1:01:49
  started
• 1:01:49
  being
• 1:01:50
  grateful
• 1:01:50
  for where
• 1:01:50
  I've been
• 1:01:51
  and what
• 1:01:51
  I've got
• 1:01:51
  in my
• 1:01:52
  life. You
• 1:01:52
  should be
• 1:01:52
  practicing
• 1:01:53
  that every
• 1:01:53
  day. It
• 1:01:54
  talks
• 1:01:54
  about
• 1:01:55
  manifest
• 1:01:55
  manifestation,
• 1:01:56
  affirmations
• 1:01:57
  and
• 1:01:57
  visualization,
• 1:01:59
  like, how
• 1:01:59
  can you
• 1:01:59
  create an
• 1:02:00
  image so
• 1:02:01
  that
• 1:02:01
  you're
• 1:02:01
  motivated
• 1:02:01
  every
• 1:02:02
  single day
• 1:02:02
  to show up
• 1:02:03
  to your
• 1:02:03
  your job.
• 1:02:04
  It talks
• 1:02:04
  about
• 1:02:05
  healthy
• 1:02:05
  eating.
• 1:02:06
  You know
• 1:02:06
  how many
• 1:02:06
  sales
• 1:02:07
  books
• 1:02:07
  talks
• 1:02:07
  about
• 1:02:07
  eating and
• 1:02:08
  lifestyle?
• 1:02:08
  It talks
• 1:02:09
  about
• 1:02:09
  having a
• 1:02:09
  well being
• 1:02:10
  team. For
• 1:02:10
  me, these
• 1:02:11
  are all,
• 1:02:11
  like,
• 1:02:12
  important
• 1:02:12
  life kind
• 1:02:15
  of focuses
• 1:02:16
  and so,
• 1:02:17
  like,
• 1:02:18
  that's
• 1:02:18
  what I'm
• 1:02:19
  proud
• 1:02:19
  about in
• 1:02:20
  this book.
• 1:02:20
  And I'll
• 1:02:20
  be honest,
• 1:02:21
  this is
• 1:02:21
  the irony.
• 1:02:23
  There were
• 1:02:23
  points
• 1:02:23
  writing
• 1:02:24
  this where
• 1:02:24
  I really
• 1:02:25
  questioned
• 1:02:25
  myself,
• 1:02:26
  like, why
• 1:02:27
  am I doing
• 1:02:27
  this? I
• 1:02:28
  don't have
• 1:02:28
  anything
• 1:02:29
  to share.
• 1:02:29
  I don't
• 1:02:29
  have any
• 1:02:30
  value to
• 1:02:30
  add to
• 1:02:30
  anyone. No
• 1:02:31
  one's
• 1:02:31
  going to
• 1:02:32
  want to
• 1:02:32
  read it,
• 1:02:33
  and it was
• 1:02:34
  really
• 1:02:34
  difficult
• 1:02:35
  to
• 1:02:35
  actually
• 1:02:35
  publish
• 1:02:36
  it. Like I
• 1:02:37
  that book.
• 1:02:38
  It took me
• 1:02:38
  about nine
• 1:02:39
  months to
• 1:02:40
  actually
• 1:02:40
  publish
• 1:02:40
  it. It was
• 1:02:41
  finished.
• 1:02:42
  I just
• 1:02:43
  couldn't
• 1:02:43
  do it. I
• 1:02:43
  was just
• 1:02:44
  like, No,
• 1:02:44
  no one's
• 1:02:44
  gonna want
• 1:02:45
  to do
• 1:02:45
  this. And
• 1:02:46
  God
• 1:02:46
  forbid,
• 1:02:46
  someone
• 1:02:47
  reads it
• 1:02:47
  and thinks
• 1:02:47
  it's crap,
• 1:02:49
  you know.
• 1:02:49
  And then
• 1:02:50
  we're on a
• 1:02:50
  podcast
• 1:02:50
  talking
• 1:02:51
  about
• 1:02:51
  that,
• 1:02:51
  like, so,
• 1:02:53
  you know?
• 1:02:53
  And then
• 1:02:53
  again,
• 1:02:54
  what
• 1:02:54
  happened?
• 1:02:54
  Eventually,
• 1:02:55
  I was
• 1:02:55
  like, I
• 1:02:55
  don't
• 1:02:55
  care. I
• 1:02:56
  just feel
• 1:02:56
  good that
• 1:02:56
  I've
• 1:02:57
  written a
• 1:02:57
  book. And
• 1:02:58
  do you
• 1:02:58
  know what?
• 1:02:59
  Who? It
• 1:02:59
  matters to
• 1:02:59
  me. It
• 1:03:00
  matters to
• 1:03:01
  me, and
• 1:03:01
  I'm happy
• 1:03:02
  with it
• 1:03:02
  now. Do I
• 1:03:03
  have a
• 1:03:03
  goal on
• 1:03:04
  how many
• 1:03:04
  of books I
• 1:03:05
  want to
• 1:03:06
  sell?
• 1:03:06
  Yeah, is
• 1:03:07
  it a money
• 1:03:07
  spinner?
• 1:03:07
  No, for
• 1:03:08
  anyone who
• 1:03:08
  wants to
• 1:03:08
  is not a
• 1:03:09
  money
• 1:03:09
  spinner.
• 1:03:09
  But do I
• 1:03:10
  have in
• 1:03:11
  the game a
• 1:03:12
  goal on
• 1:03:12
  how many I
• 1:03:12
  want to
• 1:03:13
  sell?
• 1:03:13
  Yeah, 100%
• 1:03:14
  you know.
• 1:03:15
  Do I love
• 1:03:15
  it like
• 1:03:16
  you just
• 1:03:16
  put out? I
• 1:03:16
  didn't
• 1:03:17
  know you
• 1:03:17
  had it
• 1:03:17
  like did I
• 1:03:18
  feel good
• 1:03:18
  when I saw
• 1:03:19
  you bring
• 1:03:19
  out? Yeah?
• 1:03:19
  Absolutely.
• 1:03:20
  I was on a
• 1:03:21
  zoom call
• 1:03:21
  the other
• 1:03:21
  day
• 1:03:22
  speaking
• 1:03:22
  to a CRO
• 1:03:22
  and he
• 1:03:23
  literally
• 1:03:23
  just waved
• 1:03:24
  it at me.
• 1:03:24
  I didn't
• 1:03:24
  know he
• 1:03:25
  bought it.
• 1:03:25
  And I love
• 1:03:26
  that. So I
• 1:03:27
  think, you
• 1:03:27
  know, it's
• 1:03:29
  a really
• 1:03:30
  quite cool
• 1:03:31
  milestone
• 1:03:32
  in your
• 1:03:32
  career to
• 1:03:33
  be able to
• 1:03:33
  publish a
• 1:03:33
  book. And
• 1:03:35
  like I
• 1:03:35
  said, I
• 1:03:36
  have a
• 1:03:36
  goal on
• 1:03:36
  how many
• 1:03:37
  I'd like
• 1:03:37
  to sell.
• 1:03:38
  If I do, I
• 1:03:38
  don't, it
• 1:03:39
  doesn't
• 1:03:39
  really
• 1:03:39
  matter. I
• 1:03:40
  just
• 1:03:40
  enjoyed
• 1:03:40
  the
• 1:03:40
  process.
• 1:03:41
  What's the
• 1:03:41
  goal?
• 1:03:42
  10,000
• 1:03:43
  copies.
