Mike McCann · Page 3

As a college athlete, I won a conference championship & was voted captain. Then, I helped build a multi-million dollar furniture company. Then, I chased a lifelong dream by writing & publishing a book (Believe EG21) about the incredible true story of the '05 CSU football team. I love to learn, teach, & question the status quo.

Analogies, Sales

Deliberately Sharpening Skills: 3 Ways To Find Sharks’ Teeth

I am infatuated with practice. Deliberately sharpening skills is an idea I’m comfortable with from extensive time playing and coaching football. I have seen how consistently honing skills can bring about improvement and, eventually, mastery. But not just idly practicing, or “going through the motions.” By challenging ones’ self with new exercises. By getting out of a comfortable place and into… Continue reading Deliberately Sharpening Skills: 3 Ways To Find Sharks’ Teeth

Craftsman Mindset, Discipline

Long Ball > Short Ball

Q: What do the Netflix, Uber, and heroin have in common? The first two cases are generally accepted as good things. The third is not… unless you’re a junkie. Most new technology, products (which, for this example, includes heroin), and services are aimed at giving us low-friction, instant gratification solutions – the answer to my question. For example, Netflix allows you to stream your… Continue reading Long Ball > Short Ball

Problem Solving

When Change Is Counterproductive: The Exception vs. The Rule

Teaching “The Close” Training sales people was one of the most rewarding parts of my job at the furniture company. Every six weeks (or so) I would receive a fresh batch of hires needing to learn how to sell furniture. If they didn’t sell, they didn’t earn a paycheck. Because of this unforgiving logic, I considered my time with them imperative.… Continue reading When Change Is Counterproductive: The Exception vs. The Rule

Customer Service

Using Pattern Recognition To Improve Customer Service

My trip to CLT from JAX started off typical: cramped, hot, and teetering on the brink of late. We boarded on time, but the plane was small. Everyone had seats, but there wasn’t ample space for luggage. No worries; I had a window seat and we’d be taking off shortly. The baggage, and people, found appropriate homes and we braced to push… Continue reading Using Pattern Recognition To Improve Customer Service

Craftsman Mindset, Discipline

Perfecting Your Craft When You’re Not Practicing Your Craft

“His eyes watered and his head ached like he’d been staring at a computer screen all day.” #padw — Mike McCann (@mikemccann3) April 13, 2016 I did it as an experiment. My schedule would soon change and I would have less time to focus on the things I wanted to work on. My attention would be drawn in many new… Continue reading Perfecting Your Craft When You’re Not Practicing Your Craft

Guest Post

Success In Spite Of Failure

People contact me regularly to guest post on the blog. Most of the time, this attempts are weak and irrelevant to what I share on the blog. However, this one stuck out. I discuss chasing your dreams, failure, and perseverance regularly. This infographic speaks directly to these topics and is a great reminder that no matter what failures you think you’ve… Continue reading Success In Spite Of Failure

Discipline, Self-Improvement

Unintentionally Practicing Stoicism (The Demise Of My Station Wagon)

I have to thank Tim Ferriss for getting me into this. He’s had me thinking about stoicism for months. It started when he recommended Ryan Holiday’s book, The Obstacle Is The Way, some time ago. During the book, Ryan mentioned Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations. After that, Tim began sharing Seneca’s letters via his podcast. I consumed all of it, but I didn’t feel a change. Some… Continue reading Unintentionally Practicing Stoicism (The Demise Of My Station Wagon)