Some Lessons on How To Succeed From Tom Brady

March 2022 Update: Tom Brady has 'unretired' and will be returning to the NFL for a 23rd season.  This adds another lesson for success from Tom Brady - leave on your own terms at the time of your choosing and don't be afraid to change your mind!

“This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore...I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention.”

Tom Brady announced his retirement on February 1, 2022 after having won six Championship Titles with the New England Patriots and a seventh with Tampa Bay after his decisive 31-9 victory at SuperBowl LV. 

There are some lessons we can take in from his career and the path he took to achieve his amazing career.

1)  Perseverance Is Key

Before his 5th Super Bowl victory, Tom Brady's fourth Championship  was his first in 10 years.  He won in 2002, 2004 and 2005 and it looked like he would win a literal double handful of Superbowl rings before he retired.  However, he experienced heartbreaking losses to the New York Giants in 2008 and 2012 and it looked like his time was past.

However, he shook off the disappointments and kept working toward winning another SuperBowl.  It was the same drive that earned him an Orange Bowl victory with the Michigan Wolverines after 3 years as a back-up.  This same drive also earned him a starting job with the Patriots after being drafted 199th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft!  He was often considered to be too skinny and too slow and lacking a good enough arm for the pros.  He showed enough determination and hard work to the Patriots that it landed him the starting job when the opportunity arose.  The rest is history.

2) Focus On Your Goal

Tom Brady knows that his job is to lead his team to victory as a quarterback.  His goal has always been to win Superbowl championships.  As he said, "To me, football is so much about mental toughness, it's digging deep, it's doing whatever you need to do to help a team win and that comes in a lot of shapes and forms."

That is his focus.  He could have been easily been distracted by the millions that he has earned and his marriage to Gisele Bundchen.  

Unlike many pro athletes who become seduced by the high life and forget what brought them their fame, Brady doesn't forget.  His work ethic is still extremely high even after all of these years and a serious knee injury which kept him out of the 2008 season.

Even two weeks hearing about 'Deflate-gate' didn't distract him enough from making sure he was 100% ready for the big game.  Football brought him his success and he didn't forget that.

3) Trust The People Around You

A quarterback depends on his teammates and his coach.  Whether in work or in sports or in most fields of life, you're often only as good as the people around you.  Brady has worked with his coach Bill Belichick for his whole career.  It hasn't been a harmonious relationship the entire time but they're on the same page more often than not.  

Brady has also worked with a myriad of different teammates throughout his career and manages to adapt every time there's a significant change of personnel.  One example is Ron Gronkowski who plays tight end.  When former Patriot tight end Aaron Hernandez was arrested and when Brady didn't quite mesh with his wide receivers, he relied on Gronkowski for a lot of offence.  As in work, you should always take advantage if you find yourself working extremely well with a particular colleague!

4) Don't Be Afraid Of A Change In Scenery
 

After 20 years with the Patriots, Tom Brady signed a two-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  This was truly the end of an era and it ended a partnership with Bill Belichick that yielded 6 SuperBowl Championships.  Many people that Brady wouldn't be able to succeed at the age of 43 in a new city. He was joining a team that was 7-9 the previous year and not projected to do much, even with Brady as quarterback.  The effects of the Covid pandemic also meant that Tom Brady wouldn't be able to have any exhibition games to learn about Tampa's coaching style and systems, not to mention the strengths and weaknesses of his new teammates.  Did Brady overcome the odds?  Indeed, he did!

5) Don't Let Age Be A Factor

Tom Brady is 43 years old and says he wants to play at age 45 and beyond.  With proper diet and training, he has kept himself in top shape.  Doing so, he was able to defeat Patrick Mahomes who is almost 2 decades his junior.  As a wise quote said, "Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength...".

 
There is a lot more than can be said about Tom Brady.  Many people look at him and think everything was handed to him on a silver platter.  However, digging deeper into his career shows how much hard work and defying the odds can lead to success.  The rest of us won't be multiple Superbowl champions that way but it can lead us to our own individual achievements.

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Learning A New Language: Why Not?

Learning is free and unlimited. Whether it's language or a musical instrument or a new skill such as drawing, there is nothing people can't teach themselves if they take a bit of time or effort.  It opens up many doors and exercises the mind in new and enriching ways.