• 1:03:43
  How
• 1:03:43
  Mark Ackers: many
• 1:03:43
  sold? Over
• 1:03:44
  100 Okay,
• 1:03:46
  and where
• 1:03:46
  can people
• 1:03:47
  buy it
• 1:03:47
  from? So
• 1:03:48
  James Ski: it's
• 1:03:48
  available
• 1:03:48
  on Amazon,
• 1:03:49
  and you
• 1:03:49
  can get it
• 1:03:50
  on Kindle.
• 1:03:50
  I think
• 1:03:51
  you can
• 1:03:51
  get it on
• 1:03:51
  Kindle
• 1:03:52
  from 99
• 1:03:53
  pence. So
• 1:03:53
  there's no
• 1:03:53
  excuse if
• 1:03:54
  you're
• 1:03:54
  listening
• 1:03:55
  right now,
• 1:03:56
  grab a
• 1:03:56
  copy. I'll
• 1:03:56
  tell you
• 1:03:57
  what, if
• 1:03:57
  you are
• 1:03:57
  listening,
• 1:03:58
  and you
• 1:03:59
  grab a
• 1:03:59
  copy and
• 1:04:00
  you linked
• 1:04:00
  in me with
• 1:04:02
  a photo of
• 1:04:03
  your book,
• 1:04:04
  I will
• 1:04:04
  jump on
• 1:04:05
  the phone
• 1:04:05
  with you.
• 1:04:06
  Mark Ackers: That's
• 1:04:06
  an offer,
• 1:04:06
  right
• 1:04:06
  there. See
• 1:04:07
  BEC is
• 1:04:08
  grabbing
• 1:04:08
  her phone.
• 1:04:08
  Oh, there.
• 1:04:08
  She's
• 1:04:09
  ordering a
• 1:04:09
  copy right
• 1:04:10
  now, I was
• 1:04:11
  going to
• 1:04:11
  ask, like,
• 1:04:12
  how many
• 1:04:12
  times you
• 1:04:13
  need to
• 1:04:13
  quit
• 1:04:13
  writing
• 1:04:14
  this book?
• 1:04:14
  Because
• 1:04:15
  it's hard,
• 1:04:16
  isn't it?
• 1:04:17
  Well,
• 1:04:17
  you've
• 1:04:17
  done it,
• 1:04:18
  yeah, but
• 1:04:19
  I suppose
• 1:04:20
  I had two
• 1:04:20
  other
• 1:04:20
  people to
• 1:04:21
  push. And
• 1:04:22
  true, this
• 1:04:22
  is just,
• 1:04:23
  this could
• 1:04:23
  have gone
• 1:04:23
  away, and
• 1:04:24
  no one
• 1:04:24
  would ever
• 1:04:24
  known
• 1:04:25
  about
• 1:04:25
  James Ski: it.
• 1:04:25
  That's
• 1:04:25
  true. And
• 1:04:26
  that,
• 1:04:26
  again, it
• 1:04:26
  comes back
• 1:04:27
  to that.
• 1:04:27
  You know,
• 1:04:27
  no one
• 1:04:27
  cares.
• 1:04:28
  Like, no
• 1:04:29
  one told
• 1:04:29
  me to
• 1:04:29
  write that
• 1:04:30
  book. No
• 1:04:31
  one said,
• 1:04:31
  James, you
• 1:04:32
  should
• 1:04:32
  write a
• 1:04:32
  book.
• 1:04:33
  Like, no
• 1:04:34
  one said,
• 1:04:34
  like, I
• 1:04:34
  have to
• 1:04:35
  sell
• 1:04:35
  10,000
• 1:04:35
  companies.
• 1:04:36
  These are
• 1:04:36
  just my
• 1:04:37
  aspirations,
• 1:04:38
  my goals,
• 1:04:38
  right? So
• 1:04:39
  you're
• 1:04:40
  right.
• 1:04:40
  Like, and
• 1:04:40
  I think
• 1:04:41
  that's a
• 1:04:41
  lot in
• 1:04:42
  life.
• 1:04:42
  Like, and
• 1:04:43
  that's
• 1:04:43
  sometimes
• 1:04:43
  the
• 1:04:44
  accountability.
• 1:04:45
  10,000 is
• 1:04:45
  a huge
• 1:04:46
  Mark Ackers: number.
• 1:04:47
  I actually
• 1:04:47
  don't know
• 1:04:48
  what the
• 1:04:48
  average is
• 1:04:49
  for a book
• 1:04:50
  that's
• 1:04:50
  sold.
• 1:04:50
  Where did
• 1:04:51
  that come
• 1:04:51
  from? The
• 1:04:52
  James Ski: number?
• 1:04:53
  Yeah, if
• 1:04:54
  I'm
• 1:04:54
  honest,
• 1:04:55
  and I
• 1:04:55
  spoke to
• 1:04:56
  someone
• 1:04:56
  about this
• 1:04:57
  earlier
• 1:04:57
  today,
• 1:04:57
  actually
• 1:04:58
  the. Is
• 1:05:00
  really
• 1:05:00
  going to
• 1:05:00
  play up
• 1:05:01
  and what
• 1:05:01
  people
• 1:05:01
  think
• 1:05:02
  about me
• 1:05:02
  on
• 1:05:02
  LinkedIn
• 1:05:03
  and my
• 1:05:03
  ego, but I
• 1:05:04
  honestly
• 1:05:04
  believe
• 1:05:06
  that I
• 1:05:07
  have a
• 1:05:07
  huge
• 1:05:07
  amount of
• 1:05:08
  credibility
• 1:05:09
  and a
• 1:05:09
  story that
• 1:05:10
  is
• 1:05:10
  completely
• 1:05:11
  unique.
• 1:05:12
  How many
• 1:05:12
  people
• 1:05:13
  have you
• 1:05:13
  read about
• 1:05:14
  or
• 1:05:15
  listened
• 1:05:15
  to that
• 1:05:16
  have spent
• 1:05:16
  200 nights
• 1:05:17
  in a
• 1:05:17
  mental
• 1:05:17
  health
• 1:05:18
  hospital,
• 1:05:18
  seven
• 1:05:19
  different
• 1:05:19
  mental
• 1:05:19
  health
• 1:05:20
  hospitals?
• 1:05:21
  You know,
• 1:05:21
  I've
• 1:05:21
  raised a
• 1:05:22
  family,
• 1:05:23
  I've had a
• 1:05:23
  successful
• 1:05:23
  sales
• 1:05:24
  career,
• 1:05:25
  been in
• 1:05:25
  business,
• 1:05:26
  and
• 1:05:26
  continue
• 1:05:27
  to strive
• 1:05:27
  and
• 1:05:28
  produce a
• 1:05:28
  book,
• 1:05:28
  right? Not
• 1:05:30
  many, and
• 1:05:31
  I can tell
• 1:05:31
  you why,
• 1:05:32
  because
• 1:05:32
  I've been
• 1:05:33
  trying to
• 1:05:33
  find
• 1:05:33
  someone
• 1:05:34
  like me
• 1:05:35
  that has a
• 1:05:35
  diagnosis
• 1:05:36
  of a
• 1:05:36
  bipolar
• 1:05:37
  and has
• 1:05:37
  been able
• 1:05:37
  to achieve
• 1:05:38
  what I've
• 1:05:38
  achieved.
• 1:05:39
  And I'm
• 1:05:39
  not saying
• 1:05:40
  behind
• 1:05:40
  closed
• 1:05:40
  doors, in
• 1:05:41
  families.
