In the Loop with Andy Andrews

On this week's episode, I answer a listener question on how to identify a principle and overcome the doubt of making it work.

 

A principle is something that works every time.

  • It’s the foundational truth.
  • It’s not just true. It is the truth.
  • Principles work whether you know of them or not.
  • You don’t have to understand or even agree with it, but ignorance of principle is no protection from the consequences of violating that principle.

 

If you took a blind person who didn’t have any idea what an elephant was and you said, “Here’s an elephant. Make your determinations…”

  • Well, if they are standing in the front and the person touched the trunk, they would say an elephant is kind of like a snake.
  • If they grabbed onto a leg, they might say it’s like a tree trunk.
  • Everything they said is true—it just wouldn’t be the truth.
  • The more wisdom you gain about principles and the more you align with them in your life, the easier your life will become and the easier it will be to have a level of belief about where you’re going and what you want to do.

 

Tune in this week to hear an example we can all relate to about why our will is stronger than our emotional state.

 

Questions for Andy

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

On this week’s episode, we’re celebrating the Christmas season by talking about some of my favorite (and not-so-favorite) traditions.

 

Tune in this week to hear about…

  • Where the Andrews family will be for Christmas
  • Jesus’s birthday party
  • Austin’s and Adam’s letter to Santa Claus
  • My favorite and least favorite Christmas foods
  • Movies that I love (and some I’ve grown tired of)
  • And last but not least, my favorite Christmas books and albums

 

I also wanted to share one of my favorite Christmas songs this year. It is Kenny Rogers performing the song Children, Go Where I Send Thee with a cappella group Home Free.

 

Merry Christmas!

 

Questions for Andy

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • com/AndyAndrews
  • com/AndyAndrews

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question about online resources that can help awaken the outdoorsman in you and your kids.

 

I am not a fly fisherman, but Adam has really become interested in it.

  • He’ll go on YouTube and search for different fly fishing topics and show me what he’s learning.
  • My favorite channel on YouTube is called GrowingDeer.tv
  • If you’re a deer hunter, or really just an outdoorsman, it covers a lot of topics like feeding, nutrition, what to do with your land, predator control, etc.
  • It’s produced by wildlife biologist Dr. Grant Woods and is a great testament to the spirit of entrepreneurship.
  • I see such a great dad and husband in him. There are probably 40 or 50 hunting shows on TV, and GrowingDeer.tv on YouTube is by far better than any of them.

 

I can’t find anything to do with my sons that has more time attached to it or is more intimate than sitting in a box with nothing to do but talk.

  • Deer hunting is different than fishing or bird hunting—you’ve got to be still and quiet.
  • When you’re sitting shoulder to shoulder and whispering, there’s time to talk about things that might not normally come up or things that need time for you to think over to answer.

 

Some friends of ours have a farm that they hunt on, and over the past 20 years they’ve given away several thousand pounds of meat.

  • My dad brought me up that if you do harvest an animal, you eat it or give it to a family in need.
  • It’s great for families that don’t have anything, and there are drop-off places that hunters can take a deer to give away to families in need.

 

Tune in to hear the statistics on why a certain kind of meat (you can probably guess which one) is so healthy compared to beef and other popular meats.

 

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Side note: If you’ve experienced a problem with In The Loop updating on your podcast feed, simply unsubscribe and resubscribe to the feed. We ran into an issue several weeks back that caused some subscribers to lose connection with the most recent episodes.

Thanks for listening and sorry for the inconvenience!

 

Questions for Andy

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

On this week’s episode, I talk about our family’s Thanksgiving traditions, and why it pays to express your gratefulness.

 

We almost always have Thanksgiving at our house.

  • We’ve maybe only spent Thanksgiving away once or twice since the boys were born.
  • The parade is always on. We don’t really sit and watch it, but we’re in and out of the room with the cooking and playing outside.
  • I will smoke the turkey on the Kamado Joe and make “Cranberry Whomp.”
  • Polly makes “Green” (which is a Jell-O salad), dressing (not to be confused with stuffing), and cornbread—plus other family members bring treats as well.

 

Gratefulness is a daily thing to express. Unexpressed gratefulness is not gratefulness.

  • It’s an honorable way to live your life and it also has great benefits, too.
  • People don’t understand that their lives would be so much easier, better, and more filled with opportunity if they just lived their lives expressing grate
  • Learn to look for reasons to express your gratefulness.
  • One of the things I learned when I was working regularly with the military is that on the holidays they will always prepare an empty place setting—symbolizing the kids whose mom or dad won’t be with them because they’re overseas or in H
  • It’s one more way to remember how thankful we are that we’re all together and to remember them and thank them for their sacrifice for us.

 

Tune in to hear about a special deal for the listeners of this episode. Hint: it will help you develop an opportunity-attracting mindset—and save you $100 on a special item!

~~~~~

Side note: If you’ve experienced a problem with In The Loop updating on your podcast feed, simply unsubscribe and resubscribe to the feed. We ran into an issue several weeks back that caused some subscribers to lose connection with the most recent episodes.

Thanks for listening and sorry for the inconvenience!

 

Questions for Andy

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on overcoming faulty thinking, and taking action when someone close to you has pulled you down.

 

This is one of those things where the first step is clearing the negativity out of your mind and heart.

  • Forgiveness is the reset button you’ve been given to take care of this.
  • I cannot find any book or expert who says that for one person to forgive another person, the person being forgiven has to ask for it, deserve it, or even be aware that it’s happening.
  • God made you with a certain level of skills, abilities, and talents, and for you to deny who you are is to deny the God who made you.

 

All the stuff that’s keeping you from being who you are isn’t your fault, it’s the fault of the negative people you’re dragging around with you.

  • You truly need to cut them loose, and the only way that will happen is by choosing forgiveness. Remember, it’s about your thinking—and you can choose how you think.
  • Make sure the people you surround yourself with are telling you the truth about who you are and what you can become.
  • You may need to forgive yourself.
  • People stay away from people they sense bitterness in.

 

Tune in to hear some ideas for easy entry points to forgiveness, and to learn the method Andy has found to forgive people inside and outside your life.

 

Questions for Andy

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL213__How_to_Thrive_in_a_Situation_Filled_with_Negativity.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 9:49am CDT

 

On this week’s episode, I discuss my family mission statement and how to come up with your own for your family or business. 

 

I think it’s very necessary to have a mission statement for your family and business.

  • A mission statement creates boundaries that allow you to play freely, create freely, and deal freely within those boundaries.
  • You can learn where those boundaries are because all your activities and everything you do should fit within the boundaries of the mission statement.
  • Questions to ask: Is this part of who I am, and who I am working to become? Is this part of my mission in life?
  • If it’s not—it’s “outside the fence”—then to me, I don’t even have a decision to make.

 

Living your life according to a mission statement is a more narrowly focused version of living your life according to principles.

  • A number of years ago when finances were very tight, Robert and I were offered a deal from a very famous beer company to put a sign behind me when performing at college campuses.
  • The offer they made was more than we had made in the previous 2 years combined, but Robert and I made the decision in about 60 seconds—we had already decided we were not going to be a part of advertising alcohol.
  • We hadn’t established a mission statement at that point, but we were establishing principles about how we were going to run our business.

 

Tune in to hear a breakdown of the Andrews family mission statement, to hear about an addiction Andy developed early in his life, and to hear Andy deliver a brilliant musical performance! 

~~~~~

Please share this email and this podcast with anyone who might benefit from hearing it!

Side note: If you’ve experienced a problem with In The Loop updating on your podcast feed, simply unsubscribe and resubscribe to the feed. We ran into an issue several weeks back that caused some subscribers to lose connection with the most recent episodes.

Thanks for listening and sorry for the inconvenience!

Questions for Andy

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on how parenting principles translate to respectfully dealing with the negative people in your business or personal life.

 

I don’t think distancing yourself from negative people is disrespectful.