 Learning a new language is of the most instantly rewarding things a person can do. Speaking to someone in their own language, even if at the most basic, will often elicit a very appreciative response. Take a look at Mark Zuckerberg surprising a Chinese audience.

They are amazed and appreciative that he is making an effort at speaking in their own language. His pronunciation is off and it's not perfect but that point is he is speaking Mandarin. For the people in the audience, it just may be one of the very few times that they've heard a foreigner speaking their language beyond a few basic phrases such as "How are you?".

Why Learn A Language?

The question should rather be "Why not?".   It's as simple as buying a phrasebook with some basic grammar lessons or even looking at videos online.  You can go to YouTube and type in a simple search such as 'Learn German' or 'Learn Mandarin'.

A very useful tool is Google Translate, where you can type in any phrase and then see AND hear how it sounds in another language.  You can see how it works here:

Use-Google-Translate-to-Learn-a-New-Language

Language is communication and communicating with others is still very important in today's modern age, whether electronically of face-to-face.  Just as courtesy is important in written form such as texting or emailing, it is also very important verbally.

Learning a language is a very high form of courtesy.  It means that you don't expect everyone to simply speak English whether you are travelling somewhere or receiving visitors.

Mark Zuckerberg's audience were well-versed in English and he simply could have spoken in English but he went a very huge step beyond that in speaking Mandarin.

Look at Kobe Bryant.  He's a 5-time NBA champion and one of the best basketball players of all time but he still is game at learning and speaking some Spanish.

In the interview, Kobe mentions that he already speaks Italian and so Spanish is a bit easier to learn because they are very similar.  It still looks very impressive that he can do more than just shoot a basketball!

Of course, you don't have to learn a language 100% fluently.  If you wish, you learn a smattering of a few languages or basic phrases of many languages.  I remember meeting and speaking with a mother and daughter at an event.  The mother herself was speaking a foreign language and the daughter was translating.  I asked the daughter what language her mother was speaking and she said Norwegian.  

I knew a couple of phrases and said, "God dag. Hvorden gar det?".  The reaction was literally priceless.  When I was complimented on my Norwegian and the fact that I could say a greeting, I simply said the other phrase I knew, "Tusen takk" (thank you).  Now I have a place to stay if I should ever visit Olso!

Knowing another language, however little, breaks down so many barriers.  Get learning!

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Public Speaking - A Lot Easier Than You Think!

It's a well-known theory that people consider public speaking to be their number one fear.  Death is often listed as the second-ranked fear, leading to Jerry Seinfeld's observation that people at a funeral home would rather be in the casket than delivering the eulogy!

That being said, public speaking is really nothing to be feared.  Unless people have paid $100 to hear you speak or if you're making a speech that will seal a $10 million deal or bring peace between nations, you have little reason to fear any public speaking opportunity that you are offered.

Remember, all talking is public!  If you are conversing with your spouse or family, telling a story by the watercooler or talking about your latest trip with friends at a restaurant, you are engaged in public speaking.  They want to hear what you have to say.

I have had a few experiences with public speaking and several occasions might be defined as a bit more intense than normal.

Recently I shared the stage with Mark Saunders, Toronto's Chief of Police at a fundraising event for the Special Olympics.  The event took place at Police Headquarters in downtown Toronto in front of an audience of several hundred people.

It could have been nerve-wracking introducing the head of law-enforcement for a big city in front of a large crowd but I found it best to realize that the focus was on Chief Saunders.  The fact that he's extremely popular and a very nice person made my job much easier.  Always accentuate the positive.

This is a speech I gave at the Chinese Consulate with a few Chinese diplomats in the audience, including the Consul-General.

This is a speech at a Special Olympics Banquet where there were about 300 people in the audience and 10 dignitaries behind me, including local politicians and the Chief of Police!

There have been many books and articles about public speaking, but here are my personal tips and observations based on the previously mentioned speeches along with others..

1) You Won't Be Perfect But Who Cares?

Just about everyone stumbles during a speech or hesitates or temporarily loses a train of thought for a moment.  Unless you're delivering a prepared speech off of a teleprompter that you've already done 100 times, you will  have the occasional hiccup.  Look at President Obama during a press conference as opposed to a prepared speech.  There is a difference in smoothness!