• 1:05:41
  There's
• 1:05:41
  not a lot
• 1:05:42
  of people
• 1:05:42
  out there
• 1:05:42
  that have
• 1:05:43
  it. Of
• 1:05:43
  course,
• 1:05:44
  there is,
• 1:05:44
  right? I
• 1:05:45
  love
• 1:05:45
  meeting
• 1:05:46
  them. So
• 1:05:47
  for me, I
• 1:05:47
  feel like
• 1:05:48
  my story
• 1:05:49
  is unique
• 1:05:49
  and I have
• 1:05:50
  a lot of
• 1:05:50
  value to
• 1:05:51
  share. I
• 1:05:52
  would like
• 1:05:52
  my story
• 1:05:53
  to reach
• 1:05:53
  millions
• 1:05:54
  of people
• 1:05:54
  around the
• 1:05:55
  world.
• 1:05:55
  And, you
• 1:05:56
  know,
• 1:05:56
  there's
• 1:05:56
  something
• 1:05:57
  like, I
• 1:05:57
  don't
• 1:05:57
  know,
• 1:05:57
  changes a
• 1:05:58
  lot,
• 1:05:58
  correct?
• 1:05:58
  Me, it's
• 1:05:58
  like 8
• 1:05:59
  billion
• 1:05:59
  people on
• 1:06:00
  the
• 1:06:00
  planet.
• 1:06:00
  There's a
• 1:06:00
  billion
• 1:06:01
  people on
• 1:06:02
  LinkedIn.
• 1:06:02
  I've only
• 1:06:02
  got 35,000
• 1:06:03
  connections.
• 1:06:05
  Well, how
• 1:06:05
  can I not
• 1:06:05
  get 10,000
• 1:06:06
  people to,
• 1:06:07
  you know,
• 1:06:08
  read my
• 1:06:08
  book? So
• 1:06:09
  that's
• 1:06:10
  kind of my
• 1:06:10
  logic to
• 1:06:10
  it.
• 1:06:11
  Mark Ackers: I
• 1:06:11
  think the
• 1:06:12
  thing
• 1:06:12
  that's
• 1:06:12
  difficult,
• 1:06:13
  right? Is,
• 1:06:14
  how do you
• 1:06:14
  make
• 1:06:14
  people
• 1:06:15
  care? You
• 1:06:16
  share your
• 1:06:16
  story
• 1:06:17
  there. I'm
• 1:06:17
  sat here
• 1:06:18
  because
• 1:06:18
  I'm
• 1:06:18
  listening
• 1:06:18
  to you,
• 1:06:19
  thinking,
• 1:06:19
  wow. But
• 1:06:20
  actually,
• 1:06:22
  how do you
• 1:06:22
  make
• 1:06:22
  people
• 1:06:23
  care?
• 1:06:23
  James Ski: Well,
• 1:06:23
  okay, so
• 1:06:23
  here's
• 1:06:24
  another
• 1:06:24
  thing I
• 1:06:24
  actually
• 1:06:25
  also
• 1:06:25
  think, and
• 1:06:26
  I can't
• 1:06:27
  quite
• 1:06:27
  quantify
• 1:06:28
  this, but
• 1:06:29
  I also
• 1:06:29
  think
• 1:06:29
  people
• 1:06:29
  hear my
• 1:06:30
  story and
• 1:06:30
  go fucking
• 1:06:31
  out.
• 1:06:31
  That's a
• 1:06:31
  lot.
• 1:06:31
  That's a
• 1:06:32
  bit much.
• 1:06:32
  I actually
• 1:06:32
  don't want
• 1:06:33
  to dig
• 1:06:33
  more into
• 1:06:34
  that guy,
• 1:06:34
  because
• 1:06:34
  that's too
• 1:06:35
  much. So I
• 1:06:36
  also feel
• 1:06:37
  like it's
• 1:06:38
  kind of a
• 1:06:38
  bit
• 1:06:38
  Marmite,
• 1:06:39
  where
• 1:06:40
  people
• 1:06:40
  feel like
• 1:06:41
  they can't
• 1:06:41
  relate to
• 1:06:42
  me. So I
• 1:06:44
  actually
• 1:06:44
  think I'm
• 1:06:45
  a bit
• 1:06:45
  inaccessible
• 1:06:46
  to a lot
• 1:06:46
  of people
• 1:06:47
  in that
• 1:06:47
  basis. I
• 1:06:48
  think
• 1:06:48
  sometimes
• 1:06:49
  they see
• 1:06:50
  me on
• 1:06:50
  LinkedIn,
• 1:06:50
  doing the
• 1:06:51
  videos, or
• 1:06:51
  they hear
• 1:06:52
  the story
• 1:06:52
  about
• 1:06:52
  bipolar,
• 1:06:53
  or they
• 1:06:53
  hear the
• 1:06:53
  mental
• 1:06:54
  health
• 1:06:54
  hospital,
• 1:06:54
  and I just
• 1:06:55
  think,
• 1:06:55
  God, I
• 1:06:56
  just don't
• 1:06:56
  get that.
• 1:06:56
  Like I
• 1:06:57
  don't get
• 1:06:58
  that.
• 1:06:58
  That's
• 1:06:58
  just not
• 1:06:59
  relatable.
• 1:07:00
  But that
• 1:07:00
  is me. I
• 1:07:01
  only know
• 1:07:02
  my story,
• 1:07:02
  right,
• 1:07:03
  which is
• 1:07:03
  the same
• 1:07:03
  for any
• 1:07:04
  individual.
• 1:07:04
  So I do
• 1:07:05
  also think
• 1:07:05
  I've got a
• 1:07:08
  branding
• 1:07:08
  challenge,
• 1:07:09
  like, and
• 1:07:09
  someone
• 1:07:09
  actually
• 1:07:10
  said it. I
• 1:07:10
  was
• 1:07:10
  interviewing
• 1:07:11
  for a
• 1:07:11
  brand,
• 1:07:11
  personal
• 1:07:12
  brand
• 1:07:12
  manager
• 1:07:12
  once never
• 1:07:13
  went
• 1:07:13
  through
• 1:07:13
  it, and
• 1:07:14
  she was
• 1:07:15
  just like,
• 1:07:15
  I just
• 1:07:15
  don't
• 1:07:15
  think
• 1:07:16
  people
• 1:07:16
  relate to
• 1:07:16
  you. And I
• 1:07:17
  was really
• 1:07:17
  upset
• 1:07:18
  about it.
• 1:07:18
  I was
• 1:07:18
  like, God,
• 1:07:19
  but she's
• 1:07:19
  probably
• 1:07:20
  right, you
• 1:07:20
  know,
• 1:07:20
  like, I
• 1:07:22
  just my my
• 1:07:23
  story is
• 1:07:23
  quite
• 1:07:23
  extreme,
• 1:07:24
  so my ego
• 1:07:25
  thinks
• 1:07:26
  everybody
• 1:07:26
  could be
• 1:07:27
  interested
• 1:07:27
  and should
• 1:07:27
  be
• 1:07:28
  interested
• 1:07:28
  in it, but
• 1:07:29
  maybe
• 1:07:29
  they're
• 1:07:30
  not. But
• 1:07:30
  how do you
• 1:07:31
  get them
• 1:07:31
  to do it?
• 1:07:31
  It's just
• 1:07:32
  marketing,
• 1:07:32
  isn't it?
