Coach to the Best - Rich Russakoff

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆

A martial arts student asked his teacher, "How long will it take me to master your system?"

"Ten years," the teacher replied.

"But what if I train ten hours a day?"

The teacher paused and answered, "Twenty years."

Many people believe working harder will get them there faster. In reality, lasting success comes from consistency, patience, and mastering the fundamentals.

Entrepreneurs who rush growth often make costly mistakes, cause stress, and leave customers disappointed. Sustainable success requires the right systems, processes, and foundation before scaling.

The same principle applies to every area of life. Recovery takes time. Growth takes time. Mastery takes time.

As Lao Tzu wisely said:

"𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗿𝘆, 𝘆𝗲𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱."

Focus on steady progress, not shortcuts. Small, consistent actions over time will outperform bursts of intensity every time.

Reach out to Cathy at [email protected] to book a complimentary coaching call with Rich and Maureen.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲

The "Wheel of Life" consists of 8 categories essential to a satisfying and successful life.

It will help you identify how much time you spend on the categories of your life and how satisfied you are in each.

Grade yourself (1-10) in each category, then determine an action item to enhance your success and growth.

The categories are:

𝟭. 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿

How satisfied are you with your current career? How are you performing your daily duties?

𝟮. 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆

How is the quality of your relationships? Do you spend enough time with your family and kids?

𝟯. 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲

How is the quality of your relationships? Do you spend enough time with your partner, friends, colleagues, and community?

𝟰. 𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

How do you feel about your environment? Does it give you energy or take it away? Does it cause stress or anxiety?

𝟱. 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵

How important is the process of self-development for you? How satisfied are you with the level of your personal growth? Do you invest enough time in it?

𝟲. 𝗟𝗲𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲

How satisfied are you with your current work-life integration? Do you have enough time for your hobbies?

𝟳. 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵

Are you satisfied with your current health status? How much do you invest in your Health? How is your sleep routine now? And how healthy is your current diet?

𝟴. 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆

How important is money for you? Are you satisfied with your current financial status and your financial savings and investment strategy?

The descriptions of the categories are attributed to Paul J. Meyer.

Reach out to Cathy at [email protected] to book a complimentary coaching call with Rich and Maureen.

Value Drivers of a Profitable Company

I facilitated the first session of a program called *Creating a Culture of Profitability* for a fast-growing company.

The team quickly agreed on one thing: profitability matters.

Without profits:
• Growth stalls
• Opportunities disappear
• Jobs are at risk
• Long-term success becomes impossible

We identified nine key drivers of profitability:

1. Multiple revenue streams
2. Strong recruiting and retention
3. Healthy gross margins
4. Consistent growth
5. Effective leadership and infrastructure
6. A diversified customer base
7. Strong net income
8. Focusing on ideal clients and core strengths
9. Efficient systems and processes

One of the biggest lessons? Not every opportunity is worth pursuing. Sometimes profitability comes from focusing on your strengths and saying no to distractions.

We ended the session with five important questions:

• What can I do?
• What can my department do?
• How can we work better with other departments?
• What can the company do?
• How will we measure success?

Creating a culture of profitability isn't just management's responsibility. It's everyone's job.

What do you believe is the biggest driver of profitability in a growing business?

Reach out to Cathy at [email protected] to book a complimentary coaching call from Rich and Maureen.

𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲

In the classic book "The Power of Full Engagement," authors James Loehr and Tony Schwartz identify 20 mental and personal barriers to achieving peak performance. I'll focus on four or five of them in each of my Food for Thought posts.

Most of these are behaviors or mindsets within our control.

As you review the list, see it as an opportunity to face your brutal facts.

Ask what it is that's holding you back from:

* Believing in yourself.
* Being your best self.
* Being your best self to others.

Don't believe everything you think. Please don't beat yourself up as you examine the list. Instead, look for growth opportunities to enhance your relationships and self-love.

In the wise words of William Johnsen, "If it's to be, it's up to me."

* Twenty Mental Barriers to Peak Performance
* Lack of Integrity
* Indecisiveness
* Negative Attitude
* Low Self-Confidence
* Lack of Empathy
* Poor Communication Skills
* Poor Listening Skills
* Inflexible/Rigid
* Unfocused
* High Anxiety
* Poor Time Management
* Lack of Trust in Others
* Negative/Pessimistic Thinking
* Critical of Others
* Low-Stress Tolerance
* Moody/Irritable
* Poor Team Player
* Low Energy
* Impatience
* Defensiveness

Reach out to Cathy at [email protected] to book a complimentary coaching call with Rich and Maureen.

𝗜𝗳 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴...