2) You Are Not Singing Or Performing A Piano Recital

You can be off-key when you're singing but not when you're talking.  If you speak in your natural voice, you will be fine.  Nobody will say "Good speech but his voice was off.".   There are those who have extremely rich voices and those who have been coached for many years but they are usually professional speakers.

A piano recital requires that every note be perfect.  A speech can have a few missed notes but they won't be noticed if the message is clear.

3) The Audience Is On YOUR Side

Chances are that you won't be at a comedy club where people are waiting to heckle you.  The audience is there to learn something and perhaps pick up an interesting tidbit or two.  Most everyone has a fear of public speaking so they will wish you the best because they've either given speeches themselves or might do so in the future.

4) Your Speech Will Likely Not Be Remembered

We've all heard hundreds or thousands of speeches and presentations in our life.  How many do you recall that really stood out?  I'm pretty sure that my speech at the Chinese Consulate didn't have a huge impact on our relations with China.

Our nervous energy before a speech is likely the brain making things out to be a lot more earth-shattering than they actually are.  Unless you spontaneously combust on stage or shout "Fire!", people will likely remember the message more than your delivery.

5) People Will Be Looking At You, Not Staring At You

Everyone will be looking at you but better that than looking at the floor or behind them.  Keep in mind that they probably will be daydreaming for a portion of your speech.  Attention spans aren't long and minds will wander.  Don't worry about it.  Unless you're someone like Anthony Robbins, it's a fact of life!

If you are using visual aids such as a Powerpoint presentation, that makes it all the better as the focus will be off of you for a while.

Remember, it's normal to be a bit nervous before a speech.  Use that energy.  Focus on the message and you'll find that the audience will react positively.  This is your moment to shine.  Use it and have fun!

As Dale Carnegie said, "“There is only one excuse for a speaker's asking the attention of his audience: he must have either truth or entertainment for them.” 

Audiences come in all shapes and sizes!

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As Russell Wilson Learned, "Why Not You?"

"Why not you?"

 Russell Wilson, as starting quarterback, led the Seattle Seahawks to a convincing 43-8 over the Denver Broncos. The Broncos were led by Peyton Manning, one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history and leader of the number one offence in the NFL.  At the end of July 2015, he signed a 4-year extension making him the second highest-paid quarterback in the NFL - ahead of stars such as Tom Brady, Tony Romo and other star QB's.

On November 13, he led the Seattle Seahawks to a thrilling victory over the New England Patriots, showing that his team is still a force to be reckoned with in the NFL.

His story is remarkable given that he was not a top pick and he did not have the physical size that people associate with a modern-day top quarterback.  It was simply "Why not me?".

 Wilson had a lot of things going against him. He's only 5'11, which is much shorter than average for a quarterback. He was chosen 75th overall in the draft in a year where the spotlight was on Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin the 3rd. He was taken in the 3rd round, meaning that every team (including Seattle) passed him over twice.  He was then chosen by Seattle which is a city not in the media spotlight like New York or Dallas. In the Super Bowl game itself, he went up against Peyton Manning and the question was mostly "How many points will the the Broncos win by?" and "How will a second Championship Ring cement Manning's career?".   Peyton had many years of experience while Wilson was only playing in his second year.

What happened? Wilson took the question "Why not you?", which his father often asked him, to heart and won the game. His team won it in convincing fashion in front of a world-wide television audience where the pressure must have been enormous.  It would have been easy for him to lose and simply say, "It's only my second year.  I have lots of time to win the big game in the future."

 Yet, he won.  He was young and not very experienced and going up against a decorated veteran in Peyton Manning.  Still, he recalled his father's words "Why not you?".

You can ask that same question in the mirror - "Why not you?" Success in life isn't about where you start but rather where you finish.  Russell Wilson had a lot going against him and still he succeeded.

 Many successful people started with only a dream and their own drive to succeed. They asked "Why not me?" and answered the question.

If you have a dream or a goal, then look in the mirror and say "Why not you?". Take the time and read about successful individuals. They likely started out with the same things as you but worked hard to achieve their success. You may never win a Super Bowl title like Russell Wilson but you can certainly reach your own goals, no matter how far off they may seem now.   If they can do it, why not you?

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Learning From Failure: An Important Part of Success

"This organization does not tolerate failure"

Failing at something is often seen as a stigma rather than as a learning experience.  It is impossible to succeed at everything at life but the fault is to make any failure seem larger than it actually is.  Treat it as an opportunity for growth, as have these famous personalities!

