some thoughts, feelings & emotions...

theBlueprint was founded by Ryan Javanbakht, and formulated in 2015 by a group of young, hungry professionals seeking greatness, success and mastery through the collaboration of thoughts, ideas, struggles, trials and wins!  We didn't create this because we had all the answers...but rather because we wanted to find all the answers.  We wanted to be better, faster, wealthier, smarter...and that's what we have become.  

As a team, disciplined with purpose and integrity, we traveled through our thoughts, our challenges and our wins to become better leaders, friends, and professionals.  Now, in 2017 we take this to the public!  All are welcome - all genders, all ages...we are here to share - to help people, help people.  

Ryan

Testimonial

"I participated in theBlueprint with Activator, Inc. last year and found it extremely valuable in helping me to not only recognize but hold myself accountable to my professional and personal goals as well as uncover growth opportunities that I didn't even know existed. What I found the most beneficial about theBlueprint was that it brought together successful business professionals from multiple industries and walks of life (Sales, Real Estate, Business Owners, Entrepreneurs, etc.). This allows for a fresh and diverse perspective on each of the exercises that we engaged in. Whether it is gaining multiple perspectives on a book we were evaluating or receiving advise on how to break through a work plateau, it promotes methods of thinking and problem solving that wouldn't otherwise be available to me. This past year has been one of the more successful and productive years in my life and I attribute a great amount of that to lessons that I have learned and put to action in discipline, accountability, and organization from Blueprint."   (Patrick S.)

the blueprint meeting Recaps, etc. 

Follow below, from present to past to see more about theBlueprint experience, topics, guests, etc.! 

TBD

The New Entrepreneurz Chapters 6-9

10/12/17

The new entrepreneurz Chapters 2-5

9/20/17

Recap of the Conference Call with The New Entrepreneurz Authors

Key points from the Q & A that stood out to the Activators...

QUESTION: What game do you think most are playing?

ANSWER: 

• People don’t realize that we are all playing a game
  • Must first understand what we mean by game…not all fun and easy.
  • It’s not that everything is a game…it is that there are components of games in all that we do.
    • School
    • Work
    • The people that have designed these games tell us what we ‘get’. 
• When you understand that you are playing a game…
  • You can decide if you want to play the game.
  • You can decide 

QUESTION: What are "Action Cards"? How are they different from asking for favors?

ANSWER: 

• Action cards start with YOUR OWN Value
  • Your gifts, talents, computer, skill, connection…ALL of it. 
    • All that I have to better access myself and help others.  
    • Not only what you own, but also what you have access to. 
      • The access is what people forget they have/own. 
      • Everything you have access to to promote yourself. 
  • This is your ability to SHARE
    • Thanks to my friend Lou, I heard a piece from Wayne Dyer...
      • We can’t give what we don’t have!  Love, tangerines, etc. 
• Asking a favor is asking for help, tied to ownership. 
  • We think we must own stuff to have value. 
• We get stuck on Action Cards, because we are stuck on “ownership”. 
  • Ownership is a waste of energy…thinking about things you have or don’t have. 
    • At FreshBiz, we don’t have/own offices…we run our business via laptops and smart phones, etc.  It is a smarter way to play business. 
    • The new shared-economy is much more powerful! 

QUESTION: What is "Win-to-the-Winth"? 

ANSWER: 

• 2 Major Elements
  • Create more opportunities, situations, communication, etc. 
  • Multidimensional Winning
    • What we know from Win-Win...
      • When we negotiate, we want You and I to win…but that’s not enough!  We want many others to win too! 
    • We can only, all win if we both win and the customer wins too!
      • The ability to allow for more to win. 
        • You, Me, Customers, Planet, etc. win. 
    • Ask yourself: How can I win in my life? …or win more? 

QUESTION: What does it mean to go "All In"?

