Chris: I am ready to ready to ignite, John!

John: Yes, America is a prosper newer, Chris is an accomplished world-class speaker, mindset strategist award-winning author and radio show host, partnering with entrepreneurs to have sustainable success at the next level. Chris take a minute, fill in some gaps from that intro, and give us just a little glimpse of your personal life.

Chris: Absolutely. Well, I’m a father of a ten-year-old son who’s very active in sports. I have a wonderful wife, and I really love to have balance with my family life, personal life, and my business. I’m a strong believer by having balance allows you to have sustainable success at the next level in everything you do. As you talk about what I do, is I work with entrepreneurs, business leaders, and sales professionals to have sustainable success at the next level by resolving the root cause to the source of their limited beliefs, or mindset barriers.

John: So, within that, what would you say your specific area of expertise is? Where do you really set yourself apart?

Chris: Where I set myself apart is getting to the root cause of the problem that holds people back, operating from the solution rather than managing the problem. I see a lot of times people that are looking to make improvements in their business will be doing it managing the problem but not actually coming from the solution. In order to come from the solution, you have to resolve the root cause to the problem. It’s no different than if you were looking at a manufacturing line, yes you could produce widgets that have bottlenecks, they’re not gonna be the best quality, but it could still produce. It’ll still make money but yet, if you’re able to eliminate those bottlenecks it makes the production line more efficient, more productive, better quality yielding higher revenue potential. It’s the same concept that I do with people in their business.

John: Now, within that area of expertise, if you could really just break down something specific. What’s something that you just see entrepreneurs do wrong time and time again?

Chris: What I see entrepreneurs do a lot is really being too busy. They’re busy all day, they don’t have enough time. It’s not necessarily that they’re doing a lot of things that are productive, the reason being is that they’re caught up, again, in the effect of the problem. Yes, they’re able to manage it, and they’re able to be efficient on some level, and have success, but not to the success that they’re really capable of truly having. If they’re able to get more of their time back and be more efficient and use systems better, they’re gonna be in a better place. By doing that, you have to do that from the solution from within, not managing the problem.

John: Fire Nation, so many entrepreneurs love to say, I’m so busy. Well let me tell you something, I produce a daily podcast. Just yesterday I did 28 episodes on other people’s shows in one day, back-to-back-to-back, I produce a ton of content. I travel around the world speaking at different places, and I will never not have a morning routine that gives me time, that gives me space. What Chris is saying is so critical for you to succeed. If you don’t have this now, you need to create this into your life. Every day, meditation. Chilling out. Journaling. Reading. Doing some form of exercise. If you’re not fitting these things into your day Fire Nation, then what are you doing? Why are you running around in circles? You’re just not utilizing your time correctly so give yourself the space, make the time, make that happen.

Now Chris you didn’t always have these great revelations and ideas and structures in your life, you do now, but you didn’t always. Because of that you probably had some tough times. Take us to not just a tough time, but your worst entrepreneurial moment to date. Tell us that story.

Chris: Well, this goes back a long time ago, John. Over 20 years ago. At the time, I was operating a supplement business that distributed supplements to body building gyms. At the time, I had a good thing going, and as I began to expand, I began to enlist the help of other people; some body builders that would allow me to reach more people to distribute the product to build the business. At that time, I was operating out of the problem not the solution. This is before I found the process to do this.

I was a very angry individual, and I really seemed to want to take control of everything. I had to have my hands in everything. In essence, what I did is I micromanaged the entire business, and I really did not have faith or trust the people that I was looking to leverage with that I always had to keep my tabs on them. As a result of that, I caused friction, that friction ended up losing some of these people and then, of course, losing clients. As a result of that, that business just completely went down the drain in about two years. It was at that point that I felt am I cut out to be an entrepreneur? I really questioned myself. While there were other experiences along the way, I really look at that one because that one almost took me out of the game.

John: So, now that you’re able to look back and know what you know now, what’s the one lesson? What’s the one take away that you really wanna make sure our listeners get.