Last week, one of my clients completed a negotiation to bring on an incredible talent to his team. The biggest concern for the prospect was that if he delivers the way we all hope he will between now and the end of the year, what's his upside potential?

He laid out what he wanted, and we shared what we could and couldn't commit to at this time and agreed to review it in January. Then he said, "As long as we have an understanding, we don't have to put it in writing."

At which point I responded, "The hell we don't, we all remember things in our interests; it's human nature."

So each of us is putting our understanding of what we agreed to in a Google Document, and we'll review it to make sure we are aligned, so that at the end of the year there are no surprises or misunderstandings.

I then shared a story about renting out our beachside home while my first wife and I were away in Europe for two months. We also agreed to a weekly rate if we stayed in Europe longer, and she wanted to continue renting.

We extended our trip to Europe an extra three weeks, and she continued to rent our home. When we returned, we asked for what we thought was the fee for the extra time, and she said we had it wrong and it was a much lower amount.

I'm sure if you put a gun to our heads and said, if you have it wrong, I'll pull the trigger; we both would have been casualties.

When we reviewed the actual contract, we discovered we were both wrong. Sometimes, in negotiations, when you go back and forth, each side agrees to changes in the moment that are easy to forget. From then on, I've always put agreements in writing and strongly recommend it.

"A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on." (attributed to Samuel Goldwyn)

Reach out to Cathy at [email protected] to book a complimentary coaching call with Rich and Maureen.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗔𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗛𝗶𝗿𝗲.

One of the essential characteristics of CEO's and leaders is to seek feedback and become a master of paying attention. One of my clients held eighteen one-on-one interviews with members of his team.

He shared two recurring themes.

Everyone wanted more frequent bonuses.

When he raised the importance of personal responsibility and the possible consequences of poor performance, he encountered universal resistance.

This feedback was invaluable, and I suggested he run an ad on the online employment sites that reflected what we learned. Without taking too much credit, I helped write the ad.

An underperforming company is now hiring and seeking new team members. If you resist accountability and focus on doing whatever you want, look no further. References are optional; we'll take your word for it.

Showing up is also optional. The ideal candidate will let us know when they have earned bonuses and how much. If it's easier, we will mail your bonus checks to you or make automatic deposits to your bank account.

No previous experience is necessary. We're hiring for attitude. Promotions will occur at your discretion—no need to bore us with the details.

Our company mantra is, "we just don't give a damn."

If you act quickly, you will be eligible for a bonus.

Reach out to Cathy at [email protected] to book a complimentary coaching call from Rich and Maureen.

𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗜 𝗦𝗮𝘆 𝗬𝗲𝘀 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜 𝗢𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗮 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄

One of our clients is selling a division of their business. A prospective buyer emerged, and at first, everything seemed promising.

Then the red flags appeared.

The buyer was in the middle of a divorce, financing wasn't available for months, and her attorney advised waiting until after the settlement before proceeding.

The seller asked for advice.

My response was simple:

• Time kills deals.
• A true buyer is ready, willing, and able to act.
• Don't take a business off the market based on hope.
• Without a meaningful, non-refundable deposit, you're carrying all the risk.
• If someone truly wants the opportunity, it's their responsibility to find a way to make it happen.

Too often, we want a deal so badly that we ignore what is right in front of us.

Don't let emotions override good judgment. The best business decisions are made with clear eyes, not wishful thinking.

As Delbert McClinton sang, "Sometimes I say yes when I oughta know."

Reach out to Cathy at [email protected] to book a complimentary coaching call with Rich and Maureen.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀.

In 2022, we shared a powerful insight from Buddhist psychologists Robert Thurman and Sharon Salzberg. They identified the “Secret Enemy”—that inner voice that defines how we see the world.

We listen to it constantly, mistaking it for our only voice. But this voice is often self-preoccupied, fear-driven, and changeable. And it’s making us less happy.

As they put it: “When we stew in bitterness, we become bitter.”

Anger, hatred, and fear don’t just separate us from joy—they physically harm us. Research shows that in the two hours after an angry outburst, heart attack risk increases 5x and stroke risk 3x.

A tragic recent example: the Buffalo supermarket shooter spent months feeding racist conspiracy theories online. His thoughts led to devastating real-world consequences—for others and himself.

But here’s the good news: we can change our mindsets.

As Dr. Alia Crum and author Joseph Nguyen remind us—don’t believe everything you think. Most suffering comes from believing our fear-based, self-critical thoughts are true.

Listen to how you speak to yourself. That voice? It’s not the boss of you.

For a complimentary coaching call with Rich or Moe, please email [email protected]