LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
From Success To Significance
According to Dr . Phil in his book “ Self Matters ,” you can trace who you ’ ve become in this life down to three external factors : 10 defining moments , seven critical choices , and five pivotal people .
In some cases , these are negative experiences , choices , and people who have forever left their stain on you . In other cases , like for me with the man in this month ’ s cover story , they are intensely positive and have inspired , led , and mentored you to become the best version of yourself .
I first saw Dr . Nido Qubein speak at a marketing conference back in 2008 . At the time , I was in the early days of getting my business started , and I ran into a client , Jeff Johnson ( who now leads our Big Red Media division ), who was also attending . I nearly skipped Dr . Qubein ’ s evening session because I had never heard of him before and thought to myself , “ What could I possibly learn from the president of a university ?” Dumb , I know .
Thankfully , Jeff convinced me to stay , assuring me that this was probably someone I ’ d really like to see — and he was right . For the rest of Dr . Qubein ’ s presentation , I was mesmerized . He had such an endearing and compelling way of engaging with the audience , and his message , “ How To Be A Godiva In A World Of Hershey Kisses ,” was both profound and entertaining to see . I knew I needed more .
Dr . Nido Qubein , inspiring the audience at the 2019 IT Sales And Marketing Boot Camp
Founder And CEO , Technology Marketing Toolkit , Inc .
From there , I made a point to learn from and engage with him in various ways , starting with buying and reading his books , bringing him to speak to my clients on multiple occasions ( they NEVER tire of his message ), enrolling in his mentoring program , and bringing groups to High Point University to see his brilliance in action . He never disappoints .
In my career , I ’ ve had the opportunity to meet and spend time with dozens of high-performance people , from all the Sharks on “ Shark Tank ” to icons like Buzz Aldrin and sports legends like Mike Ditka and Peyton Manning . Out of all of them , I can tell you that I have never met a more intelligent , high-integrity , hardworking , and generous entrepreneur than Dr . Qubein . He is a gift to this world and on my personal list of the five most pivotal people I ’ ve met in my life .
One of the key lessons I ’ ve learned from him is to set a higher standard than “ success ” for myself and my organization — one of significance . To do that requires you to develop yourself and your organization to inspire excellence by being excellent . To be transformational to the people I work with and for , not just transactional . To elevate myself from a “ sea of sameness ” and never settle for mediocrity in anything or “ good enough .”
If you ever get the opportunity to go to High Point University , take it . I guarantee it will be one of the most inspirational experiences of your life .
Bonus : I ’ ve posted a video clip of Dr . Qubein onstage at the 2019 Boot Camp where he last spoke that I believe you ’ ll find inspiring at MSPSuccessMagazine . com / qubein . n
4 | MSPSuccessMagazine . com • VOLUME 2 ISSUE 5