• 1:07:33
  At the end
• 1:07:33
  of the
• 1:07:33
  day, you
• 1:07:33
  know, I
• 1:07:34
  don't know
• 1:07:34
  what the
• 1:07:34
  conversion
• 1:07:35
  rates on
• 1:07:35
  audiences
• 1:07:36
  are
• 1:07:36
  traffic,
• 1:07:36
  but I need
• 1:07:37
  to do
• 1:07:37
  certain
• 1:07:38
  level of
• 1:07:38
  marketing
• 1:07:39
  activities
• 1:07:39
  over the
• 1:07:39
  next five
• 1:07:40
  years to
• 1:07:41
  find to
• 1:07:42
  reach
• 1:07:43
  enough
• 1:07:43
  people
• 1:07:43
  that
• 1:07:43
  10,000
• 1:07:44
  people
• 1:07:44
  want to
• 1:07:44
  buy that
• 1:07:45
  book. Now
• 1:07:46
  what's
• 1:07:46
  great is
• 1:07:46
  because
• 1:07:47
  this is
• 1:07:47
  recorded,
• 1:07:47
  we could
• 1:07:48
  actually
• 1:07:48
  watch back
• 1:07:48
  on this
• 1:07:49
  when I hit
• 1:07:49
  that
• 1:07:49
  target,
• 1:07:50
  Mark Ackers: absolutely,
• 1:07:50
  we'll do
• 1:07:51
  that.
• 1:07:51
  Click this
• 1:07:51
  up. BEC,
• 1:07:52
  um, you've
• 1:07:53
  probably
• 1:07:54
  mentioned
• 1:07:54
  the word
• 1:07:55
  ego more
• 1:07:56
  than any
• 1:07:56
  other word
• 1:07:58
  sat with
• 1:07:58
  me. I know
• 1:08:00
  it's hard
• 1:08:00
  to
• 1:08:00
  quantify.
• 1:08:01
  How, how
• 1:08:02
  big do you
• 1:08:02
  think your
• 1:08:03
  ego is
• 1:08:03
  massive?
• 1:08:04
  James Ski: I'm
• 1:08:04
  not even
• 1:08:05
  actually
• 1:08:05
  that
• 1:08:05
  comfortable
• 1:08:06
  talking
• 1:08:06
  about it
• 1:08:07
  on even
• 1:08:07
  this
• 1:08:07
  conversation,
• 1:08:08
  considering
• 1:08:08
  how public
• 1:08:09
  I am. So
• 1:08:10
  like, ski
• 1:08:11
  is an
• 1:08:11
  abbreviation
• 1:08:12
  of my full
• 1:08:12
  surname.
• 1:08:13
  I'm half
• 1:08:13
  polish.
• 1:08:13
  Mark Ackers: Did
• 1:08:14
  not know
• 1:08:14
  that.
• 1:08:15
  Yeah,
• 1:08:16
  what's
• 1:08:16
  your full
• 1:08:16
  surname?
• 1:08:17
  No, I'm
• 1:08:17
  James Ski: not
• 1:08:17
  gonna say
• 1:08:18
  it. Okay,
• 1:08:19
  I'll tell
• 1:08:20
  you
• 1:08:20
  afterwards.
• 1:08:20
  But, you
• 1:08:21
  know, so
• 1:08:21
  like, it
• 1:08:22
  is an
• 1:08:23
  abbreviation.
• 1:08:23
  It's not
• 1:08:24
  what I was
• 1:08:24
  born with.
• 1:08:24
  Is
• 1:08:25
  Mark Ackers: that
• 1:08:25
  a branding
• 1:08:26
  decision?
• 1:08:26
  Exactly?
• 1:08:27
  Yeah,
• 1:08:27
  because
• 1:08:27
  it's more
• 1:08:28
  memorable.
• 1:08:28
  Yeah,
• 1:08:29
  didn't Wow
• 1:08:30
  James Ski: when
• 1:08:30
  I was at
• 1:08:31
  uni, and I
• 1:08:33
  used to
• 1:08:34
  run
• 1:08:34
  parties
• 1:08:35
  Jamie
• 1:08:36
  Foxx, and
• 1:08:37
  this, this
• 1:08:38
  girl came
• 1:08:38
  up to me,
• 1:08:38
  and I gave
• 1:08:39
  her my
• 1:08:39
  full name,
• 1:08:39
  and she
• 1:08:40
  was like,
• 1:08:40
  No, I'm
• 1:08:40
  just gonna
• 1:08:41
  call you
• 1:08:41
  ski. And
• 1:08:42
  no one at
• 1:08:42
  school
• 1:08:42
  would ever
• 1:08:43
  short my
• 1:08:43
  name to
• 1:08:44
  skin. I
• 1:08:44
  was like,
• 1:08:44
  That's
• 1:08:45
  brilliant.
• 1:08:45
  I like
• 1:08:46
  that. And
• 1:08:46
  then when
• 1:08:46
  I started
• 1:08:47
  my first
• 1:08:47
  job and I
• 1:08:48
  started to
• 1:08:48
  say my
• 1:08:48
  full name
• 1:08:49
  on on the
• 1:08:51
  phone, I
• 1:08:52
  was like,
• 1:08:52
  This is
• 1:08:53
  too long.
• 1:08:53
  I'm just
• 1:08:53
  gonna go
• 1:08:54
  with ski.
• 1:08:54
  So every
• 1:08:55
  time I
• 1:08:55
  joined a
• 1:08:55
  company, I
• 1:08:56
  just went
• 1:08:56
  by James
• 1:08:56
  ski. So
• 1:08:59
  it's just
• 1:08:59
  stuck with
• 1:09:00
  me, and it
• 1:09:00
  is a
• 1:09:01
  brand.
• 1:09:01
  Now, I my
• 1:09:02
  psychologist,
• 1:09:03
  and I joke
• 1:09:04
  she's
• 1:09:04
  like, who
• 1:09:05
  am I
• 1:09:06
  talking to
• 1:09:06
  today?
• 1:09:09
  Ski.
• 1:09:10
  James.
• 1:09:10
  Ski. This
• 1:09:10
  the
• 1:09:11
  character.
• 1:09:11
  It's the
• 1:09:12
  showman.
• 1:09:12
  It's the
• 1:09:13
  guy that
• 1:09:13
  people see
• 1:09:14
  on stage.
• 1:09:14
  Is the guy
• 1:09:14
  people on
• 1:09:15
  LinkedIn.
• 1:09:16
  That is
• 1:09:16
  not who I
• 1:09:16
  am. It is
• 1:09:17
  who I am.
• 1:09:18
  Yes, it
• 1:09:18
  is, but,
• 1:09:19
  you know,
• 1:09:20
  like
• 1:09:21
  there's,
• 1:09:21
  there's
• 1:09:21
  other
• 1:09:21
  parts to
• 1:09:22
  me,
• 1:09:22
  there's
• 1:09:22
  other
• 1:09:22
  parts to
• 1:09:23
  my
• 1:09:23
  personality
• 1:09:23
  with my
• 1:09:24
  kids or,
• 1:09:24
  you know,
• 1:09:25
  friendships
• 1:09:26
  or
• 1:09:26
  relationships
• 1:09:26
  that I'm
• 1:09:27
  in. And I
• 1:09:28
  just know
• 1:09:29
  having got
• 1:09:30
  close to
• 1:09:30
  certain
• 1:09:31
  people
• 1:09:31
  that I
• 1:09:32
  also, you
• 1:09:33
  know,
• 1:09:33
  sometimes
• 1:09:34
  they
• 1:09:34
  struggle
• 1:09:34
  and they
• 1:09:35
  think,
• 1:09:35
  God, you
• 1:09:35
  know, can
• 1:09:36
  you just
• 1:09:36
  chill? I
• 1:09:37
  just, it
• 1:09:38
  doesn't
• 1:09:39
  matter.
