Mel Fisher: From chicken farmer to a $ 450-million discovery

Jerry Gladstone and treasure hunter Mel Fisher.

Today’s the Day! That was treasure hunter Mel Fisher’s motto and his mindset.

How many of us read something as a child and became fascinated enough with it to make it our life goal?  That’s what happened to Mel Fisher.  His dreams of becoming a treasure hunter started as a child when he read Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. As an adult, Mel’s fascination with treasure led him to Spain to pore over worm-eaten antique treasure maps.

With a bigger-than-life-personality this former chicken farmer poured his efforts into a 16-year quest to bring up from the sea a long lost Spanish treasure ship called Nuestra Señora de Atocha. The Atocha was lost off the Florida Keys in 1622 on its journey from the “Old World” of Spain to the “New World” of the Americas.

Personal tragedy hits.

As a pioneer of undersea treasure-hunting, Mel faced many challenges and obstacles during his 16-year journey. He experienced personal tragedy when his oldest son Dirk, along with Dirk’s wife Angel and diver Rick Gage died after their boat capsized during their quest for treasure in 1975.

Still Mel and his wife Deo—along with the rest of his family—stayed the course. Then on July 20, 1985, Mel discovered the “mother lode” that had been lying on the ocean floor for more than 360 years.

The discovery.

The haul included 40 tons of gold, hundreds of thousands of silver coins known as “pieces of eight,” golden doubloons, rare porcelain, Colombian emeralds and other antiquities. The total value exceeded $450 million. Mel once famously said, “Once you see the bottom of the ocean paved with gold you never forget it!”

The Atocha was by far the greatest sunken treasure ever discovered, and it catapulted Mel Fisher onto the world stage when it was featured in a National Geographic TV documentary.

But fate threw Mel another “curveball”: The State of Florida moved in and levied millions of dollars in legal fees as it claimed ownership of the treasure. After a legal battle, the Supreme Court of the United Sates confirmed Mel’s ownership of the recovered treasure—with a provision that Mel’s company donate 20% of the artifacts to the State of Florida.

My meeting with Mel Fisher.

This was the point at which I first met Mel. I was only 26, and in the early days of my business. I remember watching on television what Mel went through and how determined he was to reach his goal—a goal few of us could ever imagine.

Back then, I was looking to grow my business and had the idea that there must be collectors out there who would want to own a “piece of history” from Mel’s sunken treasure haul. So I decided to call Mel and see if I could strike a deal with him to offer publicly some of the treasure he had found. When I called his office in Key West—much to my surprise—Mel himself answered the phone! We had a short conversation about potential business opportunities that concluded with Mel saying, “If you’re ever in this area, give me a call and we can get together.” That is all it took for me; I saw an opportunity that could not be passed up.

Within days, I booked a flight and called Mel to tell him I was going to be down in Key West with some friends and asked if I could stop by and see him. It was truly amazing: One day I was watching this remarkable man on TV, and a few days later I was in his office talking business face to face. I learned an important lesson here: If you see an opportunity, don’t sit back. Make the call! 

Early one Saturday morning I found myself in Mel’s office, and we clicked right away.  In the midst of discussing a possible business venture, Mel interrupted himself mid-sentence to say, “Do you want to get some soup?” It was only 10:00 am.

I thought it a little strange, but who I am to say “no” to Mel Fisher? So we took a walk to the local drinking establishment where I learned that Mel’s definition of “soup” was a double “151” and Coke! To say the least, Mel and I got along just fine as he went on to recount some fantastic stories of his explorations. His emphasized: “Never give up on your dreams. Always believe in what you do—even when things don’t go as you planned.”

A couple hours later we had cut a deal for my company to represent Mel Fisher’s personal collection of treasures and to offer it for sale to the public. It was amazing to watch Mel swing into action: He was faxing our agreement back and forth with his lawyer in Washington—and I didn’t even know what a fax machine was back then. Mel was way ahead of his time not only in treasure-hunting, but also as a businessman and public figure. Very few could compete with Mel on all these levels.

