Eddie Hearn is a boxing promoter and has been my constant companion for weeks. My partner can't get enough of him and his regular YouTube presence in our home, has burned his Cockney Accent into my consciousness. I'm far away from the world of boxing with, but I'm still curious about who this voice is, and...I'm intrigued. You have to like Hearn and his youthful enthusiasm. His passion spills over with every page and he gives tangible advice for life, business and leadership. The book is structured like a boxing match, there are 12 rounds each with very practical and clear "key takeaways" at the end of each chapter. He writes the way he talks (smoothed out a bit by the editor so things like, "The backlash makes me horny" don't slip out). He is straightforward, honest, simple and direct. He is street-smart and a storyteller, always ready to putting on a huge show.
Eddie Hearn grew up as the son of the already very successful and wealthy sports promoter Barry Hearn, who came from humble beginnings. Eddie Hearn is Barry Hearn's "parenting experiment. " How do you manage to pass on the work ethic and life lessons of the working class to a "SilverSpoon", as he teasingly calls his son, i.e. someone who grew up in wealth and very privileged. Well, he succeeded, because one of the Hearn's main principles is: No one can beat my work ethic, you may be smarter, or have better qualifications, but I put the hours in no matter what. Be "Relentless", work longer and harder than anyone else, with "Passion", love what you do, stay actionable with "Simplicity" and "Honesty" and set big goals. Eddie Hearn has managed to take the family business Matchroom international, has negotiated multi-million dollar deals with the sports streaming service DAZN and represents Anthony Joshua, currently the greatest boxer. He and Joshua are a perfect team to make boxing accessible to a larger audience. Away from the sleazy corner, into lifestyle and inspiration for many. Hearn is inspired and learns a lot of from Joshua, as he readily admits. It strikes him that it's his most successful clients, like Joshua, are the ones that create the least work and stress. They are confident enough to trust him and let him do what he is best at. Yes, maybe they are so successful because they have that ability to trust.
Eddie Hearn is very effective with his social media presence and that of his athletes. Optimism and positivity is their common credo in all the super masculine, brutal, often just not nicy environment that the sport attracts, and I must confess: I'm inspired and excited by the mental toughness this sport requires and its simple but true life lessons. I myself take away many "takeaways" for coaching my clients.
My goal after this excursion into the world of boxing: to work with my clients to build a "bullet-proof" mental body. What is true for boxers, where a "hole" in the mental armor can have fatal and life-threatening consequences, is also true for us:
We are sabotaged by weak "mental muscles" and should consciously 1. Design, 2. Strengthen, 3. Train and 4. Optimise our mental resilience. If we do this thoroughly and seamlessly we become bullet-proof and have a "Golden Armor".
Result: More energy, less fear, more motivation, more self-confidence, resilience, faster recovery time after setbacks, more positivity and optimism.
One more note about the "outwork" everybody philosophy. Wonder if this isn't also a more masculine principle, I personally would translate it into: Love it more than anyone else. Whether this love and enthusiasm is expressed in hours of work or in attention, focus, dedication and allowance would then be up for debate. As a woman, I am aware of my physical resources, the needs of my family and my social obligations in a different way and may have different priorities, which then may not be expressed 1:1 in "working hours". Food for Thought.
Mindset Design, Create-your-Golden-Armor, I am happy to make you bulletproof: yumi@yumichoi.com
Here are a few selected key takeaways from the book:
Round 1:
-Honesty is the only way forward in life and business
-You are never too busy, it's simply a matter of priorities
Round 2:
-Nobody is going to make a decision for you; it´s yours alone. The future is in your hands and you have the possibility to shape it as you wish.
-Behind every success is a ton of failure.
Round 3:
-Always stay ambitious and think big.(...) If people aren`t calling your ideas crazy, then maybe you aren`t thinking big enough.
-Pay attention to details and never make the same mistake twice. It`s the little details that can make big things happen.
-You can never ever stop learning because life never stops teaching: It´s the one thing we have all in common.
Round 4:
-Keep life simple - happiness is the ultimate goal (...) but searching for it can also be one
of the biggest causes for unhappiness! The best way to find it is not to search for it, but to create it
-None of us are born to be successful. It`s never going to be an easy journey regardless where you start. You can`t inherit passion, drive and a relentless work ethic.
- To be successful, you have to understand what your definition of success is and you should define it on your own terms. It´s not universal und only you can set the bar.
Round 5:
-(...) I cannot stress the importance of taking care of your short-term goals. I`m a believer
in planning for the future, of course, but there are too many dreamers in this world who
are not willing to tick the boxes to get their fantasies off the ground. So take care of the
fundamentals, get the bread and butter done, and only then will the bigger picture start
to unfold.
Round 6:
-In working towards success, there´s a lot to be said for simplicity. Your goal might involve many moving parts. If so, strip down each component to serve its intended function. Don't try to be clever if it risks slowing the momentum that you are building to get the job done.
Round 7:
-Selling is the number one skill in business. Unless you understand that and its art, then I
don`t believe you can run a successful business.
-(...) no sales, no business.
Round 8:
-There comes a time when you might not be able to reach your goals on your own. When
this happens, it`s about developing and nurturing a strong team. Giving responsibility to those around you establishes turst, a sense of responsibility, and encourages you all to pull as one towards the end goal.
-Trust in a team is so important. Nobody wants to work with people they don`t trust because that negativity will affect you and your business. You have to establish a culture in which each member is viewed as a valuable asset, only then can you all flourish.
Round 9:
-When it coms to recovering your composure or even climbing back on your feet, there`s
a lot to be learned from the sport of boxing. Some of the greates fighters have suffered devastating, humiliating defeats, and then come back stronger.
-(...) it`s only realistic that we address those moments when everything doesn´t go to plan. It can happen, which is why it`s so importand to develop the mindset and strategies to learn lessons and grow stronger from the experience.
-When things don`t go to plan, positivity is your lifeline. (...) Its during those dark moments that you must focus on the positives and on coming out on the other side.
Round 10:
-(...) In any business, you have to leave ego at the door (...).
-You`ve got to be at the top of your game, with no cracks in your positivity, mindset, vision and drive. As soon as you start thinking something is impossible, you`re done. You must start seeing the opportunities rather than the obstacles. It`s not uncommon to face problems in any business venture and it will always demand a level head and bullet-proof commitment. It takes the same energy to worry as it does to be positive, so why not use it to focus on the goal.
Round 11:
-It`s very easy to get lost in the hustle, but the truth is that happiness is everything, so don`t neglect it. (...) You will never be truly satisfied by your work until you are truly satisfied with your life.
-(...) Wether you`re shooting for a seven-figure turnover or simply hoping to break even in challenging conditions, success means different things to people at different times (...) What matters is that you have a clear understanding of what success means to you. It`s not always about money (...) Define success in your own terms and achieve it by your own rules and build the life you are proud to lead. Don`t focus on others: all that matters is your own personal perception of success, because that`s where you`ll find fulfilment.
Round 12:
-In the pursuit of success, you have to be prepared to deal with tough times (...) stay calm, take a deep breath and solve the immediate short-term problems that are infront of you. If you simply freeze or don`t react fast enough, the the hole may deepen.
-The worst thing you can do as a business is to go quiet, you must always communicate with your customer. (...) Even if you don`t have any instant answers, make yourself available for your customer and bring them on your journey. Don`t hide.
-In all times, we must be relentless in our pursuit of perfection - it`s a recurring theme to success. (...)
Click here to order: