1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,580 Mark Monchek: Bruce Springsteen had a very simple quote, which I love. 2 00:00:03,060 --> 00:00:07,270 "Nobody wins until everybody wins", and that is the world that I want to 3 00:00:07,290 --> 00:00:11,700 help create, where there is abundance for everybody and not just a zero 4 00:00:11,700 --> 00:00:15,630 sum game where some people win and other people are plained losers. 5 00:00:22,950 --> 00:00:25,300 David Shriner-Cahn: Welcome to Smashing the Plateau. 6 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:29,520 We help consultants, coaches, entrepreneurs, and small business 7 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:33,780 owners build their businesses after long careers as employees. 8 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:37,710 We believe you should be able to do what you love and get paid 9 00:00:37,710 --> 00:00:39,690 what you're worth, consistently. 10 00:00:40,110 --> 00:00:42,290 I'm your host, David Shriner-Cahn. 11 00:00:42,959 --> 00:00:46,019 Today on Smashing the Plateau., I'm speaking with the Founder 12 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:50,669 and Chief Opportunity Officer of Opportunity Lab, Mark Monchek. 13 00:00:51,315 --> 00:00:54,975 In today's episode, you'll learn how you can find the resources 14 00:00:54,975 --> 00:00:56,685 for exponential opportunity. 15 00:00:56,985 --> 00:00:58,845 Stay with us to hear all the details. 16 00:00:59,775 --> 00:01:02,385 How do you feel about where your business is today? 17 00:01:02,970 --> 00:01:07,020 Most of us do our best work in collaborative, supportive environments. 18 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:08,670 Come explore ours. 19 00:01:09,330 --> 00:01:12,690 The Smashing the Plateau Community can help you build your business 20 00:01:13,050 --> 00:01:17,580 through live events, a private communication platform, accountability 21 00:01:17,580 --> 00:01:19,620 partners, and lots more resources. 22 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:23,340 Speak to me or one of our community members to learn more. 23 00:01:24,060 --> 00:01:30,100 You can schedule a quick conversation at smashingtheplateau.com/15. 24 00:01:30,435 --> 00:01:37,605 That's smashingtheplateau.com/15, or go to our website smashingtheplateau.com. 25 00:01:38,235 --> 00:01:40,465 Now let's welcome back Mark Monchek. 26 00:01:40,725 --> 00:01:46,575 Mark is the Founder and Chief Opportunity Officer of Opportunity Lab, a strategy 27 00:01:46,575 --> 00:01:51,555 and facilitation consultancy, helping mission driven organizations grow, 28 00:01:51,555 --> 00:01:56,555 thriving, resilient businesses that create abundance for everyone they touch. 29 00:01:57,095 --> 00:02:01,125 He's the author of the Amazon non-fiction Bestseller Culture 30 00:02:01,125 --> 00:02:05,235 of Opportunity: How to Grow Your Business in an Age of Disruption. 31 00:02:05,325 --> 00:02:06,675 Mark, welcome back to the show. 32 00:02:07,035 --> 00:02:07,605 Mark Monchek: Thank you, David. 33 00:02:07,605 --> 00:02:08,595 So happy to be here. 34 00:02:08,835 --> 00:02:10,245 David Shriner-Cahn: It's great to have you on again. 35 00:02:10,365 --> 00:02:16,275 The last time you were on Smashing the Plateau, which was in the fall of 2021, we 36 00:02:16,275 --> 00:02:23,145 discussed: Why respect, collaboration and communication drive post covid success. 37 00:02:23,655 --> 00:02:29,535 So we're now another year into Covid or maybe getting somewhat past Covid. 38 00:02:29,595 --> 00:02:31,555 What's been happening in your world since then? 39 00:02:31,925 --> 00:02:35,454 Mark Monchek: I like to call this episode, Reforming the Plateau, because 40 00:02:35,454 --> 00:02:38,935 I think we certainly have smashed it multiple times and now like what 41 00:02:38,935 --> 00:02:40,855 is it actually happening right now? 42 00:02:41,725 --> 00:02:46,265 So I've been really thinking a lot about this great reawakening, people have 43 00:02:46,265 --> 00:02:48,585 called, this period The Great Resignation. 44 00:02:48,945 --> 00:02:50,935 We've heard a lot about quiet quitting. 45 00:02:50,935 --> 00:02:53,488 We hear about, the massive disruption. 46 00:02:53,517 --> 00:03:00,297 My book came out in 2017 when I thought disruption was really dramatic, and now 47 00:03:00,297 --> 00:03:02,427 it's just been disruption exponentially. 48 00:03:03,087 --> 00:03:07,616 So to me, David, I'm thinking about what is the actual reality of the 49 00:03:07,616 --> 00:03:09,266 people that listen to your podcast. 