ANSWER: 

• Unlock a certain belief!
• In every single aspect of our lives, we are going all in already!
  • Examples:
    • School for +17 years.
    • Driving in traffic…you trust everyone else to be safe.
    • Savings in the bank…we trust them to keep our $ safe. 
• In our head, we block off the knowledge that we are all in.  
  • Think about this - Put the O2 max on yourself before you help others. 
• Life is not Poker…
  • You can go all in, over and and over again. 
• Let’s consciously and mindfully go all in for ourselves!*
  • If we’re all in already...everywhere else, why not go all in for ourselves? 
  • We are not BLIND to this…be aware and go all in! 

QUESTION: Regarding your concept of competition, how do I win without being competitive?...it's in my nature want to win. 

ANSWER: 

• The notion of competition is based on the misunderstanding of how the game of economy works.
  • We’ve been miseducated on purpose by economy.

• This comes from the source of thinking things are limited. 
  • We don’t have to compete if we believe that we live in a place of abundance. 
  • There are WAY more people on earth than there were before.

• Competition if for amateurs! 
  • Apple and Steve Jobs example.

• ASK YOURSELF: 
  • How do I get so damn good at what I do, that there is no other choice so that they (customers, opposite sex, etc.) always choose me!
    • Forget competition, we will attract those that are like me, etc!

9/7/17

Meet The New Entrepreneurz Authors: Ronen Gafni and Simcha Gluck

What a treat?!  The Activators in theBlueprint had an amazing opportunity to meet the authors of The New Entrepreneurz in a One Hour Q & A Session.  Yep, that's right!  These guys made time on the other side of the country, dialing in from Israel to share their story and their mission with us.  Here are some questions that stood out most...  Want the answers, join theBlueprint! 

• What game are you (authors) playing?  Why? 
• What games are most others playing?  Why? 
• What are Action Cards? 
• What is Win-to-the-Winth Power? 
• How would you describe going "All In"? 
• Competition...how do I win without a competitive mindset?

8/2/17

The New Entrepreneurz Intro + Chapter 1

This was a great opportunity to dive into the book and really see what these authors Ronen and Simcha are all about...totally selfless guys, with a complete new mindset around business and lifestyle, whoa! 

Who are the new entrepreneurs?

Entrepreneurship is no longer just about business; it is the new mindset!  They are everyone!  

Don't read this book, live it.  This book is about transformation. Become multidimensional!

This is the beauty of being multidimensional - New Entrepreneurz celebrating all the different aspects of who they are.  Each dimension allows us to step proudly forward and find self-expression and joy when we play the games that we play.  Smartly.  If you love what you do and do what you love, that’s the best!  Who cares if others do more, bigger, louder, or differently?

You don't have to monetize everything in life for it to have value.  Play your own game your way. 

Playing the wrong game is in life is a waste of effort. This effort is time! 

6/21/17

exploration of a Kick-Ass Coach

Why do I need a business coach?  How do I find one that works? 

Guest Speaker: Mitch Simon

http://leadershipcoaching.consulting/

Key Benefits of Coaching

• Produce attainable goals!
• Set clear short and long-term goals
• Clarify, Focus
• Keeps you on Track!
• Accountability
• Sometimes more committed than you are!
• Offers an avenue for sound advice!
• Strategy
• Resources

Key products of coaching

• Long Term Excellence
• Self-generation
• Continuous Renewal and Refuel
• Self-correction
• Gap between what I want and what I got!

Primary Block

• The problem with human beings is that they think they have to believe everything they think.
• Your primary thought is that you have limitations, and you don’t know that this is really a thought.
• It is a coach’s primary task to figure out exactly what it is that YOU BELIEVE, and offer you an alternative that is actually real and freakin’ empowering.

Secondary Block

• Disconnected from what they CARE about
• It is the coach’s job to connect, and reconnect, and reconnect, and reconnect you to your strengths, your passion, and the difference and IMPACT you are here to make in the world.
• Make a breakthrough in seeing that your assessments are your assessments, and you will have a new relationship with your limiting beliefs. 

6/14/17

Recap & Review Webinar - Pre-Suasion with Dr. Robert Cialdini

6/7/17

Pre-Suasion with Dr. Robert Cialdini.  theBlueprint Conference Call. 

