Want to Succeed in Business? Learn How to Steal

The first time I stole something was at the Denver Airport. 

I think I was 10. 

I was in a tiny convenience/magazine store, and there was a nice, wood-accented lighter (terrible design idea, I know, don't ask). 

And I wanted it. Really badly. 

(Oh, and I was also a pyromaniac and I loved, loved, loved lighting things on fire. More on that never.) 

I didn't have any money at the time. I was just a dumb little kid.

So I stole it. 

I peered around the store, ensuring that nobody was looking, held it up to pretend like I was looking at it, shoved it in my pocket, continued surfing around the store in order to minimize suspicion. 

And then I wandered out of the store.

Nobody came after me. 

My pulse was racing, but mostly because it was exciting. 

I love stealing things.

I still do it, to this day.

It's incredibly rewarding, and it'll make you a better business-person.

Steal Like a Business Professional

“Don’t just steal the style, steal the thinking behind the style. You don’t want to look like your heroes, you want to see like your heroes."  

- Austin Kleon, Steal Like an Artist -

My professional career has been a long-series of hits and misses (mostly misses) and lots of sadness and anxiety and asking myself what the hell am I doing here?! but it's also been a string of incredibly satisfying hits and the rewards, especially in recent years, have been innumerable. 

And I can attribute that all to one thing: my unabashed stealing of everything from good ideas, writing styles and concepts, to complete personalities. 

I'm like a chameleon. 

My friends and acquaintances call me the Carlos Mencia of stealing business-stuff. 

And it's worked out fantastically. A few of the things I've stolen include but are not limited to:

1. My writing style: stolen right out from under the nose of James Altucher. I’m a huge fan of his work, so I just stole his writing style, adjusted it a little bit to fit my life and occasionally give him credit but mostly not. And people say I write like him, too. Don’t believe me? See attached screenshot. 
   
2. My (sometimes) affable personality: again, basically ripped off from a huge influence in my life, Dave Kerpen. Even down to the very notion of writing thank you cards. Something that’s been incredibly rewarding, in business and in personal relationships. But mostly because it makes me feel good. 
3. My curiosity: in college, I basically gave a shit about nothing. Curiosity? Zilch. Nada. In the years since, that’s changed quite drastically. I read a lot. I listen to podcasts regularly. I create a Meetup when it doesn't exist. Oh, and I stole that curiosity, too, from Tim Healy. He has a phrase, "Always Be Curious." Thanks Tim! I will. 
4. My networking skills: In the past few months, I’ve been tasked with: running a few Meetup groups (with varying levels of success); putting together an event for upwards of 200+ marketing professionals in the Denver area; and launching a podcast, among other things. All of those things, on some level, require serious networking (and asking people and blah blah blah). I F**KING LOATHE NETWORKING. The thought of it makes me want to vomit on my shoes. But I’ve learned to be okay with it. Oh, and I stole that from another one of my friends, too: Matt "Handshakin" Holmes.
5. My empathy: I’ll attribute this to nurture, too. I’ve learned, over the years, the importance of not being an asshole, not being too proud, going out of your way to help others, etc. And I stole all of those things from one of my favorite people of all-time: my mom.  

But stealing is important. As Austin Kleon writes, simply stealing the end-product of what somebody does -- writing thank you's, networking or their curiosity, for example -- is practically worthless if you don't get into the mindset of why they do it. 

For example: Dave Kerpen writes thank you's not merely because of the intrinsic value it has for his business and his relationships, but because it makes him feel good. (And he talks about that on my podcast here.) 

Tim Healy isn't insatiably curious merely because it helps him close sales, but because he wants to help people grow their business, and those questions help him figure out how to do so. 

Matt Holmes doesn't network merely because it helps him build successful businesses and get shit done, but because he knows the profound impact that networking has had on his life, and wants to teach those skills to other people.

It just so happens that, the end result of most of these actions is that: people will like you more; they'll be more likely to buy your product; and, they'll probably be more likely to help you (or to go out of their way to help you build your network).

So, when you steal something: from a friend, acquaintance or mentor, steal the thinking behind their actions, too.  

Oh, and say thank you. 

Oh, and one more thing newsletter - Steal This Newsletter - is out. Now. Immediately. 

There, I'll share weekly business insights, observations and musings, all stolen from people who are way smarter than me. No credit will be attributed. Sign-up for the newsletter here.