Our relationship lasted many years. We sold lots of treasure for him. I’m still amazed when I remember him letting me enter his museum to select items for our clients—literally climbing over gold and silver bars to make our selections. He was always gracious, signing letters to authenticate the treasures purchased by our clients stating that they came from his private collection.

Sadly, Mel passed away in 1998 at the age of 77. His now famous motto, “Today’s the day” was the attitude—the mindset—that kept him focused and inspired people during good times, and fueled their determination to carry on when the going got tough.

Copyright 2014 Jerry Gladstone

Howard Stern – Creative Genius

One of the highlights of my career was meeting and getting to know Howard Stern.

Howard was recently given the honor of delivering Joan Rivers’ eulogy at the request of her daughter Melissa.

Today, I am pleased to share with you some of Howard’s words of wisdom.

“Hey now!” You may like him; you may not like him. Say what you want about Howard Stern, but the outspoken and sometimes controversial icon is truly a cultural phenomenon that many consider a creative genius. Easily one of the most successful broadcasters of all time, who grew up not too far from my home town.

Howard freely admits that as a child he was awkward, then ridiculed and picked on as a teenager. When he started out as a radio DJ, he recalled, “I was just plain awful.” He speaks often of the mishaps in the early days, but he emphasizes that he had a dream from childhood to become a radio personality, and that it drove him to keep moving forward.

Through the years, he has been quoted as saying, “Some kids wanted to be a fireman, others a policeman – I always wanted to be a disc jockey.” 

“The King of all Media” is more than his self-proclaimed boast; it is a very well-deserved description of his 35-plus-year career. Howard Stern has become a successful radio entertainer, a best-selling author, a movie star and a judge on TV’s America’s Got Talent. Howard has hosted numerous late night television shows, pay-per-view events, home video releases, and, in 1993, he starred in a hit movie about his life: Private Parts. Not bad for a guy who’s first job paid him $96 a week!

I did not interview Howard specifically for The Common Thread of Overcoming Adversity and Living Your Dreams, but during the time I spent with him I came to understand the type of person he is and how he deals with challenges and adversity. I have been a fan since the WNNNNBC days.

My company advertised on Howard’s radio show. Our marketing plan to promote heavyweight boxing champ “Smokin” Joe Frazier included an interview with Howard. During our advertising campaigns, not only was I lucky enough to have great meetings with Howard to discuss our promotions, but I also had the good fortune of being invited to a couple of his birthday parties.

You might think that with the level of success Howard has achieved, he wouldn’t make time for one-on-one meetings with advertisers. But I found just the opposite to be true. Howard could not have been nicer to me. He walked into the meeting and said, “Let’s get to it. What do you need from me to make your campaign successful?” As an advertiser, that was like music to my ears. Howard sincerely desired to put together spots for us that would work. He shared many creative ideas that worked very well on air. Every time I spoke to Howard or one of his staff members it was all about “tell us what you need and we’ll make it happen.”

He understands that for him to be successful and win against his competitors, he needs to help sponsors like me beat my competitors. “You can’t just take their money,” he says. Rather, he wants to make sure he delivers—and from my standpoint, Howard more than delivered!

When we advertised on his radio show, the results were amazing. Back then, in the ’mid-1990s, Howard had many “closet” listeners—people who listened but would not admit it. I knew I had a hit when my lawyer, accountant and business associates from around the country called me and said they’d heard our spot. In all my years of marketing, very few, if any, could compete with the Howard Stern Show. That is a real tribute to his attitude and his drive to succeed.

As a businessman and media personality, no one has come close to Howard’s innovation and creativity over the last few decades.

His unique way of broadcasting made him a pioneer in many aspects of his format. He knows his medium like no other. He went from one market to another, conquering each one and building up his audience the old fashioned way—through hard work and creativity.

Even with more success under his belt than most people on the planet could ever achieve, Howard publicly admits, “I still feel like I gotta prove something. There are a lot of people hoping I’ll fail. But I like that, I need to be hated.” 