It's always incredible to share a conversation with key opinion and key thought leaders who genuinely care and enjoy sharing their message with folks like us Activators that are seeking greatness.  

"What is focal is causal."

Meeting and speaking with Dr. Cialdini was an absolute honor.  As a nerd who loves psychology, with my degree in this space - I love conversations around Dr. Cialdini's "Influence" topics.  His recent addition to the 6 Universal Truths of Influence: "UNITY", brings them all together in Pre-Suasion!

• Put people in a mindset that makes them sensitized in advance. 
• Bring what you want them to think about to the surface of their consciousness. 
• Unity lends itself to a group…people are much more likely to say yes, once you’ve brought them to consciousness.  
• Unity is like an accelerator of the other 6 influence items. (See below.) 

Check out this Facebook video for more info: https://www.facebook.com/robert.cialdini/videos/1517014644990897/

• Pre-Suasion is the process of moving people in our direction to get them to consent to our idea before they even encounter it. 
• Biggest barrier is getting people to pay attention to their message…even if they have a great message.  Must do something first…a psychological shoot to ensure the message is effective.  

• Feedback about an idea…
  • Usually we ask for an opinion…
    • Instead ask about their advice - this brings them together with us and we get a collaborative state of mind, which leads to more favorability toward our idea. 

5/3/17

Chapters 5-8: The school of greatness, lewis howes

• Life flows when you find a team to gel with. 
• Do the work, improve your attitude, hustle, and sharpen your skills so everyone else wants to make you a starter on their team! 
• People matter.  And you can't anything great on your own. 
• People don't care about how much you know until they know how much you care. 
• Relationships are the key to success, and it's time to start investing in yours. 

Master Your Body

Wow!  Our best collaboration yet!  Of course, we got hung up on "Mastering Your Body".  Great tips on how to achieve greatness from the inside-out.  Thank God we had champions like Justin Riley (CrossFit Gym owner and expert) on this webinar to navigate us through his helpful tips on diet, strength training and mindset.  Great insight from Patrick Strahl who introduced me to the 8fit App...great way to stay in shape with a quick, high intensity workout...even when traveling or chasing 3 year-old twins!  I was also honored to speak a bit on my go-to topic: SLEEP! 

“If the body the feeble, the mind will not be strong."

Thomas Jefferson

• Take ownership of your personal health. 
• What do you need to remove from your life to improve your lifestyle?! 
• Many people don't reach greatness because they don't take care of themselves.  
• We can't turn back time and start over, but we can determine how it ends. 
  • It is never too late to take the first step in the right direction. 
  • The past is irrelevant, all that matters is where you go now.

Practice Positive Habits

"We are what we repeatedly do.  

Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit." 

Aristotle

Habits of Highly Successful People

1. Maintain a todo list 
2. Wake up 3+ hours before work 
3. Listen to audiobooks during commuting
4. Network 5+ hours a week 
5. Read 30+ mins a day 
6. Exercise 4 days a week 
7. Eat minimal junk food 
8. Watch one hour or less of TV each day 
9. Teach good daily habits to their children 
10. Make their children volunteer 10 hours a month
11. Encourage their children to read 2 books a month
12. Write down their goals
13. Focus on accomplishing a specific goal
14. Believe in lifelong educational self-development
15. Believe good habits create opportunities
16. Believe bad habits have a negative impact

Habits of Lewis Howes

1. Wake up and say thank you for being alive another day. 
2. Make my bed
3. Meditate for 10 minutes
4. Drink a green juice at breakfast
5. Stretch and move my body
6. Have a high-intensity training workout
7. Eat organic, home-cooked meals
8. Watch very little TV
9. Focus on my goal and take action steps toward them
10. Network with a purpose to give to others
11. Acknowledge others and smile in every conversation
12. Express gratitude throughout the day and the last thing before bed
13. Work with a coach and mentors
14. Constantly learn new information and skills

Champions are not just born, they are made.