  • You can remain respectful and honoring of people by telling them the truth.
  • People react negatively to us when we put them off or try to get away from them.
  • I think it’s much more respectful to say, “Thank you so much for the opportunity, but I’m not going to be able to do it.”

 

Here is a great example that I’ve thought about for years:

  • A friend of mine and I were standing outside of a hotel in Orlando and my friend had on a very cool hat.
  • A kid about 12 years old walks up and says, “Hey, that’s a great hat. Can I have it?”
  • My friend, cool as a cucumber says, “No, but thanks for asking. I appreciate it.”
  • He said no, but I thought that was very respectful.

 

The things that you have on your priority list are the things that are making you who you are.

  • If you spent all your time in situations that you shouldn’t be in, you would not be the kind of person these people want to be with in the first place.
  • I think your very first responsibility is to God.
  • Your second responsibility is to your family.
  • You cannot allow somebody else’s crazy thinking to infect yours.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tune in to hear about the piano prodigy we had visit our office this week who’s played on SIXTY Number One hit songs!

 

Side note: If you’ve experienced a problem with In The Loop updating on your podcast feed, simply unsubscribe and resubscribe to the feed. We ran into an issue several weeks back that caused some subscribers to lose connection with the most recent episodes.

 

Thanks for listening and sorry for the inconvenience!

 

Questions for Andy

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question about how Polly and I determined the names of our boys; we also discuss how incorrect writing can become your style.

We all have seen names where we think, “What in the world? Did you not think this through for a second?”

  • I love names, but there are some that should no longer be in use (you don’t see any little Attilas running around anymore).
  • You don’t want to name your kids:
    • Something someone is going to make fun of.
    • A name that has a weird connotation.
    • Something they’ll have to spell out for the rest of their lives.

 

I told Polly that she can name the boys whatever she wants, but they have to start with an “A.”

  • We always liked “Austin,” and his middle name, Gray, was one of my grandfathers’ names.
  • When Adam was about 9 years old, he asked where his name came from.
  • It just came out of my mouth: “Well buddy, we named you Adam because it must be God’s favorite name.”

 

The second question I’m answering in this episode is, what advice do you have for young writers on how to perfect their craft?

  • This sounds silly, but one of the major things to do is to write.
  • I don’t know any profession that doesn’t benefit from repetition and deep thought.
  • What others may see as incorrect may develop into a style.
  • For instance, because I try to write in a conversational way, I’ll sometimes start a sentence with “And…”
  • Editors used to mark this out, but now they leave it because they understand that’s part of my style.

 

Tune in to hear about a family that named their son after a character from one of Andy’s books, and find out what milestone an Andrews family member just reached.

And please share this free content with any family, friends, or co-workers who might be inspired by it!

 

Questions for Andy

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

On this week’s episode, I talk about how to cast a vision for your marriage, family, and finances.

 

Casting a vision is critical.

  • This is a very powerful tool, and if you’re not doing this with your family, you’re missing out.
  • You don’t just stumble your way into greatness and awesome results.
  • I sat down with Austin when he was 13 and asked, “Have you ever noticed how many kids are alike in what they do after graduating school?”
  • There are variations on the theme, but people pretty much do the same (usually average) things and get the same (usually average) results.
  • You must visualize a long-term target to shoot for.

 

A lot of people say “I’m just doing the best I can” when asked where they’re going in life.

  • Doing the best you can is not a standard.
  • That effort and direction can vary by the hour and does not get you anywhere specific.
  • You want your life to instead be an arrow with kinetic energy that will force its way into places that others would not get into.
  • Whatever you believe your potential to be, you’ll never achieve beyond it because that belief is so powerful.

 

Tune in to hear the method and questions to ask yourself that will help you cast a complete vision for all aspects of your life.

 

Questions for Andy 

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

Direct download: ITL209__How_to_Create_the_Future_You_Want_by_Vision-Casting_Today.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 9:30am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on how I’ve chosen not to focus on being a victim and how you, too, can keep away from this mentality.

 

There are challenging things happening in all our lives that give us the opportunity to check out.

  • However, you can choose what mentality you focus on.
  • There isn’t really a how. You either choose your mentality or you do not.

 

Society continues to believe that choice is the foundation of everything we do.

  • That is like flipping a coin if you don’t know the foundation of what a good choice is or why choices yield certain results.
  • Your thinking is the foundation. Every choice you’ll ever make is based on it.
  • Because you have free will, you can choose how you think by deciding who you spend time with, what you read or watch, and what you spend time thinking about.
  • Choosing your thinking requires you to act against your instincts.

 

I have never seen an incredible leader who was not incredible at leading themselves.

  • You have been created with a will that is stronger than your emotions.
  • You have been created with the ability to act a certain way despite how you feel.

 

Tune in to the episode to hear the songs Andy turns on when he needs to hear something that brings up fun memories.

 

And please share this free content with any family, friends, or co-workers who would be inspired by it!

 

Questions for Andy 

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On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on what to do when someone asks for a letter of recommendation when you wouldn’t recommend them.

 

How authentic are we going to be in our lives?

  • This dials down into who we are as much as who they are.
  • There is pain and confrontation that could be avoided, but should it?
  • There is the opportunity for retreat or deceit. This is an odd situation that many of us have found ourselves in.

 

When we are asked to write a letter of recommendation for someone we absolutely love, were excited and we start thinking of other ways we could possibly help.

  • Think about your
  • Would you like somebody to throw a hand grenade into it?
  • When we write a letter of recommendation and that person fails miserably because of a character flaw or bad habits, it’s not just them who gets the bad mark—it’s you.

 

What kind of people are you wanting to be around, and who are you wanting to become?

  • If this person is someone you would not recommend for a job, they’re probably more of an acquaintance, or at least someone you shouldn’t be spending a lot of time with anyway.
  • You have the opportunity to tell the truth with concern, love, and the possibility of their life being set on a different, more positive course.

 

Tune in to hear how the response you receive from someone you wouldnt recommend ultimately determines whether that person is wise or foolish.

 

Questions for Andy 

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

Direct download: ITL207__Avoiding_Conflict_at_All_Costs_Is_Very_Often_Costly.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 6:26pm CDT

On this week’s episode, I talk about a football player who impacted my life, and a new movie about his life that you should see with your family this fall.

 

When I was in high school, we were across town from another high school named Woodlawn.

  • We had heard about racially motivated riots there and how some of the kids had to be bussed into school.
  • During the football season, I became aware of a student on Woodlawn’s team named Tony Nathan.
  • He was unbelievable—a running back no one could stop.
  • In the fall of my 10th grade year I would get the newspaper every Saturday and read the articles about Tony.

 

They announced that undefeated Woodlawn would play Banks, another undefeated powerhouse, in the playoffs.

  • The game would be played at Legion Field where at the time Auburn and Alabama played each other every year.
  • I talked my dad into going, and when we got there, 20,000 people must have been standing outside the gate.
  • They delayed the game so they could keep bringing people in; once we got in, you could see lines of cars stuck on the interstate.
  • There were 40,000 people in the stadium, 20,000 were turned away, and they estimated another 40,000 were stuck on the interstate.

 

The upcoming movie Woodlawn centers around the whole Woodlawn team’s spiritual awakening around this time and has so many lessons for the whole family.

  • It’s really not a football movie. It’s built around a football team, but it’s a movie about family, decisions, hardship, and overcoming.
  • You will want your teenagers to see this.
  • The only reason I would talk about this on the podcast is because I think it will be a great resource for your family.

 

Click here to learn more about the major motion picture Woodlawn, in theaters October 16, 2015, and tune in to the podcast to hear more from Andy about his personal connection with the film.

Direct download: ITL206_-_The_One_Film_You_WILL_Want_Your_Teen_to_See_This_Fall.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:05am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question about the “treasure chest” that Polly and I have for our boys.

 

The boys know that we have treasure chests for them, and its something we will probably give them when they are around 21.