50 00:03:09,294 --> 00:03:12,424 You know, the coaches, the consultants, the entrepreneurs, small businesses, 51 00:03:12,734 --> 00:03:17,180 And I love at our episode today to talk about what is the way we think 52 00:03:17,180 --> 00:03:20,930 about our business may be so different than what we thought about it before 53 00:03:21,290 --> 00:03:23,051 Covid happened, in the early March. 54 00:03:23,451 --> 00:03:26,211 2020, there were certain things we held sacred. 55 00:03:26,541 --> 00:03:29,271 People go to work every day or almost every day in a building, 56 00:03:29,331 --> 00:03:30,321 in a physical building. 57 00:03:30,981 --> 00:03:35,451 And the social contract between the employer and the employee has 58 00:03:35,519 --> 00:03:38,616 very definitive things that the employee must do to get a paycheck. 59 00:03:39,066 --> 00:03:42,976 A lot of those things have dramatically changed since we talked even last year. 60 00:03:43,007 --> 00:03:47,837 David Shriner-Cahn: So one of the ways I look at it is I think employees are, 61 00:03:48,167 --> 00:03:54,352 in the past, have been compensated in large part based on input. 62 00:03:54,622 --> 00:03:59,373 You get paid, like you said, you show up in a physical space for a certain number 63 00:03:59,378 --> 00:04:06,168 of hours per day or per week, and that is often a lot of the basis of, compensation. 64 00:04:06,198 --> 00:04:10,221 Yes, there are performance guidelines and you're expected to 65 00:04:10,221 --> 00:04:15,351 be able to create certain outputs and outcomes for the employer, 66 00:04:15,681 --> 00:04:17,481 but it is, it's very input based. 67 00:04:17,481 --> 00:04:23,421 Whereas for consultants, you get paid primarily based on the outcomes 68 00:04:23,421 --> 00:04:25,221 that you produce for your clients. 69 00:04:25,311 --> 00:04:29,391 And I think the line between the two has been blurred somewhat over 70 00:04:29,391 --> 00:04:30,681 the last two and a half years. 71 00:04:31,251 --> 00:04:36,003 Mark Monchek: Oh, absolutely been blurred and I think now employees who I think of 72 00:04:36,003 --> 00:04:41,132 as free agents, I think every employee in a knowledge worker, sphere is much 73 00:04:41,132 --> 00:04:44,864 more like a free agent than, somebody who's an employee who clocks in and 74 00:04:44,864 --> 00:04:47,504 clocks out and gets paid for their time. 75 00:04:48,014 --> 00:04:53,474 I think, coaches and consultants, while theoretically they get paid for their 76 00:04:53,474 --> 00:04:58,274 results, they actually do often build time and they actually somehow think 77 00:04:58,274 --> 00:05:01,814 that they have to work a certain amount of time to get paid for that result. 78 00:05:01,819 --> 00:05:04,034 So I think even for coaches and consultants, which I think is your 79 00:05:04,034 --> 00:05:08,024 audience, it also requires us to rethink the idea of what we're 80 00:05:08,024 --> 00:05:09,955 actually offering to our clients. 81 00:05:10,405 --> 00:05:13,352 David Shriner-Cahn: Yeah, very much and one of the things that I talk 82 00:05:13,352 --> 00:05:19,777 about to coaches and consultants is how important it is to focus your pricing 83 00:05:19,777 --> 00:05:23,437 and your agreements with your clients based on the value that you create 84 00:05:23,887 --> 00:05:25,777 ,rather than based on your input. 85 00:05:25,867 --> 00:05:31,177 Because I've yet to meet a client that's really concerned about a consultant or 86 00:05:31,177 --> 00:05:33,547 coach's input into the relationship. 87 00:05:34,357 --> 00:05:37,008 Mark Monchek: Yeah, exactly, and also David, with the community 88 00:05:37,008 --> 00:05:41,298 that you've created at Smashing the Plateau, you have access. 89 00:05:41,478 --> 00:05:45,258 You as one of your members have access to dozens and dozens of people. 90 00:05:45,498 --> 00:05:47,688 And if you think about the networks of all your members, 91 00:05:47,808 --> 00:05:49,368 literally millions of people. 92 00:05:49,818 --> 00:05:52,488 Just three degrees of separation from your direct members. 93 00:05:52,488 --> 00:05:56,358 So as a coach and consultant, you're thinking about, I'm not just offering 94 00:05:56,358 --> 00:06:00,578 what I can do, I actually have a network of people who I know directly, 95 00:06:00,583 --> 00:06:04,558 or I know indirectly that can offer a whole nother level of value to clients. 96 00:06:04,589 --> 00:06:06,648 David Shriner-Cahn: So let's talk a little bit about that value, because I 97 00:06:06,648 --> 00:06:08,988 know that is an area of your specialty. 98 00:06:09,608 --> 00:06:13,228 First of all, how do you recommend consultants and coaches think about 99 00:06:13,288 --> 00:06:18,658 the resources that they can tap into through their networks and how they can 100 00:06:19,118 --> 00:06:22,408 leverage those resources in the value that they provide through their work? 101 00:06:22,988 --> 00:06:25,448 Mark Monchek: David, this goes back to this whole concept of the growth 102 00:06:25,448 --> 00:06:27,423 mindset, versus the fixed mindset. 