More Great Habits to Add to your Arsenal

• Be your word
• Focus on gratitude
• Have a morning ritual
• Let go of reaction
• Express your wants and needs
• Acknowledge others and yourself
• Be vulnerable

Build a winning team

Reminders from the great Coach Wooden: 

• You will never outperform your inner circle.
• If you want to achieve our success, improve your inner circle.
• You are the average of your 5 closest relationships. 

Exercise: Take Inventory of your Relationships

Ask yourself these four questions about your closest relationships: 

• Do I feel energized or stressed when I'm around or think about them? 
• Does this person inspire me or have a negative mindset around me? 
• Does this person pursue greatness in their life or get caught up as a victim in life? 
• Do they get excited about my success and want to see me succeed or do they complain about their own life when I share my successes? 

• Acknowledge and accept what you see. 
• Make friendly requests of those friends/colleagues/family members that are bringing negativity into your life. 
• Try to work things through together, but if not - drastic measures may need to be taken.

• Nothing is more important then your emotional well-being.
• If you must, have a “Clearing Conversation” with these negative people in your life. 

live a life of service

When you fully understand why giving is the key to life, then you make it part of your daily mission to serve others in whatever you do. 

• Don't look at this as an extra task you need to take on. If you do that, you missed the point. 
• Look at this as a part of who you are, who you become, and your way of being in every moment.
• Put on your own mask first! (Airline Analogy) 
  • Take care of yourself first. 
  • When you make sure your needs are met and you are full, then you'll have more energy to give to others. 
  • Go out and live a life of service!

• Greatness is a voluntary degree.  Its study is self administered and it’s never too late to start! 
• You get out of life what you put into it!  (Hmmm, that sounds familiar?!)

3/29/17

Chapters 1-4: The school of greatness, Lewis howes

Vision

So, I've been writing out my goals and reviewing them often for some time, but wow have I been missing out.  I have officially created and seen my vision.  Have you?  Find your vision, create a mission and keep that close to your heart as your guide with purpose.  The rest will happen if you stay the course.  

”Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities, they vary in their desires to reach their potential." 

John C Maxwell

Great lessons to remember when declaring your vision: 

• Lesson #1: Be Specific
• Lesson #2: Let Your Vision be Your Identity
• Lesson #3: Turn Your Vision Telescope Around 

Exercises

• Certificate of Achievement
• Perfect Day Itinerary
• Personal Principles Declaration 
• Personal Statement Plan 

Who am I?

What do I stand for?

What is my vision for myself, my family & the world? 

Turning Adversity into Advantage

"Greatness is what remains when talent is hit with adversity, and persists in the face of it."  Lewis Howes.   I totally agree.  It sucks, but often I realize that I only become better, stronger, smarter in the face of adversity.  Perhaps that because I'm stubborn, but it is what it is.  Now that I can acknowledge that, accept it and move through life - I can appreciate and embrace adversity because it will make me a better human. 

When adversity arises you have two choices:

1. Do nothing. Let things overwhelm you and fall victim to your circumstances.
2. Embrace the challenge and adversity, and make it part of your success story.

• Prepare for these moments because it's going to happen throughout your entire life. 
• Understand and appreciate adversity.
• When you do, you can overcome it with success.

"The impediment to action advances action..What stands in the way, becomes the way." Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius

There is one thing that all great men and women have in common:  Obstacles become fuel for that which was their ambition. 

Your perspective is your choice.  There is no good or bad, only our perceptions.

Look at adversity as the opportunity to move you toward your goal.  It is not the obstacle that keeps you from your goal.

What stands in the way becomes the way! 

One of the most important things you learn from the School of Greatness: 

• You can go as slow as you need to go, but you cannot stop.
• You can never drop out of giving your best in life.

Adversity happens in everyone's life.  Bend but don't break with your inner will. 

Cultivate a Champion's Mindset

“The most powerful work we can do it to develop strategies to uncover, re-design and reinvent our belief system. The only way you can be successful in life, business and relationships is to elevate who you are being.  If we keep repeating the same thing over and over we will keep getting the same results, insanity.”  Chris Lee

Visualization

• The purpose of visualization is to see the results you want to create before they happen. 
• Position your body with what you put you mind through ahead of time. 