• 1:09:39
  Like you
• 1:09:39
  don't need
• 1:09:40
  to show
• 1:09:40
  off here.
• 1:09:40
  You don't
• 1:09:41
  need to do
• 1:09:41
  that. And
• 1:09:42
  so I guess
• 1:09:42
  the reason
• 1:09:43
  why I've
• 1:09:43
  dropped it
• 1:09:43
  a lot is
• 1:09:44
  because I
• 1:09:44
  think
• 1:09:44
  people
• 1:09:45
  assume a
• 1:09:45
  lot about
• 1:09:46
  me, and I
• 1:09:47
  think they
• 1:09:48
  don't
• 1:09:48
  really
• 1:09:49
  know me,
• 1:09:49
  but I
• 1:09:49
  think if
• 1:09:50
  they get
• 1:09:50
  to know
• 1:09:51
  me, I
• 1:09:52
  would like
• 1:09:52
  to think,
• 1:09:53
  you know,
• 1:09:53
  I actually
• 1:09:53
  am very
• 1:09:55
  humble. I
• 1:09:56
  am an I
• 1:09:57
  would like
• 1:09:57
  to
• 1:09:57
  consider
• 1:09:58
  myself a
• 1:09:58
  good guy,
• 1:09:59
  and. And I
• 1:10:00
  like to be
• 1:10:01
  there for
• 1:10:01
  other
• 1:10:01
  people.
• 1:10:02
  I've had
• 1:10:03
  my own
• 1:10:03
  challenges.
• 1:10:03
  I want to
• 1:10:04
  support
• 1:10:04
  people.
• 1:10:05
  But I
• 1:10:06
  think
• 1:10:06
  there's a
• 1:10:06
  perception
• 1:10:07
  of me, of,
• 1:10:09
  you know,
• 1:10:10
  and this
• 1:10:10
  is always
• 1:10:10
  the fine
• 1:10:11
  line
• 1:10:11
  between
• 1:10:11
  confidence
• 1:10:12
  and
• 1:10:12
  arrogance.
• 1:10:12
  I think
• 1:10:13
  there's a
• 1:10:13
  perception
• 1:10:14
  of me,
• 1:10:14
  like he's
• 1:10:15
  arrogant,
• 1:10:15
  and, you
• 1:10:15
  know, he's
• 1:10:16
  got a
• 1:10:16
  southern
• 1:10:17
  swagger,
• 1:10:17
  and, you
• 1:10:18
  know, he
• 1:10:18
  thinks
• 1:10:18
  he's great
• 1:10:19
  at this,
• 1:10:19
  that and
• 1:10:19
  the other,
• 1:10:20
  and he's a
• 1:10:20
  sales guy,
• 1:10:21
  and I
• 1:10:21
  don't like
• 1:10:21
  sales
• 1:10:21
  people,
• 1:10:22
  and it's
• 1:10:22
  just just
• 1:10:23
  not I just
• 1:10:23
  happened
• 1:10:23
  to ended
• 1:10:24
  up in and
• 1:10:24
  I chose to
• 1:10:25
  be in
• 1:10:25
  sales as a
• 1:10:26
  career.
• 1:10:27
  And I
• 1:10:28
  think, you
• 1:10:28
  know, ego
• 1:10:29
  for
• 1:10:29
  everyone,
• 1:10:30
  can help
• 1:10:31
  you, but
• 1:10:31
  it also
• 1:10:31
  can hinder
• 1:10:32
  you. And I
• 1:10:32
  think mine
• 1:10:33
  is a
• 1:10:33
  constant
• 1:10:33
  battle.
• 1:10:34
  Mark Ackers: Well,
• 1:10:35
  what I
• 1:10:35
  realize
• 1:10:35
  how
• 1:10:35
  wherever
• 1:10:36
  you are,
• 1:10:36
  yeah,
• 1:10:37
  because
• 1:10:37
  people
• 1:10:38
  have huge
• 1:10:38
  egos, and
• 1:10:38
  they don't
• 1:10:39
  think
• 1:10:39
  that's
• 1:10:39
  true.
• 1:10:40
  Who's got
• 1:10:41
  the ego,
• 1:10:41
  James ski
• 1:10:42
  or the
• 1:10:43
  real
• 1:10:43
  James?
• 1:10:43
  Who's last
• 1:10:43
  time, I
• 1:10:44
  don't
• 1:10:44
  know,
• 1:10:44
  probably
• 1:10:44
  both.
• 1:10:45
  Okay,
• 1:10:45
  yeah, what
• 1:10:47
  are your
• 1:10:47
  parents or
• 1:10:47
  your dad?
• 1:10:48
  In
• 1:10:48
  particular
• 1:10:48
  thing that
• 1:10:49
  you've
• 1:10:49
  chopped
• 1:10:49
  your name,
• 1:10:50
  to be
• 1:10:50
  James Ski: honest.
• 1:10:50
  Like it
• 1:10:51
  was funny
• 1:10:51
  because my
• 1:10:52
  grandfather,
• 1:10:52
  who was a
• 1:10:53
  business
• 1:10:53
  guy from
• 1:10:54
  from
• 1:10:54
  Poland, he
• 1:10:57
  ran big
• 1:10:58
  textile
• 1:10:59
  factories
• 1:11:00
  before
• 1:11:00
  Nazis
• 1:11:01
  Germany
• 1:11:01
  took over,
• 1:11:02
  because
• 1:11:02
  they took
• 1:11:02
  over it
• 1:11:03
  all. And
• 1:11:04
  he
• 1:11:04
  actually
• 1:11:04
  thought it
• 1:11:05
  was great.
• 1:11:05
  He made
• 1:11:05
  sense.
• 1:11:06
  Logically.
• 1:11:06
  My dad
• 1:11:07
  wasn't
• 1:11:07
  keen on
• 1:11:07
  it.
• 1:11:07
  Doesn't,
• 1:11:08
  doesn't
• 1:11:08
  really
• 1:11:09
  like, like
• 1:11:10
  the idea
• 1:11:10
  of it. But
• 1:11:12
  it's
• 1:11:12
  interesting
• 1:11:13
  now,
• 1:11:13
  because my
• 1:11:13
  kids
• 1:11:14
  obviously
• 1:11:14
  have my
• 1:11:15
  real
• 1:11:15
  surname
• 1:11:16
  and, well,
• 1:11:17
  my oldest
• 1:11:17
  son is 13,
• 1:11:19
  five years
• 1:11:20
  he's gonna
• 1:11:20
  be 18.
• 1:11:20
  He's gonna
• 1:11:21
  be on
• 1:11:21
  LinkedIn,
• 1:11:22
  yeah, he
• 1:11:22
  ain't
• 1:11:22
  gonna get
• 1:11:23
  no rep if
• 1:11:24
  I if not
• 1:11:24
  got the
• 1:11:24
  same
• 1:11:25
  though.
• 1:11:25
  So, yeah,
• 1:11:25
  you might
• 1:11:25
  be seeing
• 1:11:26
  the real
• 1:11:26
  name come
• 1:11:27
  out soon,
• 1:11:27
  but I'm
• 1:11:27
  holding it
• 1:11:28
  back. It's
• 1:11:28
  Mark Ackers: very
• 1:11:28
  true. The
• 1:11:29
  reason I
• 1:11:29
  ask is, Is
• 1:11:30
  my brother
• 1:11:31
  has
• 1:11:31
  changed
• 1:11:31
  his last
• 1:11:32
  name in
• 1:11:32
  terms of
• 1:11:32
  the
• 1:11:33
  pronunciation,
• 1:11:33
  so my
• 1:11:35
  family
• 1:11:35
  pronounced
• 1:11:36
  my name
• 1:11:36
  acres.