103 00:06:27,813 --> 00:06:31,399 And I know we all like to think that, we have a growth mindset and 104 00:06:31,453 --> 00:06:32,893 we probably do to a certain extent. 105 00:06:33,313 --> 00:06:38,143 However, I think when we think about the resources we have, we start to think about 106 00:06:38,533 --> 00:06:42,853 the people we know directly or the things that we have ourselves have done directly. 107 00:06:43,243 --> 00:06:47,063 But if you really think about how many people are in our extended 108 00:06:47,063 --> 00:06:51,263 network, three degrees of separation from us, it is quite vast. 109 00:06:51,323 --> 00:06:56,333 And in order to actually do that, you have to go from this scarcity mindset to 110 00:06:56,333 --> 00:07:00,903 this abundance mindset, which is way more difficult to do than we think because 111 00:07:01,043 --> 00:07:06,468 from the time that we are taught in school that everything is a zero sum game. 112 00:07:06,468 --> 00:07:10,818 So if you get an A, somebody else gets a B, somebody else gets a C, and there's 113 00:07:10,818 --> 00:07:16,458 a very limited number of spots at a university or in a sports team, or in 114 00:07:16,458 --> 00:07:20,088 whatever these external results that are children are taught to be, right? 115 00:07:20,418 --> 00:07:23,388 But in the abundance mindset, there literally is an 116 00:07:23,388 --> 00:07:24,918 unlimited amount of resources. 117 00:07:24,978 --> 00:07:29,358 Once you are aware that they actually exist and that you can access. 118 00:07:29,407 --> 00:07:30,937 David Shriner-Cahn: So the mindset comes first. 119 00:07:31,567 --> 00:07:32,707 Mark Monchek: Mindset comes first. 120 00:07:32,707 --> 00:07:33,157 Yes. 121 00:07:33,487 --> 00:07:37,177 David Shriner-Cahn: And if you are able to create this abundant mindset, 122 00:07:37,827 --> 00:07:42,477 what do you need to do next if you're going to be able to understand what 123 00:07:42,477 --> 00:07:47,187 those resources are, where they are, and how you might tap into the value 124 00:07:47,187 --> 00:07:49,267 of those resources for your business? 125 00:07:49,267 --> 00:07:53,311 Mark Monchek: Let me just give everybody a little bit of a mind exercise to help 126 00:07:53,311 --> 00:07:58,981 actually us concretize the fact that we have these vast and abundant resources. 127 00:07:58,981 --> 00:08:01,781 Becuase it, it sounds great, but how do you actually think about it? 128 00:08:01,816 --> 00:08:06,046 In LinkedIn, I think probably most of your audience and most of your members use 129 00:08:06,046 --> 00:08:11,013 LinkedIn pretty significantly as a major tool and platform to access resources. 130 00:08:11,523 --> 00:08:15,603 So if you have, let's say hypothetically you have 3000 direct connections on 131 00:08:15,603 --> 00:08:19,953 LinkedIn, which is not unusual for people who've been in business for 20, 25 years. 132 00:08:20,463 --> 00:08:26,058 How many people could you access three degrees of separation from you? 133 00:08:26,058 --> 00:08:30,978 So let's say you sent out an email to your 3000 connections and said, 134 00:08:31,518 --> 00:08:36,258 I am looking for a specific kind of person in a specific kind of 135 00:08:36,263 --> 00:08:38,118 industry, in a specific kind of place. 136 00:08:38,718 --> 00:08:39,678 Would you help me do that? 137 00:08:39,683 --> 00:08:44,148 So theoretically, of course not all of your 3000 will link to their 138 00:08:44,448 --> 00:08:47,838 networks and their networks, but theoretically, if they all did that, 139 00:08:47,838 --> 00:08:52,043 if they all took up your request, how many people would you be able to reach? 140 00:08:52,493 --> 00:08:53,501 Just take a guess. 141 00:08:53,501 --> 00:08:57,137 David Shriner-Cahn: It's, three thou, if each person has 3000, 3000 times. 142 00:08:57,137 --> 00:08:58,517 3000 times, 3000. 143 00:08:59,297 --> 00:08:59,987 Mark Monchek: So yeah. 144 00:09:00,117 --> 00:09:05,030 Everybody doesn't have 3000, people who have 3000, like myself, have connections 145 00:09:05,030 --> 00:09:06,080 who have a fair amount of connections. 146 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:09,962 So it's somewhere in the vicinity of about 15 million people. 147 00:09:09,984 --> 00:09:12,504 And there is an algorithm of LinkedIn, which LinkedIn used 148 00:09:12,504 --> 00:09:13,854 to make very easy to find. 149 00:09:13,854 --> 00:09:15,084 It's now not so easy to find. 150 00:09:15,084 --> 00:09:16,974 I don't know why, but you can actually find it. 151 00:09:17,004 --> 00:09:21,169 So this is something that blew my mind when I actually realized 152 00:09:21,169 --> 00:09:24,289 how many people are just three degrees of separation from you. 153 00:09:24,769 --> 00:09:28,219 And you begin to realize this when you're active in groups like yours. 