Bryan Elliott

What’s holding you back from doing that thing? My guess is that it’s some form of fear. Having the right amount of fear is healthy and logical. It’s biological and we are hardwired to survive. But fear might also be keeping us playing small. In my experience, and it doesn’t matter what it is— fitness; relationships; growing a business— anything worth doing requires a level of courage, effort, sacrifice and risk that comes with having to pay a price to earn the reward. That is, the rent is due every day for any form of victory big or small. As an example, I just worked on a TV spot with a big consumer brand that went way out of their comfort zone on our creative idea. This took courage and I know it hasn’t been easy for them. That said, the competitive landscape requires breaking away from the herd and being distinct. To break out of being a commodity product and into the category of legitimate brand requires bold moves. Author James Clear writes: "The problem with smart people is they can come up with a good reason for not doing anything. They are smart enough to find the cracks, to foresee the challenges, and to talk themselves out of the idea. They are experts at justifying their lack of courage or lack of action with an intelligent excuse. But there will always be reasons to not do something, and this is particularly true of anything worth doing. We value those moments in which we overcame challenge, not those in which we avoided it. Ultimately, action is a choice. The choice to emphasize the reasons for doing it despite the reasons you have for avoiding it." What’s holding you back from doing that thing?

One text got jet-lagged Chris Voss to lay out all his reasoning: "Seems like you have a reason for asking." Labels beat questions. Full conversation on Behind the Brand.

@robertgreene: instant pleasure fades. Stretch your sense of pleasure to 5, 10, 20 years. Have a plan. What are you building on a 10-year plan? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

Seth Godin (@thisissethsblog): a brand is not a logo. It's a shorthand for what we expect when we see your name. What do people expect when they see your name? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

Chris Voss: never ask anybody why. Every kid who broke something heard "why did you do that?" Swap every why for a what. Full conversation on Behind the Brand.

@robertgreene boils six books down to one idea: a realistic attitude. See yourself, other people, and the world as they are. Which one is hardest for you? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

Seth Godin (@thisissethsblog): if revenge or glory fuels your work instead of generosity, you will burn. As Brian Koppelman says, it doesn't burn clean. What fuels your work right now? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

Chris Voss: if someone says win-win in the first five minutes, they want something for nothing. The sharks learned the phrase drops your guard. Full conversation on Behind the Brand.

At 36, @robertgreene almost quit. His take: the worst feeling in life is dreams that never happen. Missed potential is true hell. What dream are you close to giving up on? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

Shark Tank asked Seth Godin (@thisissethsblog) to audition as the nasty judge. His reply: you want me to trade what I stand for to be famous? Not interested. What would you turn down to protect what you stand for? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

Chris Voss starts calls with "Is now a bad time?" People feel safe saying no, and a no gets you a scheduled call with full attention. Full conversation on Behind the Brand.

@robertgreene: failure teaches you your limitations. Success after success makes you grandiose and sets up a worse fall. What did your last failure teach you? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

I asked Seth Godin (@thisissethsblog) about his 800 rejection letters. His answer: caring and attachment are different. Attachment never pays off. What outcome are you too attached to? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

Chris Voss's first way to say no: "How am I supposed to do that?" No refusal, no insult. The other side has to solve the problem. Full conversation on Behind the Brand.

@robertgreene calls himself a classic introvert. His advice: play to your one strength. For him, words. For Einstein, physics. What is the one strength you play to? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

Tomi Mikula thought car buyers cared most about money. His client surveys ranked money 4th to 6th, behind time, energy and anxiety. What matters most to you when buying a car? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

Seth Godin (@thisissethsblog): constraints are your friend. His blog has no pictures, no audio, no video. He made that decision once. Which constraint would help your work? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

Dan Reynolds has ankylosing spondylitis. Medication would alter his voice, so he spends 3 to 4 hours a day on joint rehab instead. Full conversation on Behind the Brand.

Chris Voss on how Mark Cuban tests a partner: a fastball at your head to see your A game. One Shark Tank entrepreneur flipped the script. Full conversation on Behind the Brand.

@robertgreene: without real skills, no amount of spin hides shoddy work. There are no shortcuts. Fail, find a mentor, learn. What skill are you building the long way? Full episode on Behind the Brand.