Chris: One thing I want them to get is that when I found the process to come from the solution from within, you being the solution to solve your own problem. That was the ah-ha moment, or the wake-up call to me that I know if I were able to follow this process and be able to commit to daily habits and disciplines that would allow me to reach a brand new level that I could never imagine by implementing these habits and disciplines in certain things that I required for my business to get to the next level. That was the wake-up call for me. Coming from within to operate from the solution rather than the problem.

John: Let’s do a bit of a shift now, Chris. I would love to hear one of your ah-ha moments. What I mean by that is you’ve had a lot of great ideas, really zero in and zoom down into one of those ah-ha moments. Take us to that moment, break it down for us, let us know how it happened, where it happened, when it happened, but more importantly how did you then take that idea and turn it into success?

Chris: I was working for an insurance company at the time and I was doing some consulting. I was working with their sales people and as a result of that I knew that coming from the solution was the answer to have sustainability in what they were doing, to bring in new clients to retain them. At the time the management of this insurance company didn’t see it that way. They wanted me to come in and just train them in a traditional sales manner, get them motivated with their mindset. I knew that was the short-term answer. Over time, I was able to get the buy in.

When they really saw that if you were able to come from the solution, and really begin to reset the mindset, eliminating the problem which usually stems back to childhood, and working with each of these sales people, they saw a huge difference in their production. They saw people able to get things done in a fraction of the time. They were bringing in more business, book business with different insurance products, and they were retaining that business. They really saw this, this was at a time where a lot of people looked at this stuff and said are you crazy? That ain’t gonna work. But that was really an ah-ha moment.

Even to this day it’s still a challenge. There are a lot of people, a lot of traditional businesses don’t really, they get it, but they don’t get it. The challenge for me is to really create this awareness that says, hey, this insurance company got it and they took it to a whole another level you can too. Again, you gotta commit to the process and look at it long-term.

John: Chris, break it down. One take away. One lesson. What should Fire Nation really get from that story?

Chris: What they should get from that story is that people need to commit to the process of success, whatever that means to you. Yes, you’ve gotta look at the outcome, and you gotta visualize what that outcome is. The problem is people focus on the outcome itself and not the process. Your outcome is going to be a byproduct or direct result of your commitment in implementing the steps necessary within that process. When you commit to that process you’re gonna be able to forge ahead through any obstacle or any challenge, because behind those challenges and set-backs are greater opportunities. When you come from the solution, or using mindfulness in your daily life, you’re gonna begin to see those opportunities behind those challenges, rather than the problems itself manifesting further. That’s the key take away I’d like your audience to take away, Fire Nation.

John: Fire Nation, what’s your process? I gave you a little glimpse of my morning routine, that’s my process. That’s what helps me win ever single day. I break my day down into processes starting with that morning routine. Start somewhere. Start somewhere, Fire Nation, start somewhere today. Now, for you Chris, you have a lot of cool things going on, man. I mean, I’m sure you’re pumped about your son being involved in sports, business is going well, but business-wise what’s the one thing you’re most fired up about today?

Chris: What I’m fired up about today, is again, serving my purpose. Every day I wake up I’m doing something that is serving who I am and serving others to empower them to be greater than they actually are. It’s the same thing with companies. I look at companies and people as the same, that you could step up if you make the commitment to really, truly look at what you’re in business for and what that purpose is. That’s what fires me up every day that I’m being me and I’m empowering others to find that within themselves.

John: Fire Nation, I’m pretty pumped that you’re gonna get some value bombs from Chris in the lightning rounds when we get back from thanking our sponsors.

Chris are you ready to rock the lightning rounds?

Chris: I am ready to rock.

John: What was holding you back from becoming an entrepreneur?

Chris: What was holding me back was limited beliefs. I had anger issues growing up, throughout my childhood and throughout my college years, and my 20s, this all stemmed back to a strained relationship with my father. I was always looking for validation, so I would seek out business partners, clients, girlfriends, bosses that would end up being my father to seek that validation. I just got into a vicious cycle of creating friction in any type of relationship that I got myself into. Really, even while I had a great work ethic, my business would just be like a rollercoaster ride. When I was able to really see that and begin to look at a process that would allow me to operate from within the solution, which I talked about, my whole business and my life turned around completely.