I can accept failure, everyone fails at something.  But I can't accept not trying.
Michael Jordan

My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.
Abraham Lincoln


Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.
Theodore Roosevelt

It's fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.
Bill Gates


Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. 
Winston Churchill

Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.
 Robert F. Kennedy


The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.
Henry Ford

You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try.
Beverly Sills

Failure is so important. We speak about success all the time. It is the ability to resist failure or use failure that often leads to greater success. I've met people who don't want to try for fear of failing. 
J.K. Rowling

When you take risks you learn that there will be times when you succeed and there will be times when you fail, and both are equally important. 
Ellen DeGeneres




People think that the opposite of success is failure, but it's not. Failure is part of the process of success. 
Randy Gage

Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success. 
Dale Carnegie

 


Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. 
Confucius

Have you ever failed at something in your life?  Just like a child that fails at his first attempt at walking, it's persevering that overcomes all obstacles that may be in the way.




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Star Wars: Some Lessons From the Franchise On How To Achieve Success

It's hard to believe, but it's been 43 years since the original Star Wars was released in 1977. Made for $11 million and debuting initially at only 32 theaters, the movie became a cultural milestone that spawned a franchise worth untold billions of dollars.  It's truly a remarkable outcome for a film set "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...".

Many important business lessons can be learned by the Star Wars franchise, one of the most successful in movie history and still going strong after more than 40 years. 

This all started with a science fiction movie that few took seriously when it was being produced.  George Lucas believed in it and did the work required to make it an overwhelming triumph in movie-making.

What lessons can be learned from his success?

1) Believe in Your Product

Lucas developed the idea for Star Wars when he was making his hit film, American Graffiti.  Made for $777,000, American Graffiti grossed $115 million for Universal Pictures, an extremely high profit margin.  Despite this, Universal turned down Lucas' proposal for the Star Wars movie.

One might see where Universal was coming from since directing a hit teen comedy or a cult film like THX 1138 doesn't necessarily translate to directing a hit science fiction movie. Like the record companies that turned down the Beatles, they failed to see a future moneymaker when they saw it.

Despite the rejection, Lucas kept working on his project and was rewarded when 20th Century Fox agreed to finance the movie.

2) Do The Work Without Reinventing the Wheel

Star Wars was a massive summer hit when it was released but it wasn't a groundbreaking movie in itself.  Lucas used comic books and old movie serials such as Buck Rogers as foundations for the movie's plot.  He would also use old-fashioned inspiration for Raiders of the Lost Ark and its sequels.  If it worked in the past, it will work in the future - even in outer space.

For the dogfights in space, Lucas went through old war movies such as Battle of \Britain and used the aerial footage as a basis for the battles between the TIE fighters and the X-Wings.  The gunfights between the Rebels and the Stormtroopers wouldn't have looked out or place in any western or war movie.  It was all about rah-rah action with clearly defined good guys and bad guys.

His film THX 1138 was a bleak film for adults about the future which had little action and sparse dialogue.  Star Wars, set in a galaxy far, far away, was a film for kids of all ages with wall-to-wall action scenes depicting the timeless battle of good vs evil- in this case, Luke Skywalker vs the evil Darth Vader.

3) Don't Be Afraid To Tinker

Luke Skywalker was originally supposed to a be a general and an older man.  Lucas thought better of it and made Luke a young man who was learning how to be a true warrior who would defeat the bad guy and save the galaxy, something than every male teen would want to identify with.  Lucas also changed his name from Luke Starkiller to Skywalker.  It was a subtle change but an effective one.

Han Solo was originally supposed to be a gilled alien with green skin.  Lucas wisely changed him into a good-looking quick-draw renegade loner who played by his own rules.  This obviously appealed to teen boys and girls who might have found Luke Skywalker a bit too square.

Stars Wars with an elderly Luke and a green alien Han Solo would have possibly made Universal Studios correct in their initial estimate of the movie's success. A bit of tinkering on Lucas' part turned the movie into a billion-dollar franchise.

Lucas also had the last word on casting.  As he relates, “I was under this great pressure from 20th Century Fox to cast ‘names’...They wanted me to take Jodie Foster or Amy Irving – I wanted Carrie Fisher. I wanted new faces. That’s why I chose Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford.”