  • The treasure chest has things that they will need to know or want to have.
  • They don’t get to go in these chests, but I’ll occasionally show them something that’s going inside, or tease that something has been added.

 

When you have some kind of awesome family moment, take something from that place and write a note explaining what it is. Wrap it up and put it in a box.

  • When you’re gone, instead of having a vague memory of that day, your kids will having something tangible—a treasure.
  • There are very few things that I have of my parents, who passed within months of each other when I was young.
  • I can picture my dad’s handwriting, but I don’t have any of it.
  • It will be very important and comforting for the boys to know how much we loved them; the “treasures” make it obvious that we thought about them all the time.

 

Tune in to hear about some of the books, recordings, and other items we have already addedbut dont tell Austin or Adam!

 

Questions for Listeners

 

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

 

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • com/AndyAndrews
  • com/AndyAndrews

On this week’s episode, I talk about why it’s important to let your kids make mistakes, and how “treading water” in life means you’re not only failing to get ahead but actually losing ground.

 

Not too long ago the boys had a movie they brought to me and asked if they could watch it.

  • I looked at it and kind of paused before saying, “yes, you can watch it.”
  • As they walked away I said, “You can watch it if you want to.” They stopped and of course wondered why I said it like that.
  • I told them that we choose what we watch and read, and we also choose what we won’t watch and read. How we think becomes who we are.
  • The movie wasn’t really good or bad, just a time-waster. But in the current of life you’re either swimming upstream or you are being swept away. If you’re just treading water, you’re headed downstream.

 

We want our kids to grow up to be productive, influential, and purposeful adults.

  • Sometimes it’s okay to let our kids lose money or time.
  • It’s much better that they learn these things at a younger age when we as parents can be there with the net to catch them.

 

Tune in to the full episode to hear the direction I intentionally face in my office, and who is always looking down on me from my office ceiling.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • com/AndyAndrews
  • com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL204__How_a_Mistake-Prone_Kid_Can_Become_a_Highly_Productive_Adult.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:45am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer two listener questions on how fear shapes your life and how to balance belief in yourself against pride.

 

I find many instances indicating that God can use tragedy and bad choices to fulfill His purposes, but I don’t find any evidence that God decides to make you scared.

  • The times that I have been scared have usually been instances that I’ve kind of brought on myself.
  • I can’t imagine God would say “Fear not” so many times but still try to instill fear in us anyway.

 

Adam started at a new school this year and he was fearful.

  • I talked to him about purpose and we broke down all the things he might have to be fearful of.
  • When he came home from school I asked how it was and he said it was different. I said, “Good different?” He said, “It was.” So, if it’s different, and it’s good, then it’s probably better.

 

The old saying is that God made you with a purpose.

  • If you’re out there speaking thoughts and truths that you’ve spent time struggling with, you’re wide open to criticism.
  • But if He made you that way—with a purpose—then He believes in you. And if you believe in Him then you believe in His creation...yourself.

 

Tune in to the full episode to hear Andy tell a story about the night former Baltimore Orioles pitcher Jim Palmer was elected into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL203__How_Fear_Shapes_Your_Lifeand_How_to_Take_Control.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I discuss some of my favorite speakers and the methods that help me stay organized.

 

I don’t get to see many speakers because Im usually by myself when speaking at an event, but I listen to them online.

  • I shift and change who I’m listening to, but Patsy Clairmont is first and foremost my favorite speaker.
  • There are very few people who can deliver serious topics with humor, and Patsy is one of the best.
  • Ken Davis is also up there for the same reasons. He is so funny to me.

 

One of my other favorite speakers is someone I wouldn’t have said if you asked me a couple of months ago.

  • He’s a great guy, but he didn’t seem to be very comfortable telling his story when he got started 20 years ago.
  • Speaking is kind of a gift. You can learn it and shape it, but to a great degree you can either talk or you can’
  • I’ve found that some companies are hesitant to bring in speakers because they’ve brought in speakers who are athletes or actors previously. While these people can memorize their lines, there is often something missing because they are not professional speakers.
  • But there’s one athlete in particular who has become one of my favorite speakers.

 

When it comes to organization, Michael Hyatt is on the cutting edge of using the newest software and gadgets to keep his life in order.

  • He knows more technically than I will ever know.
  • I keep a pen and a piece of paper beside me.
  • At the end of the day, I unload my pockets with napkins and pieces of paper with notes that I’ve written.
  • Sometimes those things pile up faster than I can go through and categorize them, and at that point, they go out of my sight and into the closet.

 

Tune in this week to hear the name of the athlete that has become one of my favorite speakers.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

On this week’s episode, we’re finishing up our series on discussing my office and the items that bring me a spirit of gratefulness, belief, opportunity, and achievement.

 

Tune in to this weeks episode to hear about:

  • The book that I’ve read in its entirety every month for over 30 years. (I’m shocked that I still get new understanding from some of these things…)
  • The award from the Center for Healthy Families that reminds me to be obedient, seek wisdom, and that I make a difference.
  • The gift Adam made me for Father’s Day.
  • How islanders would pull sharks to the shore hundreds of years ago.
  • The item Civil War officers used to brush the day’s dirt away, and why it reminds me to move forward and look towards another day.
  • What started me on the path towards learning the Seven Decisions.

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL201__How_I_Stay_Inspired_While_I_Work_Each_Day.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 9:10am CDT

This week, we’re celebrating our 200th episode with a deeper look at the items in my office, and more specifically, what I keep within arm’s reach at my desk.

 

You might look at my desk and not know why some of these things are here—and you might also not know what these things are!

 

Tune in to this weeks full episode to hear which of these objects remind me of:

  • The fact I can choose my thinking, and if I’m scared, that isn’t from God.
  • Ingenuity.
  • The history of our country and that there are things that seem impossible, but with the right thought process, impossible things can be made simple.
  • Things last even if they’re covered up or buried. We need to make sure that the things we create are of great value.
  • While things are permanent, they can still be shaped.
  • There is always a way to figure something out.


Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL200__FREEZE_What_Do_You_Have_Within_Arm_s_Reach_Right_This_Moment_.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, we’re continuing our visit inside my office and discussing why it looks the way it does.

 

People have made excuses for themselves and other people based on environment.

       As an adult, you have control over your environment.

       You are never trapped, although you may choose to think you’re trapped.

       If you understand that your thinking is the foundation of everything, that gives you control. You want to achieve “the best.”

       The objects in my office spur a specific thought. Everything has a story and lesson.

 

Everywhere I look, I want to produce gratefulness and belief in my spirit.

       I have to produce the best in writing and speaking topics. To do that, I know what kind of thinking produces the best.

       When I am in an ungrateful or aggravated state of mind, could I possibly come in and create the best?

       I urge you to not have the same kind of office that everyone has.

 

Tune in to the full episode to hear about the personal letters from around the world Andy hangs in his office, and why they’re almost disappearing from view!

 

Please send us pictures of what this episode prompts you to do with your office or workspace; also let us know the state of mind you were after.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

·        Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

·        E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

·        Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

·        Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

Direct download: ITL199__How_to_Shape_Your_Environment_to_Achieve_Your__Best_.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 9:18am CDT

On this week’s episode, we’re recording from my office in Orange Beach, Alabama, and talking about the “wall of influence” that sits across from my desk.

 

I have been around people successful in entertainment, business, and politics, and have seen them hit a point in their career where they turned kind of monstrous.

  • It’s an odd world to live in where people say, “You’re great. You changed my life.”
  • If you’re not prepared to deal with that, I see how you could turn into an idiot!
  • I have an “influence wall” to remind me where I’m from. Whatever it is that I am, these people are the ones who deserve the credit.
  • Every time I look at that wall, I am reminded of an umbrella of authority.

 

If you look at peoples lives that have gotten out of control after having a lot of success, its because they have no authority in their lives.

  • While we watch “heroes” in our modern day, everyone thinks they’re great until we find something out that’s leaked to the public.
  • To our kids, that’s one more notch of disappointment that makes them think, “Oh, well that’s how people really are.”
  • Everyone on my influence wall is on my board of directors, but not everyone on my board of directors is on the wall.
  • The board of directors is something that ebbs and flows.