154 00:09:28,219 --> 00:09:30,799 You go to conferences, you're around like-minded people. 155 00:09:30,949 --> 00:09:34,295 You start to find out how many people that somebody that you didn't even 156 00:09:34,295 --> 00:09:36,545 know you knew, that you run into know. 157 00:09:36,625 --> 00:09:41,273 So that's the ground that you live in to get to that, growth mindset 158 00:09:41,273 --> 00:09:43,054 when it comes to, relationships. 159 00:09:43,624 --> 00:09:47,794 The second part of it is the whole generosity mindset, which 160 00:09:47,794 --> 00:09:50,404 really is critical to actually having an abundance mindset. 161 00:09:50,409 --> 00:09:54,484 So when you know, when I'm in business and I'm meeting people, the first thing 162 00:09:54,484 --> 00:09:57,004 I ask them, which I know I've asked you many times, and you've asked me 163 00:09:57,004 --> 00:10:00,634 many times, because I think both of us share that generosity mindset is what 164 00:10:00,634 --> 00:10:03,094 can I do to support your business? 165 00:10:03,789 --> 00:10:06,579 And it's often a question people like, wow, you just met me. 166 00:10:06,579 --> 00:10:07,419 You spent an hour with me. 167 00:10:07,419 --> 00:10:08,919 You want to help my business? 168 00:10:08,919 --> 00:10:10,059 And why do I want to do that? 169 00:10:10,059 --> 00:10:13,689 Because if you're going to help me, I want us to be able to be in some 170 00:10:13,689 --> 00:10:17,859 sort of a generosity relationship, not just asking for something 171 00:10:17,859 --> 00:10:19,179 and then never giving it back. 172 00:10:19,569 --> 00:10:22,999 Once people get a sense that you actually care about them and want 173 00:10:22,999 --> 00:10:26,529 to help them, that triggers off their wish to want to help you. 174 00:10:27,179 --> 00:10:29,008 David Shriner-Cahn: There's a great saying, I know. 175 00:10:29,046 --> 00:10:33,201 the common saying is "people do business with people they know, and trust." 176 00:10:33,228 --> 00:10:36,083 . And there's an added component to this, which ties into what you 177 00:10:36,083 --> 00:10:39,833 just described, which is "people do business with people they know, 178 00:10:39,833 --> 00:10:41,993 like trust and who care about them". 179 00:10:42,543 --> 00:10:46,503 Mark Monchek: Yeah, and typically that's people we meet in a setting 180 00:10:46,503 --> 00:10:47,583 where we get to talk to them. 181 00:10:47,583 --> 00:10:50,853 Maybe people who I would might meet on your podcast, and if you introduced 182 00:10:50,853 --> 00:10:54,672 me to many podcasts hosts that I've had great relationships with, but 183 00:10:54,672 --> 00:10:58,362 it could even happen in the spur of the moment where you meet somebody 184 00:10:58,367 --> 00:10:59,532 you think it's a random connection. 185 00:10:59,652 --> 00:11:00,552 I'll give you an example. 186 00:11:01,122 --> 00:11:04,842 Last Friday I was in Brooklyn to buy a used bike. 187 00:11:04,842 --> 00:11:05,982 I was riding. 188 00:11:06,012 --> 00:11:10,662 going over the Manhattan Bridge, I'm stopped at a light and a woman on a bike 189 00:11:10,667 --> 00:11:12,822 next to me says, your backpack is open. 190 00:11:13,572 --> 00:11:14,742 And I said, Oh, I didn't know that. 191 00:11:14,742 --> 00:11:16,272 She says, Would you like me to close it? 192 00:11:16,482 --> 00:11:17,322 I said, Sure. 193 00:11:17,352 --> 00:11:19,212 So she closes the backpack. 194 00:11:19,617 --> 00:11:22,347 I was so thankful, first of all, that I didn't, something didn't 195 00:11:22,347 --> 00:11:24,777 fall out, that she was so nice to recognize it and then to close it, 196 00:11:25,137 --> 00:11:26,277 we ended up having a discussion. 197 00:11:26,457 --> 00:11:30,197 So it turns out that she is a professor of social work at Medgar 198 00:11:30,447 --> 00:11:33,357 Evers College, which is part of the city University of New York system. 199 00:11:33,687 --> 00:11:35,877 I used to be a social work for 20 years. 200 00:11:36,357 --> 00:11:40,242 I used a lot of my social work education in, how I operate in business. 201 00:11:40,512 --> 00:11:43,872 So this is a conversation, David, that we're having at a stop sign 202 00:11:44,322 --> 00:11:46,212 before we enter the Manhattan Bridge. 203 00:11:46,512 --> 00:11:49,452 So at the end of it, I gave her my business card and I said, look, I'd 204 00:11:49,457 --> 00:11:52,603 be happy to, do some guest lecturing, I do a lot of guest lectures. 205 00:11:52,633 --> 00:11:56,237 Oh, we have an internship program where some of the interns might be 206 00:11:56,447 --> 00:11:58,187 loving to work at your business. 