It can be helpful to look at our past and see the progress we have made. There are also times when a significant event occurred that prompts you to remember it forever. It can be a turning point, a watershed moment or a placeholder of things to come.

Ten years ago on May 2nd, 2008 I was on patrol in Fallujah, Iraq as a US Marine. By this point I had been in the country for about three months and was starting to feel more comfortable with my surroundings and what our role was. I was one member of a 100 member Marine Company and we were tasked to provide security within a given geography. Our Company was made up of six squads. Each squad would have its own mission and area to patrol.

That evening was very similar to most. Our missions were at night so we would not disturb the local population. Typically we would have a late lunch, go into a conference room to discuss the mission for that evening and head out around 8 PM. During the mission briefings all the squads were together, we would meet up and tell each other to be safe, go out separate ways, and meet back in the morning to debrief

While we were on patrol that evening around 1 am in the morning I looked into the night sky to see flares floating down on parachutes about a half mile from my location. Typically this was done to provide light to an area when needed. I remember actually thinking it was rather beautiful. Each flare lasted about 5 minutes before going out and another would take its place. Unbeknownst to me at the time was the purpose of the flares.

When my squad returned in the morning something was off. There were somber faces and I saw our chaplain. As a Marine when you see the chaplain you know something is wrong. We were called into the briefing room and I saw grown men crying. These were hardened Marines who had seen a lot. It was then that we were told the news.

While on patrol during the night four Marines in our sister squad were killed when their Humvee rolled over an improvised explosive device, an IED. The purpose of those flares the night before were to provide light to my fellow Marines so they could recover what was left of the bodies.

That night was a watershed moment for me. I won’t claim I became my best self after; I didn’t. However I use it as a bookend and a beginning.

Ten years later I am a father to three beautiful girls and married to my best friend. I get to travel, I get to help people and I get to live.

For a long time I carried some measure of survivors guilt. Maybe I still do, but I also carry hope with me.

Will every day be my best? Absolutely not. Will I always make the right decision and honor the memory of my friends? No, I won’t. But I do know that I can make a choice everyday, while those four cannot.

I remember them as friends and companions. Mentors and leaders. Fragile and strong at the same time.

You are not forgotten and we will see each other again.

Until Valhalla —

Sgt. Glenn E. Martinez

Cpl. Miguel A. Guzman

Lcpl. James F. Kimple

Lcpl. Casey L. Casanova

Image credit: Richard Potts

I mentioned last week that I was in Vegas for a sales kickoff. The event was strong and left me feeling both pumped and ready to move towards my goals for the year.

It also left me wanting. There are certain categories within the sales ecosystem and each category has an award winner for the year. In my category I was not the winner this year and it left me wanting to step up to the challenge.

Something I truly believe is “competition breeds success.” It could be sports or academics or work. When you have someone to compete with it can take you out of your comfort zone and pushes you to be your best.

In my current role I work pretty much alone. I am on a team but we are all remote and I don’t receive a ton of feedback from my management. As a result I sometimes feel lost or drifting.

However, last week changed that. I realized there is an end goal in mind and I do have a way to achieve it.

Today I took some steps towards that. I have a whiteboard in my office and I wrote my goal for the year along with what steps I can take to get there. It’s the first and last thing I see everyday. In addition, anyone else that comes by can see it too. It creates accountability and responsibility.

I am also making sure the items I work on are getting me to my goal. Am I using my time wisely? Am I working on high value tasks? These will all add up over time.

Finally I am making it a point to document my wins and losses so I can improve.

How do you work at it when you’re going towards a goal?

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This week I have the privilege of spending time in Vegas for the BMC Sales Kickoff for 2018. (I work for BMC.) It is a lot of excess and excitement, as are most things in Vegas.

However, there is a profound impact being made as well when it comes to how we go to market and create true value for our customers.

What I have found about being at these events is that energy matters. How you think and act will impact your outcome.

I had the opportunity to hear from leaders in tech that all said one thing.

Your mentality will determine your outcome.

If you don’t believe, you won’t get to your goals. It sounds simple, but it’s profound.

Our belief shapes our desired state.

What is your desired state and how do you get there?

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When you encounter a vacuum it seeks out something to fill it. The vacuum doesn’t care what that is as long as the void is filled.

I think that fact is true for us as well. If we have a void we will seek to fill it and if we’re not careful we can damage the work that we have done.

I state all of this because I think it’s important to recognize that we need to constantly fill ourselves with what will benefit us and surround ourselves with people that share the same beliefs.

How do we do that? For me personally, I work in sales, but tend to be by myself most of the day. I have an office and it can be a little bit isolating at times.