 

If you have an influence wall, take a picture of it and email it to us at InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com.

 

Tune in to the full episode to learn about some of the people Andy considers major influences and authority figures in his life.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL198__How_to_Create_a__Wall_of_Influence__That_Inspires_You_Every_Day.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:08am CDT

On this week’s episode, I’m answering more random questions—this time from listeners—for our second episode of Getting to Know Andy Andrews.

  • What was your first thought when you woke up today?
  • What question do you hate to answer?
  • Is there something you constantly lose at your house?
  • Have you ever been pulled over by a cop?
  • What is your favorite knock-knock joke?
  • If you had to be trapped in a TV show for a month, which would it be?
  • What is your favorite movie and movie quote?
  • What’s the best meal you ever ate?

 

Please tune in for some surprising answers and very funny insight into Andy’s likes, loves, and even a few of his “little foibles.”

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL197__Getting_to_Know_Andy_Andrews_Part_2.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question about people who have a different style of communication than yours.

 

When you get down to the way people communicate, there are so many differences.

  • I will never forget the time a friend and his wife were over at our house, and Polly called the boys twice to come greet the guests.
  • I lean my head in the room and let them know their mother has called them twice and they need to get up.
  • They both look at each other and they’re going, “Dad, she didn’t call us…” I ask the boys to go wash their hands and tell Polly that the boys say she didn’t call them.
  • Our friend laughs and says, “That’s just a guy thing.”

 

There are differences between boys and girls.

  • Our friends have two boys and two girls.
  • They said all four of them can be watching TV and the girls will hear their mom calling, but unless she gets in front of the TV and gets the boys’ attention, their focus won’t be drawn away.

 

Tune in to the full episode for further insight on communication gaps, and to hear Andy’s hilarious account of his genius” brother-in-law trying to explain the latest TV technology to a tech-averse Andy.

 

Questions for Listeners 

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • com/AndyAndrews
  • com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL196__Communication_Gaps_Between_the_Sexes_Explained.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on how you can confidently pursue a deeply satisfying career path.

 

I have gone through several career phases as an adult, and I wonder if Istill narrowing down my career path.

  • There are some guiding factors for pursuing the right career.
  • What would you do every day if money were no object?
  • Once you figure that out, the next question is what value does that have for other people?
  • It is important to like what you do, but if you’re the only one who likes that thing, you might have a hard time making a living out of it.

 

In todays world, you can take what most people would consider a hobby and find value in it for other people.

  • A lot of people move to a city like New York and try to break into an industry. They go up there and don’t know how to find an agent or a place to live.
  • It occurred to me that I knew someone struggling in this area who had a lot of the answers for these kinds of problems.
  • With the ease of creating a website these days, someone like this could sell the answers for these kinds of questions while still on the hunt for more information.

 

Tune in to the full episode to hear about Andys experience performing on cruise ships seven days a week, and how that trained him for what he does today.

 

Questions for Listeners

 Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • com/AndyAndrews
  • com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL195__How_to_Get_Paid_to_Do_What_You_Love.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT


On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question about creativity and when you should go with your instincts or take others’ advice.

 

We all have people who we lay our stuff out for.

  • There are a handful of people in my life who I will read something to occa
  • I thought it was odd to read it out loud, but I’ve started hearing about a lot of authors who have a couple people they read to.
  • It’s easier for an author just to read it himself, but when I read it out loud to someone, it lets me read in a different way than if I were alone or proofre
  • If I can read it to you and you totally get it, then I know that if you read it, there won’t be any problem at all.

 

With almost every project there will be a point where I get a little too creative, and I dont mean that in a good way.

  • As a comedian, I wrote a joke that I thought was very funny (and I still think it’s funny).
  • I tried it four or five times and it became very obvious that it’s not as good as I thought.
  • If one or two out of ten don’t like something and you believe in it, stick to your guns.
  • If eight, nine, or sometimes even six out of ten don’t like it, at least consider they may be on to something.

 

Tune in to the full episode to hear Andyoverly creative joke; Andys biggest pet peeve when it comes to writing technique; and why a good imagination is like a great stallion.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL194__When_to_Trust_Your_Gut_And_When_Not_to.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:51am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a followup listener question on how Polly and I taught the boys to communicate to adults.

 

It was a very intentional process.

  • Polly and I wanted to raise a boy who would turn into a 15-year-old young man; we wanted people in passing to be blown away by his maturity.
  • Some people say “Yes, ma’am” and “Yes, sir” is just a regional thing, but don’t we know people in California who are from Georgia?
  • After years of thinking this through, the reason to go through the extra trouble of making children say “Yes, sir” is because everyone who looks at this kid will think he is mature and respectful.

 

The opportunities for well-mannered kids are endless.

  • There is a small percentage of people who think it’s disrespectful not to say, “Yes, sir.”
  • People who don’t think it’s necessary won’t be offended by it.
  • Why not make sure your children are showing respect to 100% of the people they talk to?
  • Remember, manners are money!

 

We started teaching them to talk this way as soon as they could speak.

  • When they would say, “No,” we would say, “No, sir?”
  • They may not have been able to say the “Sir” in the beginning, but they eventually picked it up after hearing it whenever they said “Yes” or “”

 

Tune in to the full episode to learn more secrets to teaching kids good manners, and hear Andy SING! (He lets you in on the height of a piggys ambition, from the day he is born…”)

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • com/AndyAndrews
  • com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL193__MannersMoney_When_and_How_to_Teach_Them_to_Kids.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s show, we’re switching things up a bit and presenting an episode of random questions that will hopefully help us get to know Andy a bit more.

 

Andy talks a lot about how important laughter should be in peoples lives, so this week we asked him some random questions designed to be fun and funnybut also to really make him think:

 

  • Who is your favorite songwriter right now?
  • Who is your favorite author right now?
  • What’s the best voice impression that you do?
  • If you could have personally witnessed any event, what would you have wanted to see?
  • What are three historical characters you considered including in The Travelers Gift but they didn’t make it?

 

Heres a challenge for our listenerswhat is an interesting question youve never heard addressed that you want to ask Andy?

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL192__Getting_to_Know_Andy_Andrews.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on how the boys and I go out of our way to make sure Polly feels respected.

 

Before we get into some of the specific ways we honor Polly, let me tell you why we think these things are important in the first place.

  • We want to provide an advantage for our children when they are adults.
  • The way you act in your home and when you let your guard down is the way you will act in critical moments.
  • We want to do the same positive things over and over again.
  • There are little bitty things you can do to make your home a happier place.

 

I love asking HR people and CEOs how they narrow down their search for new managers.

  • They’ll put the word out for a new position and let’s say you get 400 appli You bump most out immediately and have maybe 30 left.
  • You’re now seriously looking at resumes. The next round of 6 to 10 people is personal interviews. Now you’re down to 3 people and they’re all basically the same on paper.
  • You would be shocked at how many times their next step is, “I take them to dinner and watch them.” They will see who holds the door, who stands up when anybody comes to the table, how they shake hands, and how they treat the wait staff and each other.
  • Everything you do matters.

 

Since a lot of the time Polly is preparing the food, she is the last one to the table.

  • We will stand until she sits down and if she gets up, we will stand up again.
  • Also, if we are out to eat and someone comes over to the table, the boys and I stand up whether it’s a man or woman because you are honoring the presence of that person.
  • It may be unnecessary but it certainly is respectful.
  • We also hold Polly’s chair.
  • The boys learned at a very early age that ladies always go through the door

 

Ive asked the boys, How do you want your mom to feel? Do you want her to feel like the queen and that you respect and appreciate her so much?

 

Tune in to the full episode to hear how to make sure your mother or wife knows you are thinking about her leading up to birthdays or holidays, and how to prepare your children to notice the kinds of things they should look for in a future spouse.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

On this week’s episode, I answer a very emotional listener question from the friend of a football coach who has lost his son.