207 00:11:58,187 --> 00:12:01,757 So as a possibility, we could end up with some interns and I could 208 00:12:01,757 --> 00:12:06,227 end up doing some guest teaching just from that split second, her 209 00:12:06,677 --> 00:12:08,087 asking me if I wanted some help. 210 00:12:08,507 --> 00:12:10,498 David Shriner-Cahn: Yeah, that's a a great example and a great story. 211 00:12:10,558 --> 00:12:16,888 So what can, what con consultants and coaches do to help them get into the 212 00:12:16,888 --> 00:12:19,120 framework of a generosity mindset? 213 00:12:19,126 --> 00:12:22,516 Mark Monchek: When you think about, and this is something you could do really as 214 00:12:22,516 --> 00:12:28,756 a kind of visualization exercise, if you close your eyes and you imagine and think 215 00:12:28,756 --> 00:12:32,986 about the biggest successes that you've had in your life, the situations where 216 00:12:32,986 --> 00:12:37,876 you absolutely needed help from somebody, and think about the people who helped you. 217 00:12:38,661 --> 00:12:41,541 The fact that some of those people you didn't even know before they helped you. 218 00:12:42,171 --> 00:12:45,591 Once you start doing that, and these people come to the screen of your mind, 219 00:12:45,861 --> 00:12:50,755 there is a chemical reaction in the brain, that gives off oxytocin, which is 220 00:12:50,755 --> 00:12:52,656 that we call that the, the love hormone. 221 00:12:53,776 --> 00:12:55,566 Serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter. 222 00:12:56,106 --> 00:13:00,646 All this chemical activity happens when we actually have this sense of gratitude. 223 00:13:01,356 --> 00:13:06,136 And so when you see how many people have helped you, that makes you want 224 00:13:06,136 --> 00:13:08,436 to then help them, and you probably could do the same thing for all 225 00:13:08,436 --> 00:13:09,526 the people that you have helped. 226 00:13:09,544 --> 00:13:11,789 So it's a constant sense of gratitude. 227 00:13:11,789 --> 00:13:16,649 And that gratitude really is what drives this ability to want to give back. 228 00:13:16,679 --> 00:13:19,570 And then of course, you want to be open because you're in that 229 00:13:20,630 --> 00:13:24,070 virtuous circle, not the vicious cycle of I don't have enough. 230 00:13:24,490 --> 00:13:24,700 David Shriner-Cahn: Yeah. 231 00:13:24,723 --> 00:13:26,827 are there exercises like that you do? 232 00:13:27,347 --> 00:13:30,297 Regularly that help you with your mindset. 233 00:13:31,247 --> 00:13:31,847 Mark Monchek: Yeah, absolutely. 234 00:13:31,847 --> 00:13:35,325 We have a program which is in my book, Culture of Opportunity: How to Grow Your 235 00:13:35,325 --> 00:13:40,215 Business in an Age of Disruption, which is called "Unlock Your Network" and within 236 00:13:40,215 --> 00:13:44,745 Unlock Your Network, we have a resource map, which is actually a digital map of 237 00:13:44,745 --> 00:13:46,665 the different resources that you have. 238 00:13:47,145 --> 00:13:52,005 So in the exercise we ask somebody to focus on what is the goal that you want 239 00:13:52,005 --> 00:13:54,135 to build this resource ecosystem around. 240 00:13:54,495 --> 00:13:57,560 Get them very clear on the goal, very clear on the result and then 241 00:13:57,580 --> 00:14:02,120 we ask them in this exercise, which we do virtually, we do it in person 242 00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:06,662 we also can do it via that we 243 00:14:06,885 --> 00:14:10,145 So, Audience close your eyes right now, who are the people, three 244 00:14:10,165 --> 00:14:16,245 categories, experts, connectors and accelerators, who you most need to 245 00:14:16,245 --> 00:14:18,615 help you with that particular goal. 246 00:14:19,635 --> 00:14:21,205 Think about the organizations. 247 00:14:21,205 --> 00:14:25,074 which could be corporations, universities, foundations, community 248 00:14:25,074 --> 00:14:29,274 organizations, professional associations, who you need to help. 249 00:14:29,724 --> 00:14:32,784 Think about the sources of capital you need. 250 00:14:33,204 --> 00:14:35,964 Think about the knowledge that you need, and think about the 251 00:14:35,969 --> 00:14:37,164 communication that you need. 252 00:14:37,169 --> 00:14:42,024 Those areas are part of the ecosystem of resources, and when you start getting 253 00:14:42,024 --> 00:14:45,713 to that habit of doing that, and we'd be happy to, you know, contact us. 254 00:14:45,713 --> 00:14:48,593 We can give you some suggestions, specifically some tools, you 255 00:14:48,593 --> 00:14:53,423 start to see your resources as an ecosystem, as a network. 256 00:14:53,543 --> 00:14:54,686 There's often very connected. 