I've gotten to know John Eliason through my friend Harvey Mackay. John is a brilliant entrepreneur and a master on the topic of selling yourself and getting the most out of the opportunities in front of you.
John wrote a new book, Rewire: How To Grow A Business In A Crazy World And Have A Great Time Doing It, and it is an absolute must-read for anyone learning how they can better sort through life's challenges. I had a chance to discuss the new book with John and you can read the interview below.
-Brandon
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John Eliason: Have you ever read a great book, listen to a wonderfully motivational speaker or looked at an opportunity and you’re all excited to go out launch that business, take control or your life and live the dream? Then tomorrow morning comes and you realize you’re not really even sure where to begin? The problem is you were only given 1/2 of the story - the motivation part. Rewire is the missing 1/2 of the story - it’s the playbook to turn an entrepreneur’s dream into reality.
BS: Tell my readers about the steps to getting Rewired.
JE: Most everyone does things generally right - the problem is that generally right only pays generally part of the bills.
If you want more and what you’re doing isn’t getting you there, no worries, you just need to tweak your process.
Here’s what we do:
- Methods - Right of the bat we look at targets; you probably want to start making more money right away, right..? And you want to build for business down the road. We show you what we’ve tested, what most people do - which is generally right, but only pays part of the bills - and what works to literally 2x results.
- Systems - Systems are like using tools; it’s like the difference between digging a hole with your hands and using a shovel. There are systems in business too that just make your life easier, the problem is that nobody gives you the a-z so you can put them to work for you. When you use these systems you get your work done faster - just like a shovel vs by hand. Now you can use that time to do whatever you want - kids, family, hobbies or a whole lot more more business - your choice.
- Automation - Automation is like putting an engine on your shovel, jet fuel in system - you get the idea. Now you have even more business and or more time - again you chose. The problem that everyone makes today is that there’s so much automation (software, internet marketing systems…) available, but we don’t know how to use it. We either confuse ourselves right out of business or rev it up let it rip and loose a few fingers in the process. Before we add automation we simply make sure our methods and systems are tight, then when you add automation your systems can go very fast - and big!
Bottom line is that we’re not talking a radical change here, we’re finally just putting it together right.
It’s like when someone hands you a tool that makes your life easier and you wonder why someone never showed you that before! That’s Rewire.
BS: What's the biggest thing you learned in writing this book?
JE: It’s better to be brief and impactful - books are usually too long and we don’t get through them. Rewire is 100 pages - on purpose. I took more time distilling it down so you can use it fast.
BS: "If you want something you've never had, you must be willing to do something you've never done" -Thomas Jefferson. That's become one of your most well-known mantras. What are some of your other favorite sayings to live by?
JE: You need to be willing to give up what you have for what the world has intended for you.
BS: As an entrepreneur, what have been your most difficult challenges?
JE: Simply having a system that works. When I finally figured it out and used it to grow business I was so thankful that I felt obligated to share it with others looking for the same.
BS: Most people tend to over-complicate tackling those challenges. What's the key to simplification?
JE: Doing. Most of the complication comes from thinking too much and doing too little. Got an idea? #1 Make a call to someone you know who may be a buyer and run your idea past them. Based on that one conversation your idea will change - for the better. Most people design business cards, letter head, advertising, etc. before they every talk to a target. As soon as they do, they wish they’d done it sooner.
BS: I would also consider myself somewhat of a Harvey Mackay disciple. What's the most important thing you've learned from him over the years?
JE: The value of your network. Harvey once told me, “John, take everything from me, except my network, and I’ll be back where I am right now in 3 years.”
BS: What's the next step for you, another book?
JE: A lot of people want to install Rewire in their business and want more than a book. Because of that I’m putting together a Rewire Program that will allow a deeper dive into Rewire, all my other material (I actually have two more unpublished books) and custom software for automation. If you’re interested you can find it all brewing in the lab - www.rewirelab.org