Howard remained true to himself, despite being fired numerous times and enduring attacks from countless groups demanding he be taken off the air. From 1990 to 2004, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) fined owners of radio stations carrying the Howard Stern Show a total of $3.2 million for indecent programming. Nevertheless, Howard stayed strong and continued to add new sponsors, building his career and his audience. He describes it like this: “I’m in a war, a cultural war.” 

Looking back at Howard’s decision to move to Sirius satellite radio, it would be easy to conclude that was a slam dunk. But in 2004, Sirius was very much an unproven business, operating in the shadow of its much larger competitor, XM Radio. Howard was at the top of his game—even after dealing with the FCC. He had built an enormous fan base, was making plenty of money and enjoying more success than any other radio personality.

Howard has no interest in discussing how much money he makes, and I won’t speculate. The lesson he shares is about gratefulness and giving back. Howard has made a huge impact through his support of the North Shore Animal League, the world’s largest no-kill animal rescue and adoption organization.

Many of Howard’s loyal listeners will tell you that he has significantly impacted their lives by providing them with plenty of laughs and pick-me-ups when they are going through difficult down times.

But now, Howard’s fans who had always listened to his show for free would be asked to pay. Without any guarantee of success, Howard continued to believe in himself and his abilities. He clearly knew that achieving his goals required him to be driven—to embrace competition. There are no two ways about it, and I have no doubt Howard Stern embraces competition.

I still treasure a hand written letter Howard sent me after our meeting. The note ends with this sentence: “Let’s eliminate the competition!”

Copyright 2014 Jerry Gladstone

Marc Cuban Video on YouTube

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Mark Cuban – owner of the Dallas Mavericks: Find out about his success story at a video trailer for THE COMMON THREAD of Overcoming Adversity & Living Your Dreams https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWAq2LamrNc

In 2000, businessman and venture capitalist Mark Cuban bought the basketball team Dallas Mavericks – a year after he and his partner Todd Wagner had sold out their successful Broadcast.com to Yahoo! for nearly $6 billion. Marc Cuban also joined the series Shark Tank – where you might have seen him – as a venture capitalist.

Learn how this common guy from a Pittsburgh suburb came to land on the Forbes richest people list? No one handed success to Mark — he didn’t inherit it. Learn his tips for success…
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Check out Marc Cuban in THE COMMON THREAD of Overcoming Adversity & Living Your Dreams – on YouTube and leave a like or comment. Thanks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWAq2LamrNc

You might also sign up for two free chapters of my upcoming book THE COMMON THREAD http://bit.ly/1lvfV56 

Copyright 2014 Jerry Gladstone

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Juan Carlos Santana “JC”

I have been involved in many different types of athletics my entire life. I grew up where the mind set of strength fitness was all about how much you could bench press, squat and dead-lift. Training techniques and the understanding of how the body really works on the athletic field was a minor consideration for both athletes and trainers.  When I moved to Florida I began to train at the Institute of Human Performance (IHP), founded by Juan Carlos “JC” Santana.
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Professional Athlete’s Training
Juan Carlos (JC) is one of the world’s leading authorities on training and performance and has been in the fitness industry for more than 40 years. He is sought out by elite professional athletics, trainers, Olympian’s, police forces and the military. JC inspires and teaches his philosophy and techniques all over the world visiting 20 counties each year as an author, public speaker and fitness consultant.  As a college professor and his advanced understanding of bio-mechanics and conditioning, JC has become the go-to guy for athletes from organizations such as New England Patriots; Boston Red Sox; New York Yankees; Miami Marlins; New York Rangers; New York Islanders; Professional Golf Association and the UFC.

Part of what I discovered at IHP is that you could take as little as 10 or 20 lbs. of weights, resistance bands or medicine balls, put yourself in an athletic position that simulates and occurs throughout the course of any game from football, tennis , baseball, golf, hockey or any physical activity and get a tremendous workout.
Not only are the exercises much harder than I thought they would be, but training mimics the feeling you get on the athletic field. Carlos has developed the training protocols that combine stabilization, strength, balance and endurance needed for any sporting endeavor, and can be replicated in a very safe environment.