257 00:14:55,196 --> 00:14:59,606 David Shriner-Cahn: Are there examples of consultants, coaches, and small businesses 258 00:14:59,611 --> 00:15:02,537 that you can share of how they've leveraged their resources this way? 259 00:15:03,197 --> 00:15:03,927 Mark Monchek: Oh yeah, absolutely. 260 00:15:03,939 --> 00:15:06,879 I'm going to give you the one that really rang the bell for me, David. 261 00:15:06,884 --> 00:15:08,444 This was about, about 11 years ago. 262 00:15:08,444 --> 00:15:13,094 We were working with a nonprofit whose mission was to help people 263 00:15:13,094 --> 00:15:16,244 who did not know how to read who were not functionally literate, 264 00:15:16,244 --> 00:15:17,804 whether it be in reading or in math. 265 00:15:18,484 --> 00:15:23,854 And they wanted to put on a national summit about adult illiteracy 266 00:15:23,854 --> 00:15:27,514 to help them get their brand out there and help establish an actual 267 00:15:27,514 --> 00:15:29,944 certification for educators of adults. 268 00:15:30,214 --> 00:15:32,734 So teachers, right, all have certifications. 269 00:15:32,734 --> 00:15:36,784 It's required by the state that you teach in, adult educators do not. 270 00:15:37,204 --> 00:15:41,054 And there's a huge opportunity for that, which we help this client with, right? 271 00:15:41,091 --> 00:15:44,751 We asked them to put together, we developed a resource map for them to 272 00:15:44,751 --> 00:15:46,671 help put together this national summit. 273 00:15:47,031 --> 00:15:51,981 So in this resource map, they had 17 people, 26 organizations, 274 00:15:52,441 --> 00:15:57,621 5 markets that they operated in, 3 resources of capital, abundant 275 00:15:57,621 --> 00:16:00,561 knowledge, abundant communication, but only 3 sources of capital. 276 00:16:01,511 --> 00:16:05,021 So we did this small exercise with a handful of people, couple of 277 00:16:05,021 --> 00:16:06,431 board members, couple staff members. 278 00:16:06,701 --> 00:16:09,551 Then we said, All right, this is not enough to do what you want to do. 279 00:16:09,911 --> 00:16:10,871 Let's open it up. 280 00:16:10,931 --> 00:16:14,531 Let's bring in all the board members, all the staff members, and let's put 281 00:16:14,531 --> 00:16:19,391 a burning platform question to help really stimulate people's imaginations. 282 00:16:19,901 --> 00:16:21,461 What would you do? 283 00:16:21,461 --> 00:16:25,581 Who would you contact if you had three months to raise 3 million dollars? 284 00:16:25,761 --> 00:16:27,421 And if you couldn't do what you're out of business. 285 00:16:27,421 --> 00:16:30,840 So obviously this was a provocative, burning platform question. 286 00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:38,310 Suddenly, David, we had 26 new sources of capital come on the resource map. 287 00:16:38,640 --> 00:16:43,710 Three of them with the last name of Soros, as in George Soros and his two children, 288 00:16:43,710 --> 00:16:45,826 all who have very well to do foundations. 289 00:16:46,741 --> 00:16:47,911 People started screaming. 290 00:16:48,091 --> 00:16:49,231 Who knows George Soros? 291 00:16:49,231 --> 00:16:50,191 Who knows all these people? 292 00:16:50,371 --> 00:16:51,541 How come nobody said anything? 293 00:16:52,231 --> 00:16:53,641 You could hear a pin drop, David. 294 00:16:54,121 --> 00:16:58,531 The woman in the back who was very quiet said, I know George Soros 295 00:16:58,531 --> 00:16:59,791 and I know some of these people. 296 00:17:00,181 --> 00:17:01,261 Why didn't you say anything? 297 00:17:01,911 --> 00:17:04,591 Nobody ever asked me. 298 00:17:05,491 --> 00:17:09,631 This is a company, this is a nonprofit organization with 15 people. 299 00:17:09,841 --> 00:17:14,761 This woman sat literally 20-feet from the Director of Development, 300 00:17:15,151 --> 00:17:18,421 but there was never any mechanism to actually share these resources. 301 00:17:18,661 --> 00:17:19,441 So what happened? 302 00:17:19,821 --> 00:17:23,846 We did launch the first ever National Summit for adult illiteracy. 303 00:17:24,111 --> 00:17:25,761 We had resources from Harvard. 304 00:17:25,971 --> 00:17:28,941 We had a filmmaker from CNN who made a film about this. 305 00:17:29,036 --> 00:17:33,566 We had some entrepreneurs and they raised money and they actually did this event 306 00:17:33,656 --> 00:17:37,916 and they built a brand around it and they got to the next level of their development 307 00:17:38,216 --> 00:17:41,606 as a result of a tool that we developed. 308 00:17:41,636 --> 00:17:45,911 And that was the moment when I realized, there are unlimited resources we're not 309 00:17:45,911 --> 00:17:47,441 tapping into because of the mindset. 