 

Everybody has a worst time in his or her life.

  • I can’t imagine that it gets any worse than losing a son or daughter.
  • I have some understanding of the shock and grief; my parents both passed away at a young age.
  • My mom’s passing was long and drawn out, and my dad’s was a call in the middle of the night.
  • While your memories and longing will never go away, the awful grief that you feel right now will pass.

 

Since your friend is a football coach, let’s consider eternity to be the length of a 100-yard football field.

  • You were with your son for 19 years.
  • Let’s assume that you’re 40 and will live another 40 years.
  • That 40 years is not even a blade of grass on the football field of eternity.

 

This sounds odd to say, but if my parents had lived a normal life span, I wouldn’t have ended up doing what I do.

  • Everything that has happened in my life came about after being forced into a position where I had no options.
  • I believe you will find so many people and families that will be transformed not only because of your son’s life, but because of your son’s short life.
  • You will find a purpose in this.
  • You will find a time when you will be oddly grateful that you were allowed the opportunity to deal with and learn from this.

 

Please tune in to the full episode where Andy references a previous In the Loop about finding peace when dealing with death and mentions some extremely inspirational songs he recommends listening to daily when times are tough.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL190_Finding_Perspective_and_Purpose_After_Unthinkable_Tragedy.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on how to guide your thinking when beginning with the very best end result in mind.

 

I really believe that the best is an ever-expanding target.

  • As your understanding of what is possible expands, your determination of what the best is will also expand.
  • When people talk about best practices and industry standards, they’re talking about the way everybody has thought and operated for years.
  • Don’t let your methods determine your Determine the destination first and then design the methods that will get you there.

 

The destination you determine should be the very best you can possibly imagine.

  • If you imagine something that someone has done before, you’re shooting too low and need to go back to the drawing board.
  • I’m trying to lay out a thought process with a goal so ambitious that I will be forced to come up with methods that will approach it.
  • A shift in thinking creates a shift in choices and actions—and eventually results.
  • If you want massive results with your family, finances or business, every single thing starts with your thinking.

 

Tune in to the full episode to hear what Andy considers his own “best” to be, and what promotional tactic he considers more valuable than advertising.

 

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • com/AndyAndrews
  • com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL189.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 4:32pm CDT

On this week’s episode, we have renowned author Jerry Jenkins back with us for more laughs, and to compare notes with Andy on public speaking and how to deal with editors. He also gives us a preview of his latest book.

 

Andy is at the top of the public speaking game, but Jerry is also a sought-after public speaker.

  • Jerry had always heard he should ask for an introduction that sets up what he’d be covering, and that mentioned he would be funny.
  • Andy, in contrast, has learned that too big of an introduction before speaking gave the audience unrealistic expectations.
  • “Under-promise and overproduce,” therefore, is one of many public speaking pointers Andy goes on to discuss.

 

Jerry is at the top of the writing game, but Andy is also a successful author and has some good questions for Jerry.

  • Jerry’s asked how he comes up with endings, and the “Carol Burnett Show” “Saturday Night Live” approaches to ending sketches are debated.
  • Jerry’s also asked if a 21-time New York Times bestselling author like himself still gets pushback from publishers on how to write (and how he deals with it when it does happen).

 

Jerry also addresses the interesting concept of why nonfiction has to be unbelievable and fiction has to be believable.

  • Andy and Jerry both rely on detailed research to provide credibility for their stories and characters.
  • Andy discusses his approach to writing about pivotal figures in history who are still obscure enough that most people have never heard their stories.
  • Jerry, in turn, mentions the fun he’s had grilling experts about the future and getting to dream up things that sound like science fiction but will actually be reality soon.

 

Tune in to the full episode to hear Jerrys synopsis of his brand new novel, Empires End, and to find out what hes been doing at JerryJenkins.com thats breaking down barriers for aspiring authors.

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on how I’ve learned more about the Seven Decisions since writing The Travelers Gift.

 

I am kind of shocked that, at some point, most of the stuff I talked about in the Seven Decisions seminars were things I learned after writing The Travelers Gift.

  • At first I thought of the concept of the principles like a rock, but now I think of it more like an onion.
  • You can know how to use a principle, and change the world with it! But there are other layers that can be peeled away to expose new potential.
  • It’s not enough to know what works; you have to know why it works.
  • When you know why a principle works as it does, you can use it in different areas of your life or business—even when they seem to have no connection to one another.

 

A hallmark of successful people is that they always want to be better.

  • That’s a healthy attitude to have, toward one’s self and one’s work.
  • When you want to increase your effectiveness, a lot of it has to do with your mentality.
  • Take golf, for example. There is a certain amount of talent that a person has to have to be a successful golfer, but what sets those at the highest level of the sport apart is usually something mental.

 

I really believe that no matter where you find yourself in life, there is more.

  • When I started doing the Seven Decisions seminars, it was a 3-hour event, and I was using that time to explain everything I knew.
  • Now, I could do at least an hour and a half on each decision.

 

Tune in to the full episode to hear how Andys golf cart ride with a golfing legend further illustrated to him that mentality can be more powerful than experience or expertise.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL187_-_The_Truth_About_Your_Potential_and_How_to_Keep_Getting_Better.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 9:56am CDT


On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on how to influence your level of belief.

 

I think everyone struggles with belief in themselves at one point or another; a strong belief is something you must constantly maintain.

  • Having a great level of belief is so powerful.
  • When you are working with belief, you will become so much more effective in whatever you are working on or struggling with.

 

You have to remember that every choice youll ever make is totally determined by what you think and how long you think about it.

  • You direct your belief the same way you direct your thinking.
  • It’s determined by what you watch, what you read, and the people you spend time with.
  • Thinking logically to a wrong conclusion is something you can catch and overcome.
  • Thinking logically to an incomplete conclusion is trickier: you’re getting results, but they’re not the best results and can keep you on the wrong path indefinitely.

 

Tune in to the full episode to hear how Andy kept up his level of belief while 51 publishers rejected The Travelers Gift.  

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

Direct download: ITL186.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:44am CDT


On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on determining your kid count, and why you shouldn’t let fear be the deciding factor.

 

Some people grow up and they’re dying to have kids.

  • Polly and I were not like that, and we got married kind of late.
  • Several years went by where one of us would say, “Are we going to have kids?” and the other would say, “Yeah…sometime.”
  • Polly finally said, “If we’re going to have kids, we need to have them now.”
  • Austin was born when I was 40, and only then did we realize just how much we loved kids—and wanted to have more.

 

I think there are huge benefits to being older parents, but be careful about waiting too long.

  • Especially don’t let finances dictate when you’ll have children.
  • How many times do we hear people say, “We were dirt poor and didn’t really realize it until we looked back”?
  • To become the adult you are, you had to go through some tough times.
  • Isn’t it curious that oftentimes the one thing that made us who we are is the thing we try to keep our kids from going through?

 

Tune in to the full episode for more details about Andy’s own family’s beginnings, and to hear the question Andy asks troubled families that’s always a game-changer—even for the wealthy.

 

ALSO in this episode: A special announcement about several opportunities to hear Andy speak LIVE this summer!

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL185__When_Should_I_Start_My_Family_and_How_Many_Kids_Should_I_Have_.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:04pm CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on the boats I’ve had to burn in my life.

 

When I read about something that happened in history, I try to figure out how it applies to us today.

  • I always loved the story of Cortez “burning the boats” because it’s relevant to almost everybody’s life.
  • To inspire his men to conquer Mexico, Cortez ordered his boats to be burned so they had no choice but to fight and win.
  • Everyone has either done it or will need to do it at some point.
  • Sometimes we run into situations where it becomes necessary, and if we want to grow, we do it.

 

I never really paid attention to the things in life that I needed to get rid of until that story hit home.

