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Here's What I know

Two New Members of the Johns Creek Chamber of Commerce Share Their Wisdom

Pete Briggs, Entrepreneur/Consultant

America today is a culture of personality, instead of a culture of character. It's all about what you look like or who you can pretend to be, and not about personal honesty. What are your core values? What do you really believe in? Know that you command respect not by your job title or by telling everyone how great you are or by flaunting your money, but by acting with integrity: doing the right thing, even when nobody is watching. By actively listening to what the other person is saying, and not just waiting for them to stop talking so you can speak. By being man enough to say "I don't know" when you don't know something. By applying critical thinking and reason to problems, not emotion. By always learning. By finding your passion. The only person you have to be better than is who you were yesterday. Leave the showboating, gloating, and making fun of the other guy to the pretenders. That's not how real men behave. Coaches used to say, "when you score a touchdown, act like you've been there before." Do that and you'll be cooler than everybody else.

I volunteer with The Atlanta Food Bank, I do food sorts there. They have a great operation and provide an amazing amount of food to those who need it. Also, I work with Junior Achievement, I love introducing basic business concepts to school kids.

Gary Zermuehlan, Sandler Trainer and Coach

The number one ability to have in the business world is the ability to develop relationships. There is a lot of truth to the old phrase, “It is not what you know but who you know.” Everywhere you go and everything you do should involve making new connections. When you do connect, do more listening than talking.

It is important to have dreams and to pursue those dreams, but even more important to have goals that are measurable and achievable. Write those goals down and then be ambitious and driven toward them. Do this by your actions.  What you do on a daily and weekly basis is what will determine if you reach your goal. If you don’t do the actions you won’t achieve the goal.

Get out of your comfort zone as often as you can. Your comfort zone may be a beautiful place but nothing ever grows there. Try new things, keep developing yourself, welcome failure, and learn from those failures.

You have to give to get. Always be looking for ways to help others achieve their goals and dreams. Once their dreams come true, then and only then, will yours.

I am on the board for Volunteer with Youth Branding University. Youth Branding University's goal is to provide disadvantaged teens and adults the means to achieve the American Dream. We do this by believing in them, educating them, coaching them and giving them some of the basic necessary skills to reach their dreams. As of 2016, Youth Branding University has empowered over 16,000 youth, equipped over 900,000 adults, and served over 2,500 homeless individuals.

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