310 00:17:47,651 --> 00:17:49,311 And also there isn't a mechanism to do it. 311 00:17:49,360 --> 00:17:53,354 David Shriner-Cahn: So can you go a little deeper in, in, your own realization 312 00:17:53,534 --> 00:17:55,634 of the potential from this exercise? 313 00:17:56,384 --> 00:17:59,984 Mark Monchek: So it made me understand that every organization, no matter how 314 00:17:59,984 --> 00:18:04,094 small, no matter how seemingly under resourced, has the resources they 315 00:18:04,094 --> 00:18:05,474 need to get to where they want to go. 316 00:18:05,564 --> 00:18:08,474 And you have to shift the mindset, Number one. 317 00:18:08,624 --> 00:18:12,108 You have to have a mechanism, which is what we do, and unlock your, network. 318 00:18:12,113 --> 00:18:16,458 Now we call it unaccurate resources, and you have to have the ability to then 319 00:18:16,748 --> 00:18:21,563 follow up on the resources that start coming to you, which is that generosity, 320 00:18:21,608 --> 00:18:25,118 mindset where you're actually supporting the people who are helping you and 321 00:18:25,298 --> 00:18:27,848 people who are helping you, you're able to actually do something with it, and 322 00:18:27,848 --> 00:18:30,848 you're actually following up on those things that they are giving you help with. 323 00:18:30,903 --> 00:18:33,846 David Shriner-Cahn: Mark, this may be somewhat of a loaded question, but in your 324 00:18:33,846 --> 00:18:39,666 work, since you have the tools to be able to unlock these resources and see enormous 325 00:18:39,666 --> 00:18:41,496 potential and see great abundance. 326 00:18:42,341 --> 00:18:49,541 Given the own size and scope of your business, where do you see your potential 327 00:18:49,541 --> 00:18:53,361 in being able to leverage these tools, and what are your thoughts about where 328 00:18:53,366 --> 00:18:54,681 you can go with this in the future? 329 00:18:55,431 --> 00:18:58,641 Mark Monchek: That's a great question and loaded question, difficult question, yeah. 330 00:18:58,911 --> 00:19:05,691 So we have been developing some digital online tools to teach this methodology 331 00:19:05,691 --> 00:19:10,916 and this mindset, which does not require me personally to be involved 332 00:19:10,941 --> 00:19:12,471 in every time we offer something. 333 00:19:12,981 --> 00:19:16,600 And that was a big mindset shift for me because I always 334 00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:17,696 thought, it's got to be me. 335 00:19:17,696 --> 00:19:20,426 I've got to be there and I've got to be there in a particular point in time. 336 00:19:21,026 --> 00:19:24,416 We then leveraged our staff, and so I would say our staff, we have 337 00:19:24,416 --> 00:19:26,486 five people in our organization. 338 00:19:26,816 --> 00:19:28,826 A lot of them do things that I never thought somebody else could 339 00:19:28,826 --> 00:19:32,846 do, but they do it not only well, but in some cases better than me. 340 00:19:32,861 --> 00:19:35,788 In some cases, we've actually gotten our clients to do things 341 00:19:35,793 --> 00:19:37,658 that we were doing for them. 342 00:19:37,948 --> 00:19:41,958 Which also creates a higher level of value for them, and of course, more time for us. 343 00:19:42,468 --> 00:19:47,630 So our next path is really designing this resource map, so it is more functional, 344 00:19:47,630 --> 00:19:49,910 more accessible, bring in more resources. 345 00:19:50,300 --> 00:19:54,380 We're developing a new program called Embrace the Future That's Already Here, 346 00:19:54,950 --> 00:19:58,663 which is really around the whole idea of processing, that there's a future that you 347 00:19:58,663 --> 00:20:03,463 can actually co-create once you have that higher level of mindset and consciousness, 348 00:20:03,463 --> 00:20:04,543 which we've talked a little bit about 349 00:20:04,543 --> 00:20:04,883 David Shriner-Cahn: today. 350 00:20:05,243 --> 00:20:09,128 Are there any resource that you're looking for that you might like to 351 00:20:09,128 --> 00:20:13,868 share that maybe somebody's listen who's listening has access to them? 352 00:20:14,408 --> 00:20:17,918 Mark Monchek: Yeah, so we are looking for relationships with people who have online 353 00:20:17,918 --> 00:20:24,368 networks that offer courses, digital courses live or recorded courses or 354 00:20:24,368 --> 00:20:28,668 communities like yours who want this kind of content, want this kind of program, 355 00:20:28,668 --> 00:20:31,543 that we think we can offer a great partnership with some of the things that 356 00:20:31,548 --> 00:20:35,173 we have developed over the years and our knowledge of the coaches and consultants 357 00:20:35,178 --> 00:20:38,690 community, which is your community, but also, we work with a lot of entrepreneurs 358 00:20:38,695 --> 00:20:42,455 and, privately, small and mid-market companies, which is our kind of sweet 359 00:20:42,455 --> 00:20:44,144 spot in the, in the consulting realm. 