How to stop being broke and bitter…

Back when I relocated to Florida from Michigan and started all over, I was broke & bitter.

I was upset with my ex-wife for bailing on us.

I was upset with the economy as we were in the Great Recession.

I was upset with the government, spending way too much time arguing about politics. (Any time arguing about politics is too much)

I was upset with my competitors for lowballing me.

Until my best man, Rob Mann, invited me to lunch down in Fort Myers, FL.

During the presentation at that lunch, I learned the principle of Above The Line.

It looks like this:



This was the biggest lesson in my life up to this point

And once I got it and owned it, everything started to change.

And by the grace of God, we build a successful painting business during the Great Recession, while others were going out of business.

While everything might not be your fault if you take full responsibility,

you now have the power to change it.

but as long as you blame, make excuses, or deny you’re powerless to do anything about it.

For example:

Employees continue to show up late. Take ownership and execute a progressive disciplinary process.

Competitors underbidding you. Take ownership and then figure out how to communicate more value so that you’re not competing on price. (You can do this by following the DYB System).

Can’t hire anybody good because nobody wants to work? Take ownership and ask yourself, what are we doing to attract duds? And how can we start to attract All-Stars?

Not seeing any growth or the profits that you’d like to see? Learn to job cost, find your target market, and hire a business coach or join a peer group.

That’s what I did.

Here’s how to make Above The Line a new way of being.

Introduce it to your team.

Then give them permission to hold you accountable to it also.

Moreover, if you have children at home, introduce them to them. They will surely hold you accountable.

When you hear somebody being below the line, simply ask them 2 questions:

1. Is that above of below the line?
2. How can we be above the line?

Keep it Above The Line, and watch your life soar to heights you never imagined.