To combat that I make it a point to read some good sales blogs like Jeb Blount, Anthony Iannarino  and Jen Gluckow. These folks all have slightly different approaches to things and it’s like you’re talking with a friend and bouncing ideas.

I also make it a point to go to outside events. Startup mixers, AA-ISP and other networking events. Some of these can be a mixed bag, since there are those that are just there to seek out a job.

However you can find gold as well. I have found that AA-ISP makes it a point to have value in their meetings while also having a good time.

I also make it a point to reach out to my boss to make sure I am on the right path. It clears my head to ensure we are on the same page and helps guide my priorities.

Finally I speak to my wife about everything. She is my rock and my support in all things. Whenever I have doubts or successes I share them so we can work it together and celebrate.

What do you do?

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If you’re anywhere close to sales you know last week was a busy one. For some it was end of quarter, others the month, and for a few it was end of year.

As much as we would all like to have our sales done well before the end, it rarely happens. I have found the end of a quarter to be this odd nebulous time. You typically can’t push a sale more than it already is and you’re in a waiting game to get it in.

There are a lot of calls with legal, management and then a lot of waiting. I love the crush of it all, but for non-sales folks I think it’s hard to convey the roller coaster of emotions.

However, the first week of a new quarter is like stepping in a new car right off the lot.

Everything is shiny and new; all is right in the world and you have a brief moment to relax.

I am a firm believer that rest is required to excel. I have taken this week to do that and get in some needed time for myself.

I have been to the beach, spent time with old friends and made time with family. It has had the much needed result of putting things in perspective and allowing me to appreciate why I work.

I don’t think we are meant to be machines, always pushing our metrics. That’s not to say we are not meant to excel, but I don’t think it should be our only focus.

There are a few single minded individuals in the world who seem to not relax, but I know this cannot be true as we have all seen what burnout looks like.

As I write this, I just returned from spending time together with family and catching up. I’m relaxed, in the moment and ready for the week to begin when I return to work.

How do you approach rejuvenation?

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I went camping this past weekend with some buddies of mine. We went zip lining, rock wall climbing, as well as some hiking. The entire experience was designed to leave the phones behind, spend some time reflecting and form deeper bonds.

It gave me a chance to take a pause in my busy life and truly reflect on my meaning and what my passion should be. Did it culminate in a vision that I can carry forth? Absolutely not, however I did lay a foundation.

I think often about the grand journey of it all. When I fantasize about winning the lottery I truly think it will be great to finally have time off to climb the Seven Sisters, the highest mountain on each continent. I am less interested in stuff and more interested in experiences. The idea of climbing alone or going on a sprit quest has great appeal for me.

Why? I have thought about that, too. The closest idea I can come up with is that I am unsatisfied in my current state.

I lack the vision, so instead I seek an experience where I will be alone to receive it. But isn’t that shortsighted? Instead of waiting for our passion or vision, shouldn’t we just act and move toward it?

I think it may be a combination of both. When Jeff Bezos started Amazon he had a vision for something greater than just selling books, but I’m sure he didn’t envision what it currently is. Successes build upon each other and passion can too. So maybe we just need a small sample that we can turn into the finished product.

Where do you seek your passion?

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This week I was reading a post about the top companies to work for. The usual were on the list, Alphabet, Facebook, Salesforce and others. Amazon topped the list for a variety of reasons.

In the news as well is the Chapter 11 Bankruptcy that Toys R Us is filing. As I dug deeper, I also learned that Amazon is considering buying up some of the prime locations that will now be vacant, so they can move further into brick and mortar retail.

I found it pretty amazing that for all the news about retail being a dying segment it’s not actually the case. Instead, we are seeing a right sizing and elimination of poor performers across industries. Amazon is willing to move into direct retail in a way that Toys R Us or others never did. In my mind there are a lot of factors that go into it, but one thing is sure, the culture of a company will determine its outcome.

Now I’m not here to dissect what failed at Toys R Us; in fact I have fond memories of it as a child. As an adult, I was less than overwhelmed when I stopped in and I am not that heartbroken that they are closing.

From an economist’s standpoint I applaud the invisible hand working. However I also realize that decisions made years ago, such as a leveraged buyout, made Toys R Us susceptible to market failure.

What lesson can we pull from these two somewhat unrelated events?

On one hand, you have a top ranked company that wants to move further into brick and mortar retail. On the other hand, you have a major player leaving and many others struggling.

Is our future one where we have only a few spots to shop, Walmart, Amazon and perhaps Target? In that same breath do we also have three competing delivery systems now that Target acquired Shipt?

It probably won’t be that simple, but it does make one think how can we make a positive impact in our own industries.