360 00:20:44,604 --> 00:20:46,389 David Shriner-Cahn: Sounds great, I'm glad that we shared that. 361 00:20:46,689 --> 00:20:48,569 Is there anything I haven't asked you, Mark, that you want 362 00:20:48,569 --> 00:20:49,719 to share before we close out? 363 00:20:50,169 --> 00:20:51,909 Mark Monchek: Yeah, so I'll ask the question of myself 364 00:20:51,909 --> 00:20:52,749 and I'll try to answer it. 365 00:20:52,749 --> 00:20:54,069 Maybe you can also answer it too. 366 00:20:54,699 --> 00:20:59,974 What is the most important shift that coaches and consultants and 367 00:20:59,974 --> 00:21:04,714 entrepreneurs have to make, and that is the shift of consciousness. 368 00:21:05,119 --> 00:21:10,159 This next decade going forward is really not about profits. 369 00:21:10,159 --> 00:21:12,229 It's not about material impact. 370 00:21:12,229 --> 00:21:15,199 It's around shifting your consciousness so you can actually 371 00:21:15,199 --> 00:21:17,419 have profits with purpose. 372 00:21:17,659 --> 00:21:20,179 You can actually have profits that are sustainable, yet can 373 00:21:20,179 --> 00:21:24,431 actually have an impact that truly makes the world a better place. 374 00:21:24,461 --> 00:21:27,131 Bruce Springsteen had a very simple quote, which I love. 375 00:21:27,581 --> 00:21:31,766 "Nobody wins until everybody wins", and that is the world that I want to 376 00:21:31,786 --> 00:21:36,136 help create where there is abundance for everybody and not just a zero 377 00:21:36,136 --> 00:21:39,856 sum game where some people win and other people are pained losers. 378 00:21:40,336 --> 00:21:40,756 David Shriner-Cahn: Love it. 379 00:21:41,026 --> 00:21:44,896 If somebody wants to go deeper with anything we've discussed today, access 380 00:21:44,896 --> 00:21:48,286 some of these resources that you've talked about or get in touch with you, 381 00:21:48,291 --> 00:21:49,696 where would be the best place to go? 382 00:21:50,356 --> 00:21:55,696 Mark Monchek: If you go to a website, opplab.com, that's O P P L A B .com, 383 00:21:56,056 --> 00:21:57,796 you can sign up for our newsletter. 384 00:21:58,006 --> 00:22:02,103 We have a, monthly community group, which we call Opportunity Community. 385 00:22:02,343 --> 00:22:03,093 You could sign it for that. 386 00:22:03,093 --> 00:22:04,123 That's also free. 387 00:22:04,148 --> 00:22:06,518 A lot of the podcasts, including my previous appearances 388 00:22:06,518 --> 00:22:07,418 on yours are on there. 389 00:22:07,718 --> 00:22:12,238 And you can contact us directly through an email, Discover@opplab.com. 390 00:22:13,813 --> 00:22:14,143 David Shriner-Cahn: Mark. 391 00:22:14,148 --> 00:22:18,433 I want to thank you so much for coming back and sharing what you've been up to 392 00:22:18,493 --> 00:22:22,513 and some great insights on Smashing the Plateau today, my guest has been the 393 00:22:22,513 --> 00:22:27,213 Founder and Chief Opportunity Officer of Opportunity Lab, Mark Monchek. 394 00:22:27,403 --> 00:22:29,143 Thank you again, Mark, for joining us. 395 00:22:29,213 --> 00:22:29,773 Mark Monchek: David. 396 00:22:29,893 --> 00:22:30,373 Thank you. 397 00:22:32,713 --> 00:22:35,173 David Shriner-Cahn: When you visit the Smashing of the Plateau website 398 00:22:35,173 --> 00:22:40,008 at smashingtheplateau.com, you'll find a summary of each episode along with 399 00:22:40,008 --> 00:22:41,508 the links we mentioned on the show. 400 00:22:42,138 --> 00:22:46,188 On today's episode with Mark Monchek, we learned how you can find the 401 00:22:46,188 --> 00:22:48,738 resources for exponential opportunity. 402 00:22:49,488 --> 00:22:50,988 Are you building a community? 403 00:22:51,468 --> 00:22:55,618 Check out Circle, the all in one community platform for creators and brands. 404 00:22:56,138 --> 00:23:00,738 Bring together engaging discussions, members, live streams, chat, 405 00:23:00,848 --> 00:23:04,958 events, and memberships all in one place, all under your own brand. 406 00:23:05,648 --> 00:23:09,523 Circle is the platform we use in the Smashing the Plateau community. 407 00:23:10,213 --> 00:23:15,493 I love the way Circle puts your people, discussions and content all in one place. 408 00:23:16,393 --> 00:23:21,363 Get a free 14-day trial of Circle at smashingtheplateau.com/circle. 409 00:23:22,573 --> 00:23:26,273 That's smashingtheplateau.com/circle. 410 00:23:26,798 --> 00:23:28,258 I'm David Shriner-Cahn. 411 00:23:28,568 --> 00:23:31,298 Thank you for taking the time to listen to our show. 412 00:23:31,718 --> 00:23:33,668 I'll see you on our next episode.