When talking to JC we both reminisce about our athletic careers and agree on one fact, “We would have gone further than we did, if we would have trained like this when we were young athletes.” This type of low impact, injury free training would have extended our careers, reduced the debilitating inures we sustained and would have made us better athletes.

Many Techniques Are Forgotten
As training developed into the modern era of machine and bodybuilding, many of the effective techniques used in the past were forgotten.  In the 1960 and 70’s Universal and Nautilus were the first companies to pioneer resistance training with their weight machines and in 1977 Arnold Schwarzenegger stared in the movie Pumping Iron and body building became the thing to do.  The problem with the bodybuilding revolution is that it forgot how we moved.  As JC explains “traditional weight training” and body building was contracting on one muscle and ignoring the fact that all muscles work as a coordinated unit to perform a skill.  Subsequently – weight training and bodybuilding got a bad reputation with athletes needing speed, coordination, and agility, such as boxers, baseball players, golfers, swimmers, tennis, and others.

Bodybuilding Clashed with the World of Function
Witnessing this evolution of fitness first hand, JC took his martial arts background and combined it with the well-established traditional strength training systems and develop what is known today as “HYBRID  TRAIN”  – a combination of several training systems.  According to JC, functional training is not new, it is a return to days passed,  to many of the techniques used by the ancient Greeks; a return to the era of wooden ships and iron men.

For a while the world of bodybuilding clashed with the world of function.  However, professional fighter Olympian, Evander Holyfield, and the only five-time Heavy Weight Champion, proved that you could combine both approaches to training. After winning the Olympic Gold medal 1984 as a light heavyweight, Evander packed on over 40 pounds of muscles with more speed, agility and quickness as a light heavyweight.  Evander did this by hiring a mix of trainers that successfully mixed traditional bodybuilding and functional training. The results were impressive and showed that, if properly combined, it is possible to “grow muscle and give it hustle”.
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Talent is Overrated
As Geoff Colvin suggests in his book Talent is Overrated:  It’s not talent that often sets the Hall-of-Famers apart – it’s hard work!

Carlos Up’s and Downs …
Carlos was born in 1959 in Cuba, the year Castro’s revolution took over. “My parents were very successful, my dad was a restaurant owner, my mom was an accountant. After arriving in the USA as immigrants, my parents had to put their ego away, in order to survive.  Dad went to work cleaning hospital floors, my mom went from accountant to a low level restaurant worker.”  As a young man JC feels he had a perfect childhood.  His parents were the perfect role models and his older sister and he have always had a special relationship.  He enjoyed all of the trappings of being a good athlete, a college student, a touring musician, and bar-owner, later a gym-owner, a world authority on training, and a family man.
But his life has not been a cruise. JC has had plenty of dark moments, from failing businesses, to failing marriages. JC’s first dark moment came in 1992 when his bar went bankrupt, while he was trying to raise his 2 year old son, Rio.  He got down to basics and asked himself:  WHEN WERE YOU THE HAPPIEST?  The answer convinced him enroll into FAU’s Exercise Science department and 3 years later he had a Master’s Degree and was on his way to a doctorate.

Authority in the Fitness Industry
JC quickly became an authority in the fitness industry, hitting a 37 city/year touring schedule, while authoring several books, 200 articles, and 70 DVDs in under 12 years!  He opened IHP while happily married and with three more children.
In 2007 the economy took a bad turn and JC was force to hit a grueling 20-country international tour that wrecked his body and his family.  That set up a 6-year period of total darkness. He went into depression that forced him into psychiatric care and heavy medications.  After trying a multitude of approaches and medical treatments for depression and insomnia, JC went back to what had shaped him as a young athlete – perseverance and hard work.