• Visualization Process: 
  • Create a clear space with no distractions. 
  • In nature or in your bed, or in shower. 
  • Relax and be calm. 
  • Breathe relaxing breaths.  
  • Visualize what you want to be whole and complete. 
  • Dive into that it feels like, smells like, what you hear etc. 
  • How do you feel in that moment? 
  • Do this for five mins every day! 
  • Do this before every big moment in front of you!

Meditation

Ugh, something I need to take time to do!  I've recently tried the ap: Calm.  Check it out! 

• It is about clearing your mind of distractions, doubts, etc. 
• Do this in AM and PM 
• Live the day as a champion when you begin and end with meditation. 
• Breathe in joy and breathe out stress. 

• Jim Afermo - Sports Psychologist/Author 
  • Under perceived stress we tend to hold her breath, which causes muscle tension and high blood pressure.
  • Muscle tension is detrimental in professional athletes.
• 15 second centered reading process
• Breathe in through the nose for a count of five seconds
• Hold your breath for a count of 2 seconds
• Breathe out through the mouth for a count of eight seconds
• Pay attention to this, the breathing out could perhaps be the most important part, the relaxation part.

Mindfulness

• Start a gratitude journal. 
• Be aware of what is coming in and going out of your life. 
• Write down action items that you are committed to doing, to move those things that you are proud of forward.
• Next, write down all the things that you reacted to or that weren’t effective and failed to get you the results you wanted.  
• Look at what was missing from you in those moments: patients, love, connection. 
• What are you committed to doing and who are you committed to being in these moments of adversity?

Emotional Intelligence

• Be present and know thyself - be completely present so you can give your full self and emotion to the present.
• Be confident in who you are and believe in yourself.
• Emotional intelligence is the ability to maintain and regulate your emotional state and the emotions of others, and use that to make decisions and judgments on how you operate through life.
• Use feedback to understand how you are showing up to the world and to others.

Exercise

• Step 1 
  • List your five strengths and weaknesses

• Step 2 
  • Contact three people who will be brutally honest with you regarding your top five strengths and weaknesses. 
  • Put those lists side-by-side and see what they have in common. Or not.
  • Then, reinforce your strengths and work on your weaknesses.
  • How calibrated is your opinion of yourself?

Develop Hustle 

Sounds like a no-brainer, right?  How are you hustling?  Is that really fast enough?  How deep are you digging? 

“No one is going to hand me success.  

I must go out and get it myself.  

That’s why I’m here.  

To dominate.  

To conquer.  

Both the world and myself.” 

Davidian

The curse of David:  Working harder and smarter.

The best hustlers are all underdogs.

You will always be more productive when you are David, not Goliath.

You can never underestimate the power of hustle.

Fall in love with the art and pain of hustle.

Japanese Proverb

Vision without action is a dream. 

Action without vision is a nightmare.

You need both vision and action to achieve great things.

Vision guides you while action propels you. 

Most people settle for the dream, because it's easy.

Training and suffering, that is the hustle.

More thoughts on "the Hustle":

• What holds people/you back from hustling?
  • Are you afraid of other people seeing you stressed or suffer?
  • Do you fear success? 
  • Do you fear failure?
    • How do you step away from these fears and into action in your head?

• Ancient writer: True greatness is being great at little things, especially baby steps.
• Turn small things it's a big opportunities by flexing your hustle muscle.
• It's never too late to hustle toward your vision. 

Entrepreneurship is doing what, or living several years how most people won't, so you can live a life that in the future most people can't.

3/1/17

theBlueprint Discovers the Preface and Introduction to The School of Greatness...A Way of Life and Being. 

This was a great first webinar with the Activators in theBlueprint program.  We kicked off by reviewing the "WHY" behind what Activator, Inc. is and how it pertains to theBlueprint.  Next we dove into the Preface and Introduction of The School of Greatness.  We tore apart some of the great quotes and analyzed what they meant to us...some relatable and others not.  There is no RIGHT or WRONG in this search for greatness, people! 