4) Take Less Now For A Whole Lot More Later

When shooting on Star Wars wrapped up, Lucas was owed about $500,000 from Fox studio in directing fees, up from the $150,000 he made for American Graffiti. 

The film went over budget, from $8 million to $11 million.  When Fox executives were shown an advanced screening of the film, they weren't impressed,  Apparently several fell asleep.  Lucas' friend Brian De Palma said the rough cut was one of the worst things he had ever seen (said in jest but still a bit hurtful).

After all that, Lucas made a request to Fox executives, which went something like this:

Lucas:  About the $500,000 you owe me, let's make a deal that will save you some money.

Fox Executives:  We're listening.

Lucas:  I'll take only $150,000 if you give me the sequel and merchandising rights for the movie.

Fox Executives (thinking any sequels or merchandising revenue were a fantasy):  You got a deal.

What happened next, of course, is on par with Universal's decision not to be involved with the film in the first place.  Fox did save a few hundred thousand dollars but gave up billions in future revenue. They hoped Star Wars would at least make their money back but didn't anticipate the huge success of sequels like Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi or the enormous avalanche of products such as toy light-sabers and action dolls.  Merchandising revenue from movies was seen as being a given for a company like Walt Disney but not for a science fiction film with a cast of mostly unknowns.  Of course, Disney will now make billions in merchandising sales from the Force Awakens.

Sir Alec Guiness, ironically enough, was also paid $150,000 but he was additionally offered 2% of the producer's profits for his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi.  He didn't think much of the film, being a classically-trained British actor, but he signed on and would eventually make over $100 million!

5) Know Your Customers

The executives at Fox didn't like Star Wars when they saw the finished product.  They thought it was boring or hard to understand or packed with characters that were too weird.  Some fell asleep during the viewing.  This probably led them to accept the trade of money for future rights.

George Lucas, on the other hand, had a good idea what the general public wanted in an action movie, even if it was set in a far-off galaxy.  He also knew that even a character such as Chewbacca would be instantly beloved, given that he got the idea for him by observing his huge dog in the front seat of his car.

After all, what's cuter than your pet dog riding along with you, whether in a car or in the Millenium Falcon?

In hindsight, the success of Star Wars looks to have been a foregone conclusion but the steps in obtaining that success took both hard work and a lot of determination a vision through, no matter what the 'experts' believed.

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"The Medium Is The Message": It's Not Just What You Say...

Canadian philosopher and noted public figure Marshal Mcluhan coined the phrase 'The medium is the message' in his book Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, published in 1964.

According to the entry in Wikipedia, "McLuhan proposes that a medium itself, not the content it carries, should be the focus of study."

What Does It Mean?

Here is one way to look at it:

It's your friend's birthday.  How do you plan to wish him a Happy Birthday?  

The message is 'Happy Birthday'.

The medium determines how good a friend that person is.

There are different ways (or types of medium) to wish him Happy Birthday.

* You send a Facebook greeting - you post on his wall 'Happy Birthday'.

* You send a text saying 'Happy Birthday'.

* You give him a phone call to wish him a Happy Birthday.

* You drive to his house and wish him 'Happy Birthday ' in person.

* You drive to his house with Adele.  You moved heaven and earth to get Adele to sing Happy Birthday in person to him!

A text birthday greeting - very casual friend.

An Adele birthday greeting - best friend of all time!

The message 'Happy Birthday' is the same - the medium is the important part.



Another Example

A man wants to wish his wife a Happy Anniversary.

If he merely sends a text wishing 'Happy Anniversary" - big trouble!

If he hires Rod Stewart to serenade her 'Happy Anniversary' - out-of-the-world reaction.

If he says 'Happy Anniversary' with a kiss and flowers - also a very happy medium.

The same concept works with a marriage proposal.  A marriage proposal on bended knee with an expensive diamond ring or proclaimed on a scoreboard at a Major League baseball game is a lot different than a text message saying "Will you marry me?".

What Is The Message?

Pay attention to the medium.  In business, how a message is conveyed is the same as what the message actually is.  It works the same in social media.  A Tweet is different than a blog entry which is different from a Google+ update.

And so on.

Of course, a lot has been written about 'The medium is the message' in much greater detail than in this blog.

This blog was merely a medium!

So, listen to the message but also pay attention to the medium.


Steven Ratnik


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