Are we innovating? Are we looking at the needs of our customers and anticipating the future? Are we digesting data in ways not currently mainstream? These all can lead to greater returns and profits.

Now we just have to execute.

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Job hunting can be stressful, but also extremely rewarding should the right role present itself. You deal with learning about the culture, taking time off for interviewing, crafting the perfect resume, and finally going through the processes to come out on the other side with an offer. That offer can be well worth the stress of it all.

What if you had to do all of that with your current employer’s full knowledge that you were interviewing? Would you still go through the process? Does the risk outweigh the reward?

I actually had that scenario presented to me recently. I have a close working relationship with a hiring director at a company I would be open to working for. I love the culture, how they go to market and it would be a career boost for me.

In addition, since I have a close relationship with folks there, the role opening was presented to me versus me applying on a website and hoping they see me.

One problem though.

They asked that I tell my current employer first, before interviewing, so there is no conflict of interest (my current company does business with the target company).

I have been sitting on telling my boss now for five days. Each morning I walk in with a plan to tell him and each day I delay. I have prayed, meditated, asked for a sign in a dream that I am making a good decision in telling a current employer that I am interviewing before I even know if I have the role.

It has been a major stress for me as I know the move would be great, but I feel it’s too much of a risk to show my cards before I even know the outcome.

Today I even contemplated loosening my own moral code, pulling a Hope Hicks and telling a white lie. I was considering saying I had told my boss when in reality I wouldn’t.

Doing this, of course, may be small, but it starts the foundation on the wrong foot. It chips away at who I am.

I want the role, see a future and see a path forward. But through all my gnashing of teeth, I have not felt right putting my family at risk by saying anything to my boss.

The feeling helped me delay, because today I received a call from that director. He asked that I wait to tell my boss. He realized it didn’t need to be done and it wasn’t right of him to put me in that position.

Have you ever felt you had to compromise to get ahead?

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I am reading a book right now called “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill. The book was written in 1937 and has stood the test of time. The premise of it is simple. The author spent time with the titans of his time and observed what separated those that amassed great wealth from those that didn’t. I am still reading the book, but what it boils down to is not education, physical abilities, or even intelligence that will grant you success.

It’s mindset and being able to focus your energies towards a goal without stopping.

I am not sure how I stumbled across the book, but I figure if a book from the 1930’s was still being discussed, I should read it.

In my own life I want to attain a certain amount of wealth, but not for wealth alone. In fact, I find the single minded pursuit of money to have an emptiness to it. However, I have found that those who create wealth in a just way can also create an ecosystem around them that can be almost self-sustaining.

Mentorship can be offered to others. Ideas that require capital can be pursued. Innovations can be perfected and causes can be embraced.

If you look at a man like Bill Gates you see a savvy businessman that has spawned an industry and can now use his great wealth to promote positive actions around the world. However, he would never be in that position if he had not been single-minded with his company in the beginning.

I doubt myself constantly or tell myself no when I should say yes.

Abundance comes not from being timid, but by being bold and honest with what you want.

Think of the possibilities you could pursue should you truly embrace who you are. It would be better for everyone!

And without making this seem like a rah rah post about positive thoughts, consider the fact that we have nothing to lose by pursing a better version of ourselves.

I am still working on the book, but I encourage you to try it. Is it going to make you think in a new way? Perhaps, but that can be a positive. The author has some insight and he is genuine with his writing.

What would you do with abundance?

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Lately I have become very involved with the look of my pool. I live in Florida and we are almost to swim time, my apologies to my northern friends. I’m not obsessed in a vain way, more in that the activity of scooping out leaves calms me in some way.

I find that the gentle swirl of the water and satisfying thunk of leaves pulled from the pool can relax me immensely.

During the activity there are always one or two leaves that have escaped my net and I think, just a bit more and I will have them all.

While this may be a simple analogy I have found it can be applied throughout my daily activities.

I’m in sales and the results of my actions are very apparent on the big sales board. I manage a practice within my company that is unique and still being nurtured.

One aspect of that is I receive very little feedback on how I am doing on a given day. It can take months or years before I truly see the impact. That can be a bit debilitating if you need a constant ego stroke. My solution for this is to look at short term successes and activities. I try to do a bit more each day.

As we go through the week, I would imagine you’re facing challenges that may require a bit more. Sometimes I’m overwhelmed with the big stuff, so I break it down. Build upon and expand. How do you approach those activities?

Perhaps it’s a single minded focus, micro doses of acid, or just the elephant approach of taking one bite at a time.

This week make it a point to do just a bit more.

I can assure you that you’ll be happy with the results.

Image credit: KimManleyOrt