Like Jon Snow, You Know Nothing

This past week, I had the pleasure of spending four days in one of the coolest and most beautiful cities in the entire world…New York. I’d never been there before, and needless to say, it was a pretty amazing experience.

I was in town for a meet-up of the Roman Fitness Systems Mastermind. We were gathering together for a few days of fun, shenanigans, pizza, and of course some business learning.

The highlight of the meet-up was the two days of presentations, given by some of the best online business experts and fitness coaches in the entire world. The information these guys and gals presented was invaluable, and has definitely given me an action plan for Jorden Pagel Fitness the rest of 2016.

But you may be surprised to know that I learned just as much, if not more, from the other guys in the group…the ones who were there to learn, same as me…as I did from the presenters.

No matter how much we think we know, there is always someone out there who knows more. No matter how successful someone is, there is something you can learn from them.

Each of the guys in the group is at a different stage in their business. Some are absolutely crushing it, while others are just starting out. But one thing that everyone does have in common is each person has something unique to offer; everyone has their own brand of knowledge on something that everyone else can learn from.

Everyone wants everybody else in the group to succeed, and they’re willing to help where and when they can to make that happen.

Which brings me to the point of this post…to truly grow and be successful, you need to surround yourself with people that are better than you.

It’s tough for most of us humans to admit we don’t know what we don’t know. But the reality is that we don’t know everything, and often we know less than we think we do.

This is where surrounding yourself with people who are better than you, who know more, is going to not only help you build your business, but help you grow as a person as well.

Some of the best knowledge that I gained, didn’t come from sitting in room listening to presenters for eight hours, but across the table conversations over dinner, shoulder-to-shoulder enjoying a few drinks, or walking around trying to navigate the city.

Often times, these conversations don’t have an agenda…they aren’t meant to be informational…they’re just a conversation between a few bros enjoying pizza.

But the value of these conversations with people who are where you were, where you are now, or where you want to go, is immeasurable. Each persons unique experience with their own situation can provide you with valuable insight into yours.

The smartest and most successful people in the world realize there’s something to be learned from everyone. They recognize that each person’s unique personal experience can teach them something about what they themselves want to accomplish.

The quickest path to failure is believing that you have nothing left to learn; that you know everything you need to know. The moment you stop trying to learn is the moment you stop trying to succeed.

The people of the RFS Mastermind are some of the best human beings I have ever met; and this just stems from John Romaniello’s ability to not only recognize those with potential, but those with character as well.

My time spent with these guys has been among the best experiences of my life. And it all stemmed from my desire to learn from those who are better than me, so that I myself could be better.

This doesn’t apply to just business. What’s most amazing is how bettering yourself in one area of you life will better all areas. Just like lifting has not only transformed my body but my mind as well, wanting to be better in my business has made me want to be better overall, not just for me but for everyone else.

Because I know that a better version of me…and ultimately the best version…is the version that is going to provide the most value to my clients, to my peers, to the people I love, and ultimately to the world.

And it all started because I realized that in order to know what I didn’t know, I need to surround myself with those who did. In order to get better, I had to be around people who were better.

Everyone has something they can teach us: colleagues, competitors, friends, enemies, significant others…they each bring their own brand of knowledge and experience into our lives. They each have something to teach us. They each can make us better.

The question is, are you ready to learn? Are you ready to get better?