Here's one the resonated.  What does this mean to you? 

“You were born with potential. 

You were born with goodness and trust.  

You were born with ideals and dreams.  

We are all made the same in this notion: 

You were born with wings. 

You are not meant for crawling, so don’t. 

You have wings. 

Learn to use them and fly.”

-Runi

Webinar Key Note emailed to the group and recorded audio/visual will be shared upon request. 

Action Items due before next webinar:

• Read Chapters 1-4. 
• Complete each exercise in every chapter.
• Find an Accountability Partner if you need help. 
• Be prepared to share your thoughts & ask questions.
• Share your thoughts on what stood out most from Lewis himself last week. 
• Post your pending questions on www.facebook.com/activatorinc. 
• theBlueprint webinar will be followed with an Accountability Plan...yes, you will have to work to become great! 

2/22/17

Meet lewis howes conference call

Wow!  This was a great opportunity to meet Lewis Howes himself before we launch into his book, The School of Greatness.  We were completely blown away with the answers to his questions.  A few that resinated most were the following...

Question:

When you are on your deathbed and everything you've created has disappeared, and you're sitting in front of your great grandchildren - what are the 3 great truths you would share? 

Answer: 

1. Dreams matter.  Without a dream, what’s the point?  Discover and follow your dreams! 

2. Always come from a place from win-win and abundance, and anything is possible.  But make anything possible for others too! 

3. For whatever reason we were put on this earth - we would not be here without the people that brought us here…across the world, and the universe is inside of.  How much can I give back to my world, my family?  We are here to serve the world, not to take and be ungrateful.  Without these things we would not be here.  Come from a place of gratitude!  

Question: 

In your book, you quote Chris Lee: “The most powerful work we can do it to develop strategies to uncover, re-design and reinvent our belief system. The only way you can be successful in life, business and relationships is to elevate who you are being. You bring that into what you were doing and that if that's what you have.  If we keep repeating the same thing over and over we will keep getting the same results, insanity.” 

How do you reinvent your belief system? 

Answer:

Proud to say Lewis said this was "one of the best/hardest questions I’ve ever been asked'!  Then he followed by saying I’m just not into or around negative thought.  I am always in a positive state. Travel to different cultures or communities.  Now I’m totally confident in who I am as a human being. Constantly push the envelope - he went to India to study meditation.  Find things that will elevate self, mind, etc. - question everything!  He loves interviewing thought leaders to learn more - they all have different beliefs and “ways”.  Don’t judge people for who they are.  Take on a new approach to life. Try something new every year to lean into the discomfort - who can I learn from. 

Wow!  Mind-blowing!  Can't wait to tour this book with my friends in theBlueprint. 

Ryan 

Action Items due before the next webinar:

• Get the book. 
• Read Preface.
• Read Introduction. 
• Be prepared to share your thoughts & ask questions.
• Share your thoughts on what stood out most from Lewis himself last week. 
• Post your pending questions on www.facebook.com/activatorinc. 
• theBlueprint webinar will be followed with an Accountability Plan...yes, you will have to work to become great! 

3/29/17

theBlueprint explores chapters 1-4 + Exercises in the School of Greatness

4/26/17

theBlueprint goes deeper into chapters 5-8 + Exercises and Conclusion 

We take our first, exciting step into 2017 as we dive into The School of Greatness with Lewis Howes!  And guess what?  We are bringing this thought-leader, author, professional athlete and more to you on our first webinar.  All it takes to meet Lewis is buy the book and login!  For those of you who have the guts and seek greatness - join me, Ryan Javanbakht on a tour through his book of stories and exercises that will challenge your being and push you into the discomfort you may not have experienced before.  I dare you.  

Launch with Lewis on February 22nd, 3:45pm PST.  Send me a copy of your receipt for purchase of his book and you are in! 

More to come.  The more you put it, the more you will get out.  Welcome to life.  Bring it.

Ryan