• 1:11:37
  Yeah, I
• 1:11:38
  can
• 1:11:38
  totally
• 1:11:38
  see, when
• 1:11:39
  you look
• 1:11:39
  at my last
• 1:11:40
  name. It's
• 1:11:40
  acas,
• 1:11:41
  until you
• 1:11:41
  see that,
• 1:11:42
  right?
• 1:11:42
  Like, if
• 1:11:43
  you it's a
• 1:11:43
  c k, any
• 1:11:44
  word
• 1:11:44
  that's got
• 1:11:45
  a c k is
• 1:11:45
  ack,
• 1:11:46
  right?
• 1:11:46
  Back being
• 1:11:47
  example,
• 1:11:48
  right?
• 1:11:48
  Zach being
• 1:11:49
  an
• 1:11:49
  example.
• 1:11:50
  But we get
• 1:11:50
  called
• 1:11:51
  ackers all
• 1:11:51
  the time.
• 1:11:52
  I don't
• 1:11:53
  correct
• 1:11:53
  people. I
• 1:11:53
  just saw C
• 1:11:54
  as a
• 1:11:54
  nickname.
• 1:11:55
  My brother
• 1:11:56
  has gone
• 1:11:56
  all in on,
• 1:11:57
  you know,
• 1:11:57
  I'm just,
• 1:11:57
  I'm
• 1:11:58
  hackers,
• 1:11:59
  and he
• 1:11:59
  works in
• 1:12:00
  the same
• 1:12:00
  industry
• 1:12:00
  as my dad
• 1:12:01
  and my dad
• 1:12:02
  is like,
• 1:12:02
  What a
• 1:12:03
  disgrace
• 1:12:03
  to our
• 1:12:04
  name.
• 1:12:04
  Like, my
• 1:12:05
  name has
• 1:12:05
  been
• 1:12:06
  changed.
• 1:12:07
  Everyone
• 1:12:07
  knows my
• 1:12:09
  name like
• 1:12:09
  Michael
• 1:12:10
  Akers.
• 1:12:11
  They know
• 1:12:12
  you're my
• 1:12:12
  son. They
• 1:12:13
  know
• 1:12:13
  you're
• 1:12:13
  calling
• 1:12:13
  yourself
• 1:12:14
  hackers.
• 1:12:15
  It's just,
• 1:12:15
  that's why
• 1:12:16
  I asked
• 1:12:16
  about your
• 1:12:17
  parents. I
• 1:12:17
  James Ski: think
• 1:12:17
  it's quite
• 1:12:18
  funny.
• 1:12:18
  Yeah,
• 1:12:18
  yeah. It
• 1:12:18
  was funny
• 1:12:19
  because I
• 1:12:19
  this is
• 1:12:20
  actually
• 1:12:20
  interesting.
• 1:12:20
  Actually,
• 1:12:21
  I feel for
• 1:12:21
  a lot of
• 1:12:22
  people, I
• 1:12:22
  comes back
• 1:12:23
  to
• 1:12:23
  relatability.
• 1:12:26
  There are
• 1:12:27
  a lot of,
• 1:12:27
  you know,
• 1:12:28
  especially
• 1:12:28
  in the UK,
• 1:12:29
  a huge
• 1:12:29
  amount of
• 1:12:29
  diversity,
• 1:12:30
  right,
• 1:12:30
  international
• 1:12:31
  names. And
• 1:12:31
  I actually
• 1:12:32
  think it's
• 1:12:32
  a
• 1:12:32
  challenge
• 1:12:33
  for
• 1:12:33
  people.
• 1:12:33
  Unconscious
• 1:12:34
  bias is
• 1:12:35
  obviously
• 1:12:35
  an issue,
• 1:12:36
  right? But
• 1:12:36
  I do think
• 1:12:37
  you need
• 1:12:37
  to adapt,
• 1:12:39
  and if you
• 1:12:39
  need to
• 1:12:40
  cut a few
• 1:12:40
  things to
• 1:12:41
  like, fit
• 1:12:43
  in to
• 1:12:43
  accelerate
• 1:12:44
  your
• 1:12:44
  career, I
• 1:12:44
  think you
• 1:12:45
  should go
• 1:12:45
  for it. If
• 1:12:46
  I'm
• 1:12:46
  honest,
• 1:12:46
  like,
• 1:12:46
  people
• 1:12:47
  won't
• 1:12:47
  agree to
• 1:12:47
  that.
• 1:12:48
  People
• 1:12:48
  will be
• 1:12:48
  like, No,
• 1:12:49
  this is
• 1:12:49
  me. This
• 1:12:49
  is who I
• 1:12:50
  am. But,
• 1:12:50
  you know,
• 1:12:50
  there's
• 1:12:50
  some
• 1:12:50
  really
• 1:12:51
  complicated
• 1:12:51
  names out
• 1:12:52
  there. I
• 1:12:52
  don't
• 1:12:52
  think it
• 1:12:53
  helps you
• 1:12:54
  at all. If
• 1:12:55
  it's
• 1:12:55
  really
• 1:12:55
  complicated,
• 1:12:56
  yeah,
• 1:12:56
  Mark Ackers: I
• 1:12:57
  can
• 1:12:57
  totally
• 1:12:58
  see that.
• 1:12:59
  James,
• 1:13:00
  honestly,
• 1:13:01
  this
• 1:13:01
  conversation,
• 1:13:02
  I could
• 1:13:02
  easily
• 1:13:02
  just get
• 1:13:03
  another
• 1:13:03
  beer, a
• 1:13:04
  little
• 1:13:04
  reload
• 1:13:04
  from the
• 1:13:05
  be attack,
• 1:13:05
  but I'm
• 1:13:06
  conscious
• 1:13:06
  of time
• 1:13:07
  you need
• 1:13:08
  to get to
• 1:13:08
  your
• 1:13:08
  parents as
• 1:13:09
  well. Tell
• 1:13:10
  us all,
• 1:13:11
  what is
• 1:13:11
  sales
• 1:13:11
  confidence
• 1:13:12
  2.0 What
• 1:13:13
  are you
• 1:13:13
  doing now?
• 1:13:14
  Thanks
• 1:13:14
  James Ski: for
• 1:13:14
  asking.
• 1:13:14
  Yeah. So
• 1:13:16
  the you
• 1:13:17
  know, I
• 1:13:18
  built my
• 1:13:18
  reputation
• 1:13:19
  from a
• 1:13:20
  business
• 1:13:20
  perspective
• 1:13:21
  of helping
• 1:13:22
  software
• 1:13:23
  companies
• 1:13:23
  and
• 1:13:23
  service
• 1:13:24
  companies
• 1:13:25
  launch and
• 1:13:25
  expand in
• 1:13:26
  the UK
• 1:13:26
  over the
• 1:13:27
  last kind
• 1:13:27
  of five,
• 1:13:28
  six years.
• 1:13:28
  So
• 1:13:28
  everyone
• 1:13:29
  from
• 1:13:29
  sales,
• 1:13:29
  loft,
• 1:13:30
  Gong,
• 1:13:31
  zoom,
• 1:13:31
  info, six
• 1:13:32
  cents.