John: Not to dive too deep because this is the lightning round. But you have brought up anger a couple times. I’m sure there are some people who recognize they probably have an anger issue as well, what is maybe just one or two quick things you can share? Let’s actually just keep it to one. What’s one thing that you did to really help and rein in your anger problems.

Chris: Was to acknowledge it, accept it where I was and make a commitment to find the root cause to what that anger was. Then to resolve it at the deepest level inside of you, then replace that anger with positive emotions that were aligned to healthier and more productive habits and disciplines that would take me to where I wanted to go. A lot of those things that you talked about, John, that you do, are a lot of things I do. Those are the things that really have made me successful since that point.

John: One of those habits, Fire Nation, can just be as easy as expressing gratitude. Just saying something every day that you are grateful for. There’s a reason why in both the Mastery and Freedom Journal, the first prop every morning is, I am grateful for: Because if you just acknowledge one thing you’re grateful for, you start to recognize you really do have a lot to be thankful for in this world. For you Chris, what’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Chris: The best advice I’ve ever received was, I remember talking to several people, but I remember talking to Richard Branson briefly at a party back in 2008, it was a global business traveler event, it was Houston. I was at a party, and he was hosting, it brought in INXS. I remember talking to him and how really authentic he was and genuine. Here was Sir Richard Branson, he should be untouchable, yet he was just an everyday guy when you were around him. I just remember him saying that the true successful people in life, in business are the ones that come from their authentic self, and they’re not afraid to admit their mistakes. Even though I knew that, it really reinforced coming from somebody like him that really set in to say that’s what really separates true leaders and people at that level from the rest is coming from your authentic self. Always being, truly, who you are.

John: Recommend one Internet resource.

Chris: There are several of them. For me, I share this, it’s nothing new but it allows me to share content. It’s like an all in one type of widget that you can share content through email, through instant messaging, through texting, and it’s just a great way to get your content out there in short pieces here and there; to really create leverage and connection with your audience.

John: Recommend one book and share why.

Chris: I love books and I read every week. One book that really has stood out for me, and it’s not one of their more famous books but it’s still a powerful book. It’s called The Power of Focus with Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hanson, and Les Hewitt. What I love about The Power of Focus, because focus really plays an important role in what I do when I’m consulting with people in businesses. It looks at your life and business as one. A lot of times people put it into separate buckets, I love how it really looks at what’s going on in your life effects your business, and what’s going on in your business effects your life, and how you could really look at it together as one strategy to put together a game plan that’s gonna get you to the next level. It’s a book that I’ve read many times over and always find something new.

John: Well, Chris, let’s end today on Fire Brother with you giving us a parting piece of guidance, sharing the best way that we can connect with you and then we’ll say goodbye.

Chris: That’s great. I would say that my parting statement would be just be aware of where you are right now. If you’re not where you wanna be, just accept where you are and make a commitment to change, to find the root cause to what may be holding you back. Commit to the process to find it, because when you find it and you resolve it you will then find your solution to your purpose to move forward. Awareness, acceptance and forgiveness to move forward toward where you wanna be. If people wanna find me they can reach me at my website, at: www.christophersalem.com.

John: Fire Nation, you’re the average. The five people you spend the most time with, and you have been hanging out with CS and JLD today, so keep up the heat. Head over to eofire.com, just type Chris in the search bar, his show and his page will pop up with everything that we’ve been talking about today. Best show notes in the biz, timestamps, links galore. Chris thank you for sharing your journey with Fire Nation today, for that we salute you, and we’ll catch you on the flip side.

Chris: Thanks John.

John: Hey Fire Nation, hope you enjoyed our chat with Chris today. If you’re ready to master productivity, discipline, and focus in 100 days, just visit the masteryjournal.com and use promocode PODCAST as I think you for listening to my podcast. I’ll catch you there, or I will catch you on the flippity, flip side.