JC’s Advice

• “If you find yourself in a dark place – RIGHT FOOT, LEFT FOOT, REPEAT!!  Just keep moving – no matter what.  Even if you move back – you will get out of the darkness and into the light – and from there you can reassess your next move. Stay as productive as possible and surround yourself with the best people you can.”
• “Now I’m in the groove again. Life is not perfect, but will it ever be? There will always be challenges – but it’s our perception of what happens and not, what actually matters that really shapes our reality.”
• “If you want the unreachable you have to do the unthinkable” – hard work will out-perform great talent, when great talent refused to work hard!”
• “Develop a purpose and a vision, so real it makes you cry, laugh, wonder, and jump out of bed every day.  That vision is your anchor when things become ugly and dark.”
• “Remember – Imagination knows no boundaries. Motivation must be the order of the day, and complete dedication and impeccable work ethic reign supreme.”
• “A day without breathlessness is a day you have not lived!”

Which ones (or all) of Juan Carlos Santana’s advice appeals most to you?  Which ones will you follow?

Copyright 2014 Jerry Gladstone

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Jeff Henderson – “Chef Jeff” – Celebrity Chef

“I needed prison to discover myself “ were the first words Jeff Henderson revealed to me.  Better known to many as “Chef Jeff” for his TV show “The Chef Jeff Project” on The Food Network that helps young adults with challenging  backgrounds to complete projects in the hope of winning a Scholarship to culinary school.  USA Today wrote: “Vegas’ bad boy of cuisine found his calling behind bars”.

Inspirational Book by Chef Jeff

Growing Up in the Ghetto of Central LA
Jeff spoke of growing up in the ghetto of Central Los Angeles, my mom and grandparents help raise myself and my sister with little help. My dad never taught me responsibility, I had a criminal mentality: “Early on I went to jail multiple times and I was stabbed by a rival gang in the chest  when I was 16. Never did well in school, I graduated with a certificate of completion and a 1.0”.  “We moved  to San Diego, and I started selling drugs, in short time I was making  $35,000 a week as a cocaine crack dealer.  From there in 1987,  I was  arrested by the San Diego Drug Task Force and I was charged and found guilty of distributing illegal narcotics.”

Spent Ten Years in Prison
“I thought my life was over, I spent the next 10 years in prison.  There is an art to doing “time” you have to learn how to deal with it, it will either control you or you will control it, but I will tell you right here, right now, prison saved my life.  I had plenty of time to reflect back at my youth. Nobody ever told me I was smart, always thought I was inferior. I had a victim mentality, thought I was owed something. “I blamed everyone for my shortcomings.”

From Dishwasher to Culinary Star
In prison my job was a dishwasher, from there I moved to the kitchen. “While in kitchen the more I thought of my past the more I beat myself down with regret as I dreamed of being a free man.”  I began to value education, I accepted responsibility for my past, I looked how others were negatively affected by drugs, I started to read about my heritage and I discovered there was plenty to be proud of.  While working in the kitchen food and cooking became very important to me, it put me around bright minds, people I respected as my mentors. People with the right mind-set…

Named Chef of the Year
I continued to build my self-esteem in prison reading self-help books watching Sixty Minutes and 20/20 my self-worth began to raise.  After prison I moved to Las Vegas, I wanted to be an executive chef. I learned to smile, had to overcome the stigma of being a convicted felon but I worked hard built up my résumé and became the first African American at Caesars Palace to be named a “Chef de Cuisine” and in 2001, the Tasting Institute of America named me “Chef of the Year”.

Autobiography “Cooked”
“I am in the right place now and enjoy helping others so they don’t make the same mistakes I did.”  Jeff has become a bestselling author with his autobiography Cooked     and helps others by speaking in prisons and schools throughout the country. Jeff is all about giving back and inspiration “ I want to inspire and motivate lives.”
Food is a celebration of life and I am able to use it to help create opportunities for gang members, drugs dealers and the homelessness. His latest TV show is Family Style with Chef Jeff.

Jeff’s Empowering Thoughts:
“Sacrifice all for your dream, believe in yourself with passion. We can’t let our fear of failure be greater than our desire to achieve.  At the end of the day it’s all about the choice’s you make.”

Do you agree with:  “The first step of shaping your life is responsibility” and Jeff’s advice for THE COMMON THREAD  readers: “Sacrifice all for your dream, believe in yourself with passion”?

Copyright 2014 Jerry Gladstone

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Dan Caldwell’s Amazing Career

Dan Caldwell  started a t-shirt company called TapouT from the trunk of his car and sold it years later for 200 million.

CNN Money wrote at that time about him: “It’s not every day you meet a CEO, named ‘Punkass’.  Especially one who runs a $200 million company… The heavily tattooed, bandana-wearing CEO fits right in at TapouT, a 140-employee clothing company in Grand Terrace, Calif., which caters to athletes and fans of mixed martial arts.”

Dan Caldwell, nickname PunkAss (TV_series) is also a producer and actor, known for Warrior (2011), The Hammer (2010) and Fighters Only World Mixed Martial Arts Awards (2009).

CEO, actor, producer Dan Caldwell (PunkAss) and author Jerry Gladstone (right)

No one knows the secrets to his success better than Dan Caldwell himself, so here are his tips for you in his own words:

Don’t Be Constricted by Insecurities
“I think so often people are constricted by their insecurities. I know I personally battled insecurities all of my life and I know what it does to you. Insecurities will hold you down and keep you down if you let them. I lived in a world where I was just never good enough, or smart enough, I never thought I could have what those successful people over on the other side of the tracks had!  When I finally got the courage to actually attempt something, I was so worried that I was going to fail that I overcompensated in every way.”

I Constantly Educate Myself.
If I’m in the gym, or driving, or running, I am either listening to a book, podcast, or a YouTube video. I am finding out those things that I don’t know that I need to know. I am listening to other leaders or businessmen, who have written books so that I can learn from their mistakes.  I take some comfort in knowing that I am outworking my competition!

Gain Momentum and You Will Be Unstoppable
“I remember researching everything I could on the subject.  I made sure I did it better and different and with more imagination than everyone else because I had to. I would live with it and constantly consider how I could better my idea. Once I started to have success in different areas I gained confidence and thought less about my insecurities. You tend to get this momentum like a train traveling down the tracks. When the train first gets going a simple piece of scrap metal on the tracks could stop it, but once it starts to gain momentum it’s unstoppable.”

Meaningful, Purposeful Life
“I think everyone wants their life to be meaningful and have purpose. So why not chase that idea or invention or career that excites your soul. After all what’s the worst that can happen, that you fail? We all fail!  We must fail so that we can learn from those failures. I’ve had so many failures I’ve stopped counting, but my successes far outweigh my failures.”  And adds:
“Theodore Roosevelt once said, “If he fails at least he fails while daring greatly so his place shall never be with those timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat!”  We owe ourselves that!”

Copyright 2014 Jerry Gladstone

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Marc Cuban – Very Successful Businessman

Never Assume Anything
Honestly, I had my doubts about whether he would take time to let me interview him, but I try to practice what I preach: Never assume anything. And I made the call.  Mark surprised me with his gracious response to my proposal. He was more than interested — he was eager to help me with this project. He truly likes to share his experience and the wisdom he has gained along his journey.

In 2000, businessman and venture capitalist Mark Cuban bought the basketball team Dallas Mavericks – a year after he and his partner Wagner had sold out their successful venture Broadcast.com to Yahoo! for nearly $6 billion.  Marc Cuban also joined the series Shark Tank as a venture capitalist.
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Marc Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks
© Getty Images

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Shark Tank TV Reality Show
Approximately seven million Americans have become familiar with Mark Cuban as they tune in weekly to watch Shark Tank, ABC’s popular reality show. The show features a panel of “sharks” — potential investors — who listen to contestants pitch their entrepreneurial business ideas and determine which ones are worth an investment.
Mark served as a panelist several times in the first two seasons and became a regular member the third.  He was selected for the role because of his own success as an entrepreneur. After all he turned a flailing NBA franchise into a world championship team in just eleven short years, making himself a household name for the rest of us.