  • For me, there have been relationships or situations that have run their course, or relationships that did not need to continue past the moment of meeting the person.
  • Usually it’s not that the person is bad. It’s just that I am very aware of certain things that I feel I am supposed to do with my life and must carry on accordingly.
  • Some of the boats I’ve had to burn are simply conveniences, but it’s always done because of my purpose in life and who I want to become.

 

Henry Cloud has a book called Necessary Endings, and it is the doctoral thesis on burning the boats.

 

In the full episode, youll hear the details about some surprising boats Andy has had to burn, why he chose that strategy, and how its helped in his lifes continuing journey

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL184.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:36am CDT

On this week's episode, we have Austin back in the studio with us to talk about his business, Sporty Citrus.

This business has taken off in a way that I dont think we could have imagined a few years ago.

  • It’s amazing what Austin is able to grow in pots—he grows grapefruit, satsumas, oranges, Meyer lemons, and a lot more.
  • If Austin is running behind or has a really big job, I’ll help with the trimming or will drive him around.
  • Apparently I don’t get paid very often, and I haven’t been able to get myself fired yet, but Austin really handles most of the work by himself.
  • He started with a little trailer on his bicycle.

 

There was a point where Austin was hired to work on a property with 25 mature citrus trees.

  • The entire property had not been touched in 15 years.
  • We would go there every single week all summer for a couple hours.
  • I knew it was worth the sweat when he would be working on the tree next to me and I realized it provided a wonderful opportunity just to think of new things to talk about with one another.
  • That time with him was something special.

 

We also got to talk to Austin himself this week, about Sporty Citrus and a lot more. Here are a couple excerpts:

 

Whats been the coolest experience thats come out of Sporty Citrus?

Coming up, I’m going to get to speak at the Business Council of Alabama.

 

Is there any pressure on you because your dad is an author and people are seeking out his advice on what to do with their kids?

I wouldn’t say it’s weird, but it’s definitely something I keep in mind…and I’m cautious.

 

In the full episode, youll hear how Andys wife, Polly, took advantage of a prime teaching moment when the boys began a silly argument about a chore

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

Several weeks ago, we mentioned SportyCitrus.com and the response was overwhelming. We brought Andy’s son, Austin, into the studio today to answer questions about how he started his company and what he is working toward for its future. Here are some excerpts...

 

How did this business start?

Sporty Citrus began after a hurricane blew away our house and all our trees when I was young. We wanted to replant trees that actually did something useful, so we planted a couple citrus trees.

I really liked taking care of our trees, and as I learned more, I started taking care of other people’s trees.

 

How did you come up with the idea to help other people with their trees?

Originally, the plan was to just help people in my neighborhood. The neighbors’ trees were not producing fruit and the trees wouldn’t grow.

 

What is the difference between you and a landscaper?

A landscaper sees something wrong with a tree and will treat every problem the same. That’s fine for making it look good, but that is not what you need to do to make it produce fruit.

 

Where did the name come from?

I grew up playing sports, and the word “sporty” just kind of stuck.

 

In the full episode, you’ll discover how Austin got his first customers for his business.

 

**************

This from Andy:

 

Austin is a perfect example of someone who has found a passion, pursued that passion, and found a revenue stream for it.

 

I think Austin really got the idea that he could do something like this when I was writing The Noticer Returns. Jones is dealing with some people having a hard

time finding jobs, and he recommends starting a business out of a sincere pas- sion. I think the first thing Austin said to me about his business idea was, “I think I know something I want to do that would be valuable to other people.”

 

There is a special deal going on between now and May 31. You can get Austin’s Personalized Pot Plan for $24.50—that’s half-off—until May 31. All you have to do is put “In the Loop” in the subject line of an email and send it to Austin@SportyCitrus.com.

 

More information on Sporty Citrus’ Personalized Pot Plan can be found at ? http://www.sportycitrus.com/pricing.

 

I work with Austin sometimes. He doesn’t pay me and I can’t get him to fire me! Join us next week, when we’ll have Austin with us again and you can hear more about my side career working for my son. 

 

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Direct download: ITL182__How_Austin_Andrews_Started_a_Business_Out_of_His_Passion.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:34am CDT

On this week’s episode, I talk about how parents can train their kids to tell good stories in a conversational setting.

 

The most important thing when telling a story is to be interesting.

  • Don’t be boring!
  • Make sure that you speak correctly.
  • The way someone talks can get in the way of a listener’s mental process when having a conversation.

 

Around our house, people get points for being clever or witty.

  • We read witty things, and when somebody discovers something clever, we share it with one another.
  • Figuring out good questions to pose is essential.
  • If you want to raise children who can hold an interesting conversation, they must have good questions at the ready.

 

You cannot get away with not knowing how to communicate effectively and be a functioning adult in society today.

  • You and I know a ton of people who inadvertently go through their lives expecting the worst to happen.
  • I want our boys walking through life appreciating the humorous and clever things.
  • A common question in our house is, “What was the funniest thing that happened at school today?”
  • In the end, it’s all about creating memories.

 

In the full episode, I discuss what to do if your teenager doesn’t talk to you.

 

Questions for Listeners

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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Direct download: ITL181__How_to_Help_Your_Child_Become_a_Great_Conversationalist.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question asking if the teen years are too late to get kids to start reading.

 

I am dealing with this every day with adults.

  • I was 23 when Jones found me under the pier and gave me biographies.
  • Nobody ever told me, “Let me tell you why you want to read this.”
  • We’ve all heard that experience is the best teacher, but I think somebody else’s experience is the best teacher. This is why reading biographies is so important.

 

While living under the pier, I went through periods of fear and periods of boredom.

  • Jones told me that the books weren’t biographies but rather tales of romance, mystery, and adventure.
  • I grew up hating history, but it’s a passion of mine now.
  • I believe that sometimes people do not think things through to their foundation; many have surface-level thoughts about what they do and don’t like.

 

It’s amazing to me how many people will say, “Well, I don’t like to read.”

  • You mean you’ve never read something that made you laugh out loud, or cry?
  • I’ll ask just a couple questions, and it turns out that there is something they’ve read, whether it’s a magazine, newspaper, etc., that deeply affected them somehow.
  • So what you’re telling me is that the other books you’ve picked up are boring!
  • Find something you like to read!
  • Whatever your interest is—whether you’re a teen or a retiree—many have probably written about it, and someone has probably written about it well.
  • Regardless of their age, find your children a book or article they’re interested in, and they’ll want to read it.

 

In the full episode, I reveal the trick I use to get my kids to read whatever I want them to read.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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 On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on how to get your kids to take your advice.

 

Kids tend to listen to somebody else before they listen to their parents.

  • There are tons of adults who have quit learning and thinking years ago.
  • If you want your kids to listen, you better make sure you are a person worth listening to.
  • If we want kids to be open to our advice and seek wise counsel, we must be wise counsel.
  • Wise counsel includes the timing of when you say things and how you say them.

 

I am a friend to my boys, but I am also their parent.

  • Be friends to have tons of conversations.
  • Talk about what they want to talk about.
  • We want them to have the opportunity to teach us.

 

I’m not a fly fisherman, but I have a son who is really interested in it.

  • When he shows me something, I ask how he does it or where he learned it, and all of a sudden he is giving me a lesson.
  • A great majority of parents spend most of their time disciplining or warning their children, and kids get tired of it.

 

One of the worst things you can do in marketing is to market all the time.

  • Your product may be valuable, but people will avoid you if they feel bombarded.
  • One of the best things you can do is to give value and help with something unrelated.
  • You can then mention what you’re selling every now and then, and it doesn’t make people want to avoid talking to you.
  • This concept can and should be applied to parenting as well!

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
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Direct download: ITL179__How_to_Get_Your_Kids_to_Take_Your_Advice_Seriously.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:42am CDT

On this week’s episode, I talk about the business that my son, Austin, started based on lessons he learned in the garden. 

 

I often ask people what they would do with their lives if money were no object, and then what value that activity has for other people.

