In the Loop with Andy Andrews

This week, I answer a listener’s question on what they should say to their nephew who has been in prison for a decade. Most people in prison think so much about getting out, they don’t know what to do when they finally are. • This leads to a huge amount of people who end up back in prison. • You can help them plan how they will achieve the life they want. • Let them know the opportunity they have to plan now, before they come back into society. Offer to be their life coach. • Let them know you’re willing to help, but they have to want to improve. • They designed their life in a way that made them end up in prison, so they need guidance. • Urge them to change their mindset and send them impactful books to read. Let them know many people have successfully traveled the path that lies before them. • Tell them you see great hope in their future. • Starting from ground zero isn’t easy, but it can be done. Tune in to hear the three books Andy recommends sending to someone in prison.    You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details.  Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show! Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com Facebook.com/AndyAndrews Twitter.com/AndyAndrews Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor

In this episode, I answer a listener’s question on working with people on tenure who no longer do a good job. For the future of our country, we have to convince people there’s no free lunch. • Imagine if everyone had a checkmark beside their name so they couldn’t be fired—regardless of their performance. • Some people feel like they shouldn’t have to prove themselves year in and year out, but that’s what everyone else has to do. • While job security and comfort are nice, pressure is where we do our best. Focus on becoming friends with these coworkers so you have a chance to have an impact on their life. • There are two things that make people change: what’s in it for them and proof beyond a reasonable doubt. • Figure out what they want out of life by having conversations with them. • Once you know what they want, recommend resources that can help them see proof that getting where they want to be requires change. Tune in to hear about a crazy conversation Andy had about tenure with someone in the airport.    You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details.  Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show! Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com Facebook.com/AndyAndrews Twitter.com/AndyAndrews Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor

In this episode, our special guest, Cindy Monroe, reveals the secrets behind her massive entrepreneurial success. Cindy came up with her idea 13 years ago in Hixson, TN. • She saw boutiques popping up all over her town, but noticed they all closed at 6pm—right when women got off work. • She decided to create 31 Gifts, a direct sales company that sells handbags, jewelry, and other gifts for women. She grew her company and built raving fans by communicating her core values. • She wanted to help her family and other families achieve financial freedom. • 31 Gifts helps reverse the effect of the confidence crisis most women experience by showing them their true worth and value. • Cindy gives her sales consultants 25% or greater commission to help their families achieve financial freedom. • Her company takes giving seriously and donates hundreds of millions of dollars to charitable organizations. Cindy did all of this while having a family. • She focused on faith, family, and 31 Gifts—she said no to anything else that fell outside of those 3 buckets. • She communicated her expectations so everyone was on the same page. • Everything and everyone she worked with went on her calendar so everyone knew they were important. Tune in to hear Cindy’s advice for struggling entrepreneurs and click here to check out Thirty One Gifts.    You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details.  Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show! Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com Facebook.com/AndyAndrews Twitter.com/AndyAndrews Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor

In this episode, we discuss the best way to deal with people who are bitter. It’s important to understand the difference between a choice and a mistake. • A mistake is something like turning right at a stop sign when you were supposed to turn left, causing you to arrive late to a meeting. You can apologize for this. • A choice is something that was deliberately done, knowing it was wrong. You can’t apologize for this—you can only ask for forgiveness. After doing all you can do, the best way to deal with a bitter person is to ignore or avoid them. • If you humble yourself and express remorse when asking for forgiveness, you’ve really done all you can do. • We can only control ourselves (how we react to bitterness and how we forgive others). If you are the person holding the grudge, being bitter will only hurt you. • People can sense bitterness in others. • Holding a grudge makes you less effective in business. • If you don’t learn to forgive, your bitterness will last forever. Tune in to hear how Andy’s book, The Heart Mender, restored the relationship between a father and son who were estranged for 11 years.    You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details.  Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show! Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com Facebook.com/AndyAndrews Twitter.com/AndyAndrews Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor

In this episode, I give advice to a listener who has a business meeting with a big-time buyer. Most people approach this situation by preparing to talk about themselves or their product. • Whoever you are meeting with already knows a lot about you or your product—otherwise you wouldn’t be meeting with them in the first place. • The person you are meeting with likely has 10 other meetings with people like you every week. People say yes to their friends. • You need to prepare for big meetings by looking for places you can connect with the person you are meeting. • Prepare by spending some time looking them up on Facebook or LinkedIn. • You want to show how you can provide them with value. Tune in to hear how Andy found 3 pages of information on someone his friend was meeting with in 24 minutes.    You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details.  Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show! Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com Facebook.com/AndyAndrews Twitter.com/AndyAndrews Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor

In this episode, we discuss when to challenge conventional wisdom and why it’s not always correct.   Be careful believing something just because it’s said a lot. There is never really a time where you don’t want to challenge conventional wisdom, especially if it has been around a long time.   There are several examples of conventional wisdom being incorrect. A popular belief is that someone will forget what you said and did, but will never forget how you made them feel. This isn’t true—people WILL remember because it was your actions that caused them to feel that way. An influential figure in academia said the #1 thing a teacher needs to do is have passion for their subject and convey that passion to their students. This also isn’t true—is it not more important for them to be teaching correct information? A Miss America winner once spoke on a presidential election by saying the candidates should be focused on compromise. The problem is, you can only compromise on opinions—you can’t compromise on principles or facts.   Tune in to hear breaking news about Andy’s latest project.    You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details.  Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show! Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com Facebook.com/AndyAndrews Twitter.com/AndyAndrews Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor  

On this week's episode, we discuss how to ask for a raise the right way and whether you should use another job opportunity as leverage. Most people ask for a raise because they’ve been at the company for a long time. • This isn’t why you want to ask—it can make everyone uncomfortable. If you plan on using another job opportunity as leverage, you need to decide if it’s a real or potential opportunity—there is a huge difference. • Using a potential job offer as leverage has a lot of “pot holes” that come with it, because it’s not yet an actual opportunity. • You need to be careful not to make your employer feel backed into a corner. The best way to ask for a raise is to ask how you can increase your value as an employee. • Let your employer know why you want a raise (like because you want to increase opportunities for your family), but keep that part short. • You can never go wrong by showing gratitude to your employer during this process. • If your employer tells you there is no way to increase your value in the company, you should probably look closer at the other opportunity. Tune in to hear exactly how Andy would go about starting the often-intimidating conversation of asking for a raise. Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show! • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

On this week’s episode, we discuss how to overcome obstacles, make your own history, and leave behind a legacy of your own choosing. George Washington Carver accomplished an unbelievable amount during his lifetime—while living in one of the hardest times in history for African-Americans. • He discovered 266 uses for the peanut that we still use today, even though he was born into slavery. • Congress asked him to appear before them to discuss his work with peanuts—which was unheard of for an African-American during that time. • He did everything in his life on purpose and with intention (which is one reason he accomplished so much). Tune in to hear how a shirt Andy was wearing started this conversation on making the history you want to be remembered for. Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show! • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

On this week’s episode, we discuss how to vote even when you don’t like either of the candidates.   This election is not about who you will see on TV—it’s about the Supreme Court. The next president, without a doubt, will choose at least 2 (if not 5) Supreme Court Justices because of the ages of these people. How do you feel about abortion or guns? Your stance should decide how you vote. It doesn’t really matter what the candidates say about immigration or taxes because they can’t do that much without the consent of the governed   Voting for the “lesser of two evils” or not voting at all are both bad options. If you use either of these two as excuses, all you’re telling me is you haven’t really thought this through. Everyone has lied and done things they regret, but it doesn’t mean they are evil. Each candidate could lie, but you have to look at who they are surrounding themselves with and make a choice.   Regardless what side you are on, we all really want the same things. We all want the best, but without the truth, we will never have it. Our search should be more for the truth than the best. Sometimes the truth hurts, but it’s still the truth.   Tune in to hear the reasons why Andy believes everyone MUST vote.   Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show! Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com Facebook.com/AndyAndrews Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

  On this week’s episode, we discuss the proper way to deal with employees who bad-mouth a client and why it’s so important to do it quickly.   SO much time and money is lost by people who are too patient with bad apples. Bad apples don’t become good just because they rub up against good ones—just the opposite is true. The client (or customer) is the #1 priority—there is no excuse for employees who complain about, are annoyed with, or bad-mouth them. If it were me, I’d get rid of the bad apples as fast as possible, because this is a nonnegotiable.   You can use these bad apples as a teaching moment for the rest of your team. You can never show enough gratefulness to your client. I would get everyone together and say, “You may have noticed we are down two people, and here’s why…” If you are in a service-oriented industry, bad apples can be the death of you.    Tune in to hear exactly how Andy says he would handle a situation where 2 employees bad-mouthed a client.   Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show! Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com com/AndyAndrews com/AndyAndrews