Definitely Not a “One-Hit Wonder”!
How did this common guy from a Pittsburgh suburb come to land on the Forbes richest people list?  No one handed success to Mark — he didn’t inherit it.  At the age of twelve, he made his inauspicious entrée into the business world selling garbage bags to purchase a pair of expensive basketball shoes. He learned early to do whatever it takes to get what you want. Later he tended bar, collected and sold stamps to pay for college, taught disco dancing and worked as a party promoter.

Mark’s Empowering Thought:
The power to achieve success lies within you: “Sweat equity is the best equity — and everyone has a bank full of it. They just have to choose to use it.”

Do It Daily:
Create strategies to achieve success and view your challenges — from competitors to adverse events — as learning experiences to propel you to greater effort.  Think about it:  How can you use Marc Cuban’s mindset to help you overcome obstacles?  Let me know!

Copyright 2014 Jerry Gladstone.

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Bill Rancic Hired by Donald Trump

The Ledger-Enquirer just reported:  Celebrity Baby Scoop:  Bill Rancic debuts ‘Kitchen Casino’
“Giuliana & Bill” star Bill Rancic is set to host the Food Network show, “Kitchen Casino,” which premiered April 7 at 9 p.m., ET/PT. The new show brings together four talented chefs in a high-stakes game of chance that requires skill, speed and adaptability.  Bill opens up to Celebrity Baby Scoop about his new show, how fatherhood has made him an “even better communicator” with wife Giuliana Rancic, the importance of date nights and family vacations, and how “everything in life matters more,” thanks to his adorable 19-month-old son Duke.

First Candidate Hired by Donald Trump
William “Bill” Rancic is an American entrepreneur who was the first candidate hired by The Trump Organization at the conclusion of the first season of Donald Trump’s reality TV show, The Apprentice. The winner would receive a $250,000 contract working and running one of Trump’s companies.

In my upcoming book THE COMMON THREAD readers will find an interview with him, including lots of tips, encouragement and stories of adversity, Bill Rancic was able to overcome.

Bill Rancic’s Message
“You have to know what failure is, to truly appreciate success.  I was always motivated to make money. I was reading the Robb Report  when I was only ten years old. I went to a private school where I was a below average student, but when I attended public school, I was above average. That opened my eyes, and I began to realize that my education would play a key part in my success.”

“It’s important to remind yourself constantly of your goals, to find different ways to motivate yourself.  Surround yourself with pictures of things you want.  So many people are afraid they will fail, so they don’t even try.”

Read the whole story about Bill Rancic in an interview in THE COMMON THREAD book, his life and how he overcame obstacles, and succeeds in business.

If people like Bill Rancic can do it – you can do it too!  How could you apply what he did to reach your goals?  How can you see yourself applying what he did to your goals. How can you use his mindset to help you overcome obstacles?  Let me know!

First Candidate Hired by Donald Trump
William “Bill” Rancic is an American entrepreneur who was the first candidate hired by The Trump Organization at the conclusion of the first season of Donald Trump’s reality television show, The Apprentice. The winner would receive a $250,000 contract working and running one of Trump’s companies.  In my upcoming book THE COMMON THREAD readers will find an interview with him, including lots of tips, encouragement and stories of adversity, he was able to overcome.

Bill Rancic’s Message
“You have to know what failure is, to truly appreciate success.  I was always motivated to make money. I was reading the Robb Report  http://robbreport.com/ when I was only ten years old. I went to a private school where I was a below average student, but when I attended public school, I was above average. That opened my eyes, and I began to realize that my education would play a key part in my success.”

“It’s important to remind yourself constantly of your goals, to find different ways to motivate yourself.  Surround yourself with pictures of things you want. So many people are afraid they will fail, so they don’t even try.”

Read the whole story about Bill Rancic in an interview in THE COMMON THREAD book, his life and how he overcame obstacles, and succeeds in business.  If people like Bill Rancic can do it – you can do it too!

How could you apply what he did to reach your own goals?  How can you see yourself applying what he did to your goals? How can you use his mindset to help you overcome obstacles?  Let me know!

Copyright 2014 Jerry Gladstone

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