• 1:13:33
  High spot,
• 1:13:35
  US
• 1:13:35
  companies
• 1:13:36
  launching
• 1:13:36
  here or
• 1:13:36
  UK,
• 1:13:37
  companies
• 1:13:37
  like
• 1:13:38
  cognizant,
• 1:13:38
  Jiminy,
• 1:13:39
  Covo now
• 1:13:40
  trumpet,
• 1:13:41
  I've
• 1:13:41
  helped
• 1:13:41
  expand
• 1:13:42
  them, and
• 1:13:42
  obviously
• 1:13:43
  we've
• 1:13:43
  worked
• 1:13:43
  together
• 1:13:43
  at refract
• 1:13:44
  a Lego and
• 1:13:45
  now my
• 1:13:45
  sales
• 1:13:46
  coach,
• 1:13:47
  that was
• 1:13:47
  my
• 1:13:47
  business
• 1:13:47
  model.
• 1:13:48
  That model
• 1:13:49
  doesn't
• 1:13:49
  exist
• 1:13:50
  anymore in
• 1:13:51
  the bulk
• 1:13:52
  on a
• 1:13:52
  sponsorship
• 1:13:53
  side of
• 1:13:53
  things.
• 1:13:54
  And the
• 1:13:54
  reason is,
• 1:13:55
  is that
• 1:13:56
  sales
• 1:13:57
  leaders
• 1:13:57
  now in the
• 1:13:57
  UK are
• 1:13:58
  very
• 1:13:59
  educated
• 1:13:59
  on the
• 1:14:00
  sales
• 1:14:01
  stack.
• 1:14:01
  They know
• 1:14:02
  what a
• 1:14:02
  forecasting
• 1:14:03
  tool is.
• 1:14:03
  They know
• 1:14:03
  what
• 1:14:03
  conversation
• 1:14:04
  intelligence
• 1:14:05
  is. They
• 1:14:05
  know what
• 1:14:06
  databases
• 1:14:07
  are. They
• 1:14:07
  don't need
• 1:14:08
  a third
• 1:14:08
  party like
• 1:14:09
  me to
• 1:14:09
  educate
• 1:14:10
  them. So
• 1:14:11
  the model
• 1:14:12
  is shifted
• 1:14:12
  to, okay,
• 1:14:13
  how can I
• 1:14:13
  service
• 1:14:14
  this
• 1:14:14
  audience
• 1:14:14
  that I've
• 1:14:15
  built over
• 1:14:16
  the last
• 1:14:16
  five, six
• 1:14:17
  years, and
• 1:14:17
  I'm
• 1:14:17
  extremely
• 1:14:18
  well
• 1:14:18
  known. And
• 1:14:19
  the
• 1:14:19
  fundamental
• 1:14:20
  thing,
• 1:14:20
  despite,
• 1:14:21
  you know,
• 1:14:21
  the
• 1:14:21
  LinkedIn
• 1:14:22
  scare
• 1:14:22
  mongering
• 1:14:23
  that's not
• 1:14:23
  going
• 1:14:23
  anywhere,
• 1:14:24
  is
• 1:14:24
  companies
• 1:14:24
  need to
• 1:14:24
  hire
• 1:14:25
  salespeople.
• 1:14:26
  And while
• 1:14:28
  some
• 1:14:28
  people
• 1:14:28
  might be
• 1:14:29
  arguing
• 1:14:29
  for less
• 1:14:30
  salespeople,
• 1:14:31
  the long
• 1:14:32
  tail, ie,
• 1:14:33
  the number
• 1:14:33
  of
• 1:14:33
  companies
• 1:14:34
  that are
• 1:14:34
  getting
• 1:14:34
  funded
• 1:14:35
  week in,
• 1:14:36
  month out,
• 1:14:36
  in the UK,
• 1:14:37
  Europe and
• 1:14:38
  the world,
• 1:14:38
  continues
• 1:14:39
  to grow.
• 1:14:39
  It doesn't
• 1:14:41
  matter if
• 1:14:41
  it's AI,
• 1:14:41
  it doesn't
• 1:14:42
  matter if
• 1:14:42
  it's deep
• 1:14:43
  tech. It
• 1:14:43
  doesn't
• 1:14:43
  matter
• 1:14:43
  what it is
• 1:14:44
  sales,
• 1:14:44
  people are
• 1:14:45
  still
• 1:14:45
  going to
• 1:14:46
  be needed.
• 1:14:47
  I don't
• 1:14:47
  care what
• 1:14:47
  people say
• 1:14:48
  about AI.
• 1:14:49
  So I've
• 1:14:49
  shifted my
• 1:14:50
  attention
• 1:14:51
  with sales
• 1:14:51
  confidence
• 1:14:52
  2.0 to
• 1:14:53
  help
• 1:14:54
  people get
• 1:14:54
  jobs in
• 1:14:55
  sales and
• 1:14:55
  help
• 1:14:56
  companies
• 1:14:56
  hire
• 1:14:56
  salespeople.
• 1:14:58
  And what's
• 1:14:58
  totally
• 1:14:59
  unique.
• 1:15:00
  Super
• 1:15:00
  disruptive
• 1:15:00
  in the way
• 1:15:01
  that we do
• 1:15:01
  it. One,
• 1:15:02
  we provide
• 1:15:03
  a pre
• 1:15:03
  vetted,
• 1:15:04
  pre
• 1:15:04
  qualified
• 1:15:06
  database
• 1:15:07
  of
• 1:15:07
  interview
• 1:15:08
  ready
• 1:15:08
  candidates.
• 1:15:09
  So the
• 1:15:09
  problem
• 1:15:10
  with job
• 1:15:10
  boards and
• 1:15:11
  posting
• 1:15:11
  jobs is
• 1:15:11
  you just
• 1:15:12
  get
• 1:15:12
  hundreds
• 1:15:12
  of
• 1:15:13
  candidates
• 1:15:13
  that
• 1:15:13
  aren't
• 1:15:14
  relevant
• 1:15:14
  for what
• 1:15:14
  you're
• 1:15:15
  looking
• 1:15:15
  for. With
• 1:15:15
  our hiring
• 1:15:16
  platform,
• 1:15:16
  they're
• 1:15:17
  pre
• 1:15:17
  vetted,
• 1:15:17
  pre
• 1:15:18
  qualified,
• 1:15:19
  ready for
• 1:15:19
  you to
• 1:15:20
  interview.
• 1:15:21
  They might
• 1:15:21
  not be a
• 1:15:21
  culture
• 1:15:22
  fit, they
• 1:15:22
  might not
• 1:15:22
  be the
• 1:15:23
  candidate
• 1:15:23
  that you
• 1:15:23
  want, but
• 1:15:24
  they will
• 1:15:24
  put on a
• 1:15:25
  good
• 1:15:25
  performance.
• 1:15:26
  We've also
• 1:15:27
  trained,
• 1:15:27
  developed
• 1:15:28
  and
• 1:15:28
  supported
• 1:15:28
  them. So
• 1:15:29
  we put
• 1:15:30
  them
• 1:15:30
  through
• 1:15:30
  master
• 1:15:30
  class
• 1:15:31
  training.
• 1:15:31
  We coach
• 1:15:32
  them. We
• 1:15:33
  actually
• 1:15:33
  put them
• 1:15:33
  on a cold
• 1:15:34
  call
• 1:15:35
  program,
• 1:15:35
  so they
• 1:15:36
  are doing
• 1:15:36
  cold calls
• 1:15:37
  every
• 1:15:37
  single day
• 1:15:39
  before
• 1:15:39
  they
• 1:15:39
  interview
• 1:15:40
  for a
• 1:15:40
  sales job,
• 1:15:41
  so they're
• 1:15:41
  getting
• 1:15:41
  real life
• 1:15:42
  practice.