On this week's episode, I discuss the importance of the type of things we "feed" our mind.   What we listen to and watch could potentially be damaging. If something is going to be in your mind anyway, why not choose what goes in? Some people don't want to learn—they just want to know what they already know.   If life was a stream, you could go upstream, downstream, or tread water. If you aren't going upstream, you actually are going downstream (whether you are aware of it or not). We want to be the kind of people that other people can learn from, but we can only be that if we are in a state of learning. People who have influence have something other people want.   Tune in to hear how a friend of Andy's started controlling what goes into her mind and the impact it has had on her. Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show! Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com Facebook.com/AndyAndrews Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on how to be successful in sales situations.   I want to go to ground-zero with you. If you’re in sales, you have been told by your sales manager that if you build a relationship, you will make a sale. You know it’s true, but you should ask yourself why it’s true. If you build a relationship with someone and they become your best friend, not only are they never going to do business with anybody else, they’re going to talk about you in glowing terms and bulldoze people in your path.   Customer satisfaction is a great concept, but I’m always blown away by companies that build their entire advertising campaigns on this. The truth is that customer satisfaction is the lowest bar that you can possibly hit and stay in business. What you want is a raving fan. Raving fans do not happen because of price and product. They happen because there is a relationship.   Whatever industry you’re in, the real product is you. It is important to get your eyes off yourself and become someone that others want to be around. People want to talk about themselves and they’re dying for somebody who will listen.   Questions for Andy Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show! Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com Facebook.com/AndyAndrews Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

On this week’s episode, a long time listener asks for my thoughts on giving kids an allowance. It is VERY important to give your children a great foundation in finances. • Most people that I see (but not everyone) give their kids a regular allowance because they are a kid and that’s just what kids get. • Some people say that an allowance is for doing chores, but my thought is that my kids are going to do chores because they get to live here. That’s just part of being a member of the family. What did parents of “The Greatest Generation” do to get their children to sacrifice, produce, and become more? • By what standards did they raise an entire generation of kids, that 70 years later we still look back and say, “That’s the best we ever were”? • “The Greatest Generation” had to get up before daylight and go milk the cows, feed the animals, or deliver papers, because families struggled to make ends meet. • Kids back then earned their way into adulthood and what they saw in adults was something they wanted to grow into. You’re not trying to raise great kids; you’re trying to raise kids who become great adults. • We all know people who had great kids, but then they turned 18 and something happened. • Now, there is a society of people who aspire to go backwards and become kids again, rather than aspire to become adults. Tune in to hear the impactful story of Ty, the son of Joe Bullard (the owner of Joe Bullard Automotive), and how he worked his way up in his family’s business the hard way. Questions for Andy Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show! Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com com/AndyAndrews Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question regarding the infamous dead-end job and whether or not it is worth it to take a pay cut for a “white-collar” job.   Times have changed, but people are still stuck in the old way of thinking. Decades of old thinking has made people think they are worth way less than they actually are. People still aspire to have a college education and a desk job, even if it doesn’t turn out to be as profitable as other alternatives. If money wasn’t an object, what would you get up and do every day? Work a job that aligns with your answer to that question.   There is no such thing as a dead-end job. There are so many options and choices out there for you to do if you simply give value to other people. Look at that awesome passion that you love doing and think about what kind of value you can bring to other people with it. When you start creating value for others with your passion, there will be so much demand that you will have to start charging for it.   Tune in to hear how a “blue-collar” worker went against the grain and ended up owning Tucker ATV, the dealership where Andy got his Polaris Ranger Crew.   Questions for Andy Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show! Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com com/AndyAndrews com/AndyAndrews

On this week’s episode, a recently retired teacher and principal asks what to do when you’ve lost your purpose. She spends time with her kids and grandchildren, but after 45 years in education no longer feels needed.   By understanding the butterfly effect, you could make a case that an afternoon with a grandchild could make as much difference long-term as an hour with a stadium full of people. Time spent with a grandchild is precious—not just for them, but for all of us. You are shaping the world we all live in.   Create some kind of ministry or business based on passing along the wisdom you’ve accrued. You may find you have much more purpose now because you’re at a point where you have the experience to lay things out. As you lay out what you think people ought to do, fully explain why that is so. Prove it beyond a reasonable doubt. So many people forget that some of the greatest businesses and ministries took years and years of preparations before they could make an impact.   If there was no more purpose for you to be here, you wouldn’t be breathing. You may not know what your purpose is right now, but you need to look very closely at your circumstances and get to work going after it. The very fact you’re still here tells me you have not fulfilled your purpose—the most important part of your life is still ahead of you.   Tune in to hear Andy’s best advice for harnessing the hard-earned knowledge you’ve won and getting it out to the most people possible.   Questions for Andy Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show! Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com Facebook.com/AndyAndrews Twitter.com/AndyAndrews