In the Loop with Andy Andrews

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on how I’ve learned more about the Seven Decisions since writing The Traveler’s Gift.   I am kind of shocked that, at some point, most of the stuff I talked about in the Seven Decisions seminars were things I learned after writing The Traveler’s Gift. At first I thought of the concept of the principles like a rock, but now I think of it more like an onion. You can know how to use a principle, and change the world with it! But there are other layers that can be peeled away to expose new potential. It’s not enough to know what works; you have to know why it works. When you know why a principle works as it does, you can use it in different areas of your life or business—even when they seem to have no connection to one another.   A hallmark of successful people is that they always want to be better. That’s a healthy attitude to have, toward one’s self and one’s work. When you want to increase your effectiveness, a lot of it has to do with your mentality. Take golf, for example. There is a certain amount of talent that a person has to have to be a successful golfer, but what sets those at the highest level of the sport apart is usually something mental.   I really believe that no matter where you find yourself in life, there is more. When I started doing the Seven Decisions seminars, it was a 3-hour event, and I was using that time to explain everything I knew. Now, I could do at least an hour and a half on each decision.   Tune in to the full episode to hear how Andy’s golf cart ride with a golfing legend further illustrated to him that mentality can be more powerful than experience or expertise.   Questions for Listeners Do you have a question? Call in 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 influence your level of belief.   I think everyone struggles with belief in themselves at one point or another; a strong belief is something you must constantly maintain. Having a great level of belief is so powerful. When you are working with belief, you will become so much more effective in whatever you are working on or struggling with.   You have to remember that every choice you’ll ever make is totally determined by what you think and how long you think about it. You direct your belief the same way you direct your thinking. It’s determined by what you watch, what you read, and the people you spend time with. Thinking logically to a wrong conclusion is something you can catch and overcome. Thinking logically to an incomplete conclusion is trickier: you’re getting results, but they’re not the best results and can keep you on the wrong path indefinitely.   Tune in to the full episode to hear how Andy kept up his level of belief while 51 publishers rejected The Traveler’s Gift.     Questions for Listeners Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show! Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com com/AndyAndrews Tcom/AndyAndrews

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on determining your kid count, and why you shouldn’t let fear be the deciding factor.   Some people grow up and they’re dying to have kids. Polly and I were not like that, and we got married kind of late. Several years went by where one of us would say, “Are we going to have kids?” and the other would say, “Yeah…sometime.” Polly finally said, “If we’re going to have kids, we need to have them now.” Austin was born when I was 40, and only then did we realize just how much we loved kids—and wanted to have more.   I think there are huge benefits to being older parents, but be careful about waiting too long. Especially don’t let finances dictate when you’ll have children. How many times do we hear people say, “We were dirt poor and didn’t really realize it until we looked back”? To become the adult you are, you had to go through some tough times. Isn’t it curious that oftentimes the one thing that made us who we are is the thing we try to keep our kids from going through?   Tune in to the full episode for more details about Andy’s own family’s beginnings, and to hear the question Andy asks troubled families that’s always a game-changer—even for the wealthy.   ALSO in this episode: A special announcement about several opportunities to hear Andy speak LIVE this summer!   Questions for Listeners Do you have a question? Call in 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 the boats I’ve had to burn in my life.   When I read about something that happened in history, I try to figure out how it applies to us today. I always loved the story of Cortez “burning the boats” because it’s relevant to almost everybody’s life. To inspire his men to conquer Mexico, Cortez ordered his boats to be burned so they had no