• 1:15:43
  The second
• 1:15:44
  thing is,
• 1:15:44
  if you're
• 1:15:44
  like,
• 1:15:44
  well, the
• 1:15:45
  hiring
• 1:15:45
  platform
• 1:15:46
  sounds
• 1:15:46
  great,
• 1:15:46
  James, but
• 1:15:47
  I just
• 1:15:47
  need
• 1:15:47
  someone
• 1:15:47
  today.
• 1:15:48
  Well, you
• 1:15:48
  can join
• 1:15:48
  one of our
• 1:15:49
  assessment
• 1:15:49
  days. That
• 1:15:50
  is a
• 1:15:50
  common
• 1:15:50
  model in
• 1:15:51
  the
• 1:15:51
  market,
• 1:15:51
  but we're
• 1:15:51
  just
• 1:15:52
  disrupting
• 1:15:52
  it, and
• 1:15:52
  we're
• 1:15:53
  about 50%
• 1:15:54
  below any
• 1:15:55
  other
• 1:15:55
  competitor.
• 1:15:56
  And then
• 1:15:56
  the final
• 1:15:57
  thing is
• 1:15:57
  learning
• 1:15:57
  and
• 1:15:58
  development
• 1:15:58
  content
• 1:15:59
  I've just
• 1:15:59
  built up.
• 1:16:00
  We've
• 1:16:00
  talked a
• 1:16:00
  lot about
• 1:16:00
  it today.
• 1:16:01
  I've got
• 1:16:02
  the best
• 1:16:02
  SDRs, AES,
• 1:16:04
  VPs of
• 1:16:05
  sales in
• 1:16:06
  Europe
• 1:16:06
  that have
• 1:16:07
  shared
• 1:16:07
  their
• 1:16:07
  expert
• 1:16:08
  content,
• 1:16:08
  and we've
• 1:16:09
  got it on
• 1:16:09
  a
• 1:16:09
  platform,
• 1:16:10
  Netflix
• 1:16:10
  style,
• 1:16:11
  content
• 1:16:11
  that you
• 1:16:11
  could
• 1:16:12
  subscribe
• 1:16:12
  for. So
• 1:16:13
  yeah, the
• 1:16:13
  future of
• 1:16:14
  sales
• 1:16:14
  confidence
• 1:16:15
  2.0 is
• 1:16:16
  really
• 1:16:16
  helping
• 1:16:16
  people
• 1:16:17
  enter the
• 1:16:17
  sales
• 1:16:17
  profession
• 1:16:18
  and
• 1:16:18
  helping
• 1:16:19
  companies
• 1:16:19
  hire
• 1:16:19
  salespeople.
• 1:16:20
  Mark Ackers: Sounds
• 1:16:20
  amazing.
• 1:16:21
  Obviously,
• 1:16:21
  you shared
• 1:16:22
  it with
• 1:16:22
  me, and
• 1:16:23
  I'm really
• 1:16:23
  excited to
• 1:16:23
  see the
• 1:16:24
  journey
• 1:16:24
  you're
• 1:16:25
  about to
• 1:16:25
  go on.
• 1:16:26
  James.
• 1:16:27
  Thank you
• 1:16:27
  so much.
• 1:16:28
  Like this
• 1:16:28
  podcast, I
• 1:16:29
  feel like
• 1:16:30
  I say it
• 1:16:30
  regularly,
• 1:16:30
  but
• 1:16:31
  genuinely,
• 1:16:31
  I think
• 1:16:32
  it's
• 1:16:32
  probably
• 1:16:32
  the most
• 1:16:33
  honest
• 1:16:33
  podcast
• 1:16:34
  we've had,
• 1:16:34
  and we've
• 1:16:35
  touched on
• 1:16:35
  a number
• 1:16:36
  of
• 1:16:36
  different
• 1:16:36
  things
• 1:16:36
  I've
• 1:16:36
  really
• 1:16:37
  enjoyed
• 1:16:37
  speaking
• 1:16:38
  with you.
• 1:16:39
  Could
• 1:16:39
  easily do
• 1:16:40
  another
• 1:16:40
  hour, but
• 1:16:41
  let's call
• 1:16:41
  it a day.
• 1:16:42
  There. We
• 1:16:42
  can always
• 1:16:43
  have you
• 1:16:43
  back,
• 1:16:43
  since you
• 1:16:44
  can't to
• 1:16:44
  Newcastle
• 1:16:44
  regularly,
• 1:16:45
  I just
• 1:16:45
  want to
• 1:16:46
  say thank
• 1:16:46
  you for
• 1:16:46
  coming up.
• 1:16:47
  Thank you
• 1:16:47
  for coming
• 1:16:48
  in and
• 1:16:48
  sharing
• 1:16:49
  your
• 1:16:49
  story.
• 1:16:50
  I've
• 1:16:50
  really
• 1:16:50
  enjoyed
• 1:16:51
  it.
• 1:16:51
  James Ski: Thank
• 1:16:51
  you, mate.
• 1:16:51
  You know
• 1:16:52
  what? It's
• 1:16:52
  been
• 1:16:52
  great, you
• 1:16:53
  know,
• 1:16:53
  especially
• 1:16:55
  because
• 1:16:55
  obviously
• 1:16:56
  we go way
• 1:16:56
  back now,
• 1:16:57
  you know,
• 1:16:57
  and it's
• 1:16:57
  been
• 1:16:57
  amazing to
• 1:16:58
  think
• 1:16:58
  about
• 1:16:58
  where our
• 1:16:59
  careers
• 1:17:00
  have got
• 1:17:00
  to and the
• 1:17:01
  impact I
• 1:17:02
  think
• 1:17:02
  we're both
• 1:17:03
  having on
• 1:17:03
  the
• 1:17:03
  industry,
• 1:17:04
  and I also
• 1:17:05
  think it's
• 1:17:05
  just for
• 1:17:06
  me
• 1:17:07
  personally.
• 1:17:08
  You know,
• 1:17:08
  what's
• 1:17:08
  nice about
• 1:17:09
  having
• 1:17:09
  these
• 1:17:09
  conversations,
• 1:17:10
  because I
• 1:17:10
  obviously
• 1:17:11
  hosted my
• 1:17:11
  own
• 1:17:11
  podcast,
• 1:17:12
  is just
• 1:17:13
  nice to
• 1:17:13
  reflect,
• 1:17:14
  isn't it?
• 1:17:14
  And just,
• 1:17:15
  you know,
• 1:17:15
  feel good
• 1:17:16
  about some
• 1:17:17
  of the
• 1:17:17
  milestones
• 1:17:18
  and share
• 1:17:18
  some of
• 1:17:19
  the
• 1:17:19
  anecdotes.
• 1:17:19
  So, yeah,
• 1:17:20
  look, I
• 1:17:21
  love what
• 1:17:22
  my cell my
• 1:17:23
  sales
• 1:17:23
  coach are
• 1:17:23
  doing, and
• 1:17:25
  I think it
• 1:17:25
  genuinely
• 1:17:26
  is
• 1:17:26
  impacting
• 1:17:27
  people's
• 1:17:27
  careers,
• 1:17:28
  but their
• 1:17:28
  lives as
• 1:17:29
  well. And
• 1:17:29
  you know,
• 1:17:29
  what more
• 1:17:30
  do you
• 1:17:30
  want?
• 1:17:31
  Thanks. So
• 1:17:31
  much. Nice
• 1:17:33
  enough.