  • These are the kinds of things that Austin, my oldest son, has heard me talk about at the house over the years.
  • Around 10 years ago a hurricane wiped out all the trees at our house.
  • Austin was just a little boy then, but when we were figuring out what we were going to do, he said, “Plant trees that will do Like orange trees.”
  • He was 13 years old when he came to me with the idea of helping other people grow their own citrus trees.

 

One of the most important lessons people who want to make money need to learn is that they must adopt the mindset of wanting to solve some kind of problem.

  • Austin told me, “Most landscapers treat citrus trees like any other tree and that’s why they don’t have fruit.”
  • A woman from Dallas, TX, contacted Austin because she wanted to grow citrus trees where she lived.
  • This request prompted Austin to devise a plan for growing citrus trees in pots so they can be taken in during the winter.
  • The word about Austin’s activities eventually got out, and before long, he was asked to talk about citrus production with the local garden club, and then the Orange Beach City Council.
  • This resulted in the mayor himself recruiting Austin to maintain the city’s various citrus trees, making him the youngest contractor in the history of the city!
  • The local newspaper put him on the front page, touting that finally someone was “bringing the oranges back to Orange Beach.”

 

In honor of Austin’s company’s recent success, we’re offering listeners of In The Loop HALF off the regular price of a custom citrus tree maintenance plan until May 31st.

No matter where you live—Minnesota…Maine…Manitoba—you can grow your own citrus tree at home…in a pot!

Want a great Mother’s Day gift? A fun and unusual family project? Do you like fresh navel oranges, Meyer lemons, or Ruby Red grapefruit?

For just $24.50, Austin will customize a step-by-step plan that includes photographs detailing exactly how you can produce the citrus fruit you want by growing citrus trees in pots!

Simply email Austin@SportyCitrus.com and tell him where you live and what kind of citrus you’d like to grow. Be sure to put “In The Loop” in the subject line and Austin will get back to you shortly!


Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question about balancing the items in your life and how to know when you’ve taken on too much.

 

Before we get into this week’s episode I wanted to say a few things about my new children’s’ book Henry Hodges Needs a Friend.

  • I’m excited about this book because it’s my first rhyming book.
  • The artist Colleen Madden did such a fantastic job the illustrations.
  • I’m also excited because I finally got dedicate a book to a lady who has been so important to our family.

 

I don’t think there is anyone who has accomplished anything great that didn’t feel like they’ve taken on a little too much.

  • I don’t know anybody who has accomplished anything great that sleeps 7-9 hours a night consistently.
  • Sometimes we need to catch up, but we can go for periods of time “running and gunning.”

 

When you find yourself dropping the ball on things you’re committed to, then you may be taking on too much.

  • I think you can balance more things in your life more than you think you can, but you do have to place barriers around your important goals and principles.
  • It’s inevitable that as you get busier there will be people who do not understand why you don’t live your life like you did in junior high school.

 

Questions for Listeners

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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Direct download: ITL177__Balancing_Life__How_to_Stretch_Time_and_Add_More_to_Your_Plate.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:15am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on how to handle the pressure of people watching and looking up to you.

 

People watching you and looking up to you are two different things.

  • When it comes to people looking up to me, I don’t think about that at all.
  • While I know it’s probably true, everybody has people who are looking up to them.
  • I think the people that become hyperaware that people are looking up to them somehow become people we don’t want to look up to.

 

I talk to a lot of leaders about the fact that people are watching.

  • This can affect your income if you do not remain aware that people are watching.
  • I knew that I was getting a handle on that in my own life when people would comment on my personality.
  • I always want to be happy, fun, and approachable. If I don’t watch myself, I can get very direct and intense.
  • People tend to take a glimpse as the whole deal.

 

What do I do to keep my batteries charged?

  • I read.
  • I make sure that I have time around people that I am totally relaxed with, who will joke around with me.
  • have to have time by myself.

 

Questions for Listeners

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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On this week’s episode, we sit down again with Jerry Jenkins to talk about and the surprising backstory behind New York­ Times Bestseller, The Matheny Manifesto.

 

Baseball is my favorite sport probably because I wanted to be a baseball player.

  • One of my earliest breaks in writing was when my boss came into my office and said, “Would you want to help write a biography with Hank Aaron? I don’t really know that much about football...”
  • People hear that I’ve written for Nolan Ryan, Walter Payton, Joe Gibbs, and Mike Singletary, but Mike Matheny is as classy a guy as I’ve ever worked with.

 

Mike was asked by some parents to coach a little league team.

  • He wrote a letter to the parents, telling them that if he was going to coach the team, they needed to back off during games.
  • In it, he wrote that “the biggest problem with youth sports today is the parents.”
  • The letter ended up going viral and posted in locker rooms around the country. People referred to it as The Matheny Manifesto.

 

In the book, Mike tells this story about getting hit in the face with a 95 mile per hour fastball.

  • He lost 8 teeth and didn’t even fall down.
  • When he came back from the hospital he said, “I want to play tomorrow night.”
  • Now when his players want out of a game they say, “Are you going to tell him you have an ‘owie?’ ”

 

There are plenty of other amazing stories in The Matheny Manifesto.

 

If you want to become a writer, Jerry’s blog is must read material. He teaches writers the little-known secrets behind writing an amazing book and getting it published. Click here to get Jerry’s top 5 most crucial writing tips for free.

 

Questions for Listeners

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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On this week’s episode, we’re honored to have special guest Jerry Jenkins with us to share his proven writing process.

 

Give us a snapshot of your journey that got you into writing.

  • I played on a state championship little league team.
  • I was hurt my freshman year in high school playing football and decided to be a sports writer so I could stay close to the games.
  • We’re a bad example to great writers because we can’t identify the different parts of a sentence but composition was something that came so natural.

 

Did you go to college to write?

  • My first year of college was at Moody Bible Institute.
  • I wanted to go to journalism school, but by the time I was 19 I was a sports editor of a local paper and never did finish college.
  • I felt a call as a teenage to full time ministry. I thought I would have to give up my writing to full-time ministry. Someone counseled me and said, “God sometimes equips us before he calls us. Don’t assume you have to give up writing. It may be the vehicle that you use to fulfill your call.”
  • I looked for work in Christian journalism, and that really put me on the path that I am now.

 

Do you feel like writing is a discipline?

  • I see people year after year that say they’ll write a book when they have the time or feel inspired.
  • I keep a sign in my drawer that says, “The only way to write is with seat in chair.”
  • Sit in the chair, look at the screen and do something.
  • When I go to my writing cave, the work I do before noon is the best work I do. The first thing I do is a heavy edit of the work I did the day before. That catapults me into the writing I need to get done that day.
  • When I finish the book, I’ll go back and start from the beginning with a heavy edit.

 

I have a phrase I use almost every time I teach: “Writers are readers. Great writers are great readers.”

 

If you want to become a writer, Jerry’s blog is must-read material. He teaches writers the little-known secrets behind writing an amazing book and getting it published.

 

Click here to get Jerry’s top 5 most crucial writing tips for FREE.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on how to get your kids to read.

 

It’s extremely important that you get your child to read.

  • I understand when people say they don’t like to read.
  • I’m more of an outdoor kind of guy so I have to make myself read.

 

When we look at the massive benefits of reading, then it doesn’t really matter whether you like to read or not.

  • The statistics about reading show that people who read make more money, have a lower divorce rate, have fewer problems with their children, and get many more benefits.
  • I want my kids to read because I know what reading does.
  • Do we always want to read? Not necessarily, but we do want to make a better living for our families. We do want to be more valuable in our careers.
  • If there’s something you want to learn how to do, you can learn exactly how the best people in the world have done it by reading their books.

 

If you think a certain book is critical for your child to read and it can’t wait…pay them.

  • Have them give you an oral or written report.
  • Make it worth their while and worth your while.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on how teens’ social media accounts affect their life and their employability.

 

You’ve heard me talk about how we’re misinformed about change. There are two things that have to be there with every single change.

