Bryan Elliott

What’s holding you back from doing that thing? My guess is that it’s some form of fear. Having the right amount of fear is healthy and logical. It’s biological and we are hardwired to survive. But fear might also be keeping us playing small. In my experience, and it doesn’t matter what it is— fitness; relationships; growing a business— anything worth doing requires a level of courage, effort, sacrifice and risk that comes with having to pay a price to earn the reward. That is, the rent is due every day for any form of victory big or small. As an example, I just worked on a TV spot with a big consumer brand that went way out of their comfort zone on our creative idea. This took courage and I know it hasn’t been easy for them. That said, the competitive landscape requires breaking away from the herd and being distinct. To break out of being a commodity product and into the category of legitimate brand requires bold moves. Author James Clear writes: "The problem with smart people is they can come up with a good reason for not doing anything. They are smart enough to find the cracks, to foresee the challenges, and to talk themselves out of the idea. They are experts at justifying their lack of courage or lack of action with an intelligent excuse. But there will always be reasons to not do something, and this is particularly true of anything worth doing. We value those moments in which we overcame challenge, not those in which we avoided it. Ultimately, action is a choice. The choice to emphasize the reasons for doing it despite the reasons you have for avoiding it." What’s holding you back from doing that thing?

Dan Reynolds has ankylosing spondylitis. Medication would alter his voice, so he spends 3 to 4 hours a day on joint rehab instead. Full conversation on Behind the Brand.

Chris Voss on how Mark Cuban tests a partner: a fastball at your head to see your A game. One Shark Tank entrepreneur flipped the script. Full conversation on Behind the Brand.

Tomi Mikula on leaving the car business: insiders call you a traitor. On January 3, 2023, nine customers told him they hated buying a car. He left and started Delivrd. What industry secret would you want an insider to share? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

Seth Godin (@thisissethsblog): likes don't mean people like you, and friends don't mean people are your friends. That's what they call the button. What did you make for the right people, not the most people? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

Rick Rubin told Dan Reynolds his song was boring. Then he handed him a basket of shakers and tambourines. Six hours later, Imagine Dragons had It's OK. Full conversation on Behind the Brand.

Former FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss on bad news: say "you're not going to like this" first. Never say "I don't want you to react negatively." Full conversation on Behind the Brand.

Former dealer Tomi Mikula: skip the doc fee fight. Ask for another $500 off the car instead, and refuse tint, clear coat, paint protection and etch. Which add-on did you pay for and regret? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

Momofuku sent vegetarian Seth Godin (@thisissethsblog) to a restaurant a block away. He says that was the day Momofuku became Momofuku. They didn't need all of New York, only the right 2,000 people. Who are your right 2,000? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

Radioactive isn't about the apocalypse. Dan Reynolds wrote the song about his own depression and hid the meaning in metaphors. Full conversation on Behind the Brand.

Chris Voss: salaries don't build careers. Prices don't make deals. They break deals. Everything around the price decides a good deal or a bad deal. Full conversation on Behind the Brand.

Former dealer Tomi Mikula: the first offer is built to get a no. Bring three competing offers and a promise to buy if the dealer matches. Do you counter the first offer or walk? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

Seth Godin (@thisissethsblog) flips the old question: not what would you do if you knew you could not fail, but what would you do if you knew you were going to fail? What would you make if failure were certain? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

Dan Reynolds prayed every night for a decade to sing and travel the world. Imagine Dragons happened. So why does a one-in-a-billion break still confuse him? Full conversation on Behind the Brand.

Why won't dealers quote you a price over the phone? Former dealer Tomi Mikula: your presence is their power. In the store, walking out feels harder. Has a dealer ever refused to give you a price? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

Former dealer Tomi Mikula: 85% of buyers say no in the finance office. Good finance managers get 80% to walk out saying yes. A bump quoted at $20 a month turns out to be $80. Did you read your contract line by line? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

Seth Godin (@thisissethsblog): everyday anxiety is experiencing failure in advance. Failure is real. Anxiety suffers through every version of it before it arrives. What failure are you rehearsing right now? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

An editor told @robertgreene he didn't have the talent. 60 jobs and a lot of awful bosses later, those bosses became the kings and princes in The 48 Laws of Power. Which bad boss taught you the most? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

Former dealer Tomi Mikula's MSRP rule of thumb: Raptor R, $10K to $20K over is a good deal. RAV4, never over. GX550, MSRP. Civic Type R, at or below. Would you pay over sticker for any car? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

Seth Godin (@thisissethsblog) made one rule in 1980: don't miss a deadline. Deadlines have the word dead in them. Don't go near the line. When did you last ask for an extension? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

A founder told @AlexHormozi his market was saturated. Revenue: $2 million. Industry: $60 billion. The real problem was solvable: he did not know how to get more customers. Full episode on Behind the Brand.