  • What’s in it for me?
  • Proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
  • It is critical that you understand how change occurs.

 

The guidelines for social media are going to be different for different people. Knowing that, what we do want is the best for everybody.

  • The one thing that separates 100% great results from scattered results is explaining why we do things this way.
  • One of the first things you want to do with your kids is make sure they know what you want their life to be like when they’re an adult.
  • Build stories and examples.

 

I talk to a lot of people who are in the position of hiring and firing.

  • When a company puts out word that they are hiring, they sometimes get 10’s or even 100’s of applications.
  • Somebody will knock it down to the top people by just looking at the applicants’ social media profiles for obvious reasons not to hire someone (cursing, nudity, etc.).
  • They will then knock it down to a few people after having personal interviews.
  • Now they are down to the best people and just need to find a reason to pull someone.

 

Companies are looking for someone that is going to represent them outside of work.

  • Let’s say 9 years ago you had your picture taken with your hat on backwards.
  • We know that having a hat on backwards is not something bad or sinful, but 20% of people may think that’s not a good look.
  • While they know you wouldn’t be wearing your hat backwards at work, they may wonder if it’s still the way you present yourself to people.
  • Since they have to cut someone, something as little as that could be the difference between you starting at a company and you not having a job.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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On this week’s episode, I talk about the myths that keep us living in fear, and how to stop anxiety from ruling our lives.

 

The key to unlocking our confidence is examining our fear.

  • If you could put people on a scale and see the level of fear in their lives, I am convinced smart people would be on the higher end of the scale.
  • Smarter people have bigger imaginations, and possibly more opportunities for fear.
  • If you know what fear is, you can determine the effect it has on your life.
  • Fear is nothing but the misuse of the creative imagination that has been put in you.

 

In The Noticer, there is a section that is based on a real study of what’s really happening during our episodes of stress and anxiety.

  • 40% of what you worry about will never happen.
  • 30% has already happened and is in the past.
  • 12% has to do with totally needless imaginings.
  • 10% involves petty little things about what other people think.
  • 8% was left for legitimate concerns, and most of them we actually have control over—but we’re using all our energy worrying about the other things.

 

You are in control—so direct your imagination to things that excite you.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on how to teach a child to tell a good story in a conversational setting.

 

The ability to tell a great story is extremely valuable in all phases of life.

  • When we train ourselves to tell a good story, we become more engaging to our peers, to authority figures, and to people we are in authority over.
  • Being well liked by people can lead to a great number of additional opportunities.
  • So we not only need to train our children to tell great stories, we need to train ourselves to tell great stories.

 

First, we need to train our kids to talk to all kinds of people.

  • To train your child to tell a good story or anecdote, it’s very important that they watch adults tell good stories and anecdotes in conversational settings.
  • Most kids grow up on the outside of those conversations. They don’t get to listen because the parents do not give them the opportunity to listen.
  • Let them see adults in conversations. They tend not to act appropriately if they haven’t seen mature conversations before.

 

Encourage them to read.

  • People who read books will learn things that fire their imaginations, and they’ll be able to bring those things into conversations beyond the books.
  • People who watch TV generally talk about TV shows or the stars of TV shows.
  • One of the best ways to learn how to communicate is by reading a book.
  • Teach your kids to be good at learning in person when you’re with them, or when they are learning by themselves (when all they have is a book).

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • com/AndyAndrews
  • com/AndyAndrews

On this week’s episode, I answer a question on how to help a child when they’re having a tough time making friends.

  

How can you help when they say, “No one wants to be my friend?”

  • It’s a focusing process.
  • Our thinking is at the foundation of everything.
  • It determines our choices, and everything about us.

  

When people are disgruntled or depressed, they’re thinking more about themselves.

  • They aren’t thinking about whom they can serve and help.
  • If you’re child is sad or scared about making friends or going over to a friend’s house, focus their mind on the fun activities or opportunities they have.
  • I wouldn’t talk to your child about why no one wants to be his or her friend.
  • Instead, direct their thinking to how they can be the greatest friend in the class.

  

Questions for Listeners

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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  • com/AndyAndrews
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Direct download: ITL169__How_to_Deal_with__No_One_Wants_to_Be_My_Friend.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 4:19pm CDT

On this week’s episode, I address a listener question on the questions I ask when first going into a consulting situation.

 

There are a couple things I’m looking for when deciding if I’ll take on a client.

  • They have to be somebody that I like and connect with.
  • They must have a great level of belief in their company or team.

 

You have to ask the questions that will lead you to their level of belief.

  • I rarely ask, “What are your goals?” because people will lie or tell you what they think you want to hear.
  • Ask, “What you we trying to do here?”
  • Listen carefully to see what their level of belief is and what they ultimately want to accomplish.
  • This can apply to all relationships: family, neighbors, teams, colleagues etc…

 

You’re going to have to come up with your own questions according to what you’re after and the people you are dealing with.

  • If you’re going to be a guide, you have to see the future.
  • You first need to find out where they want to be, so you can help lead them to it.
  • Ask, “If you had a magic wand and could do anything you want, what would you do in this area?”

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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Direct download: ITL168__Insider_Consulting_Tips_to_Help_You_Give_Impactful_Advice.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I discuss whether transparency helps or hurts your leadership potential.

 

I’m in a period of learning a ton right now.

  • When it comes to my boys, I want them to understand that I’m still struggling to be wise in my choices and thinking everyday.
  • We’ve heard leaders promise to be transparent and we see varying degrees of their choice to pulling that off.
  • If you declare your intention to be transparent and you’re obviously not, then that hurts your leadership.
  • Other than that, I do not see how transparency can hurt your leadership—UNLESS it reveals something about you that makes you not worthy of following. (details on what makes someone unworthy of following available in podcast)

 

As a leader, we’re human and we’re going to mess up.

  • If you know the difference between a choice and a mistake, and you handle both in a proper way, your leadership will grow by leaps and bounds.
  • When a choice has been made, only true remorse and “Will you forgive me?” can press the reset button.
  • Would you rather follow somebody who knows how to get back on track when they mess up, or somebody who either bluffs their way through life or doesn’t understand where the track is to begin with?
  • A good leader knows when they’re off track, they know why they got off track (whether they made a mistake, or whether they chose to), and they know how to handle each situation the right way.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
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Direct download: ITL167__Is_a_Transparent_Leader__Really__the_Best_Leader_.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:37am CDT

On this week’s episode, I discuss the little-known benefit of the hard times in our lives—and how my greatest struggles led me to my most important realizations.

 

During the time I was living under the pier and reading biographies, I was graphing out in my mind what had worked to make these people turn out like they did.

  • I was at a point in my life when I had a tough time with, “Is there more?”
  • I thought, were these people born this way, or was it something they did? What did they do and how long did it take them to do it?
  • After reading that many of them, you start to realize the things these people have in common.
  • I realized they weren’t habits, or theories, or really even mine. But I saw that they worked every time, and that they were principles.
  • I began to think what happens to somebody who knows all seven?

 

A lot of people don’t understand there is huge value in tough times.

  • To back this up this statement, my idea for the Seven Decisions came from a horrible time in my own life.
  • I would not have read these biographies had I not been living under a pier.
  • When you’re struggling in a certain area, you build muscle in that area. For the rest of your life, you are able to call upon that muscle.
  • Tough times can often force us into different ways of thinking.

 

The situations that have been the biggest wins for me have been because I was forced to think differently.

  • If everything were always in our control, none of us would ever struggle.
  • The “worst” thing can actually turn out to be the greatest thing that ever happened to you, but ONLY if you allow it.

 

If you know people who would benefit from Andy’s books or materials, this episode would be a great one to share. It’s a great entry point to get people up to speed on who Andy is and what he wants to help you accomplish. Take a moment and forward this episode to a friend!

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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Direct download: ITL166__The_Weird_Side_Effect_of_Going_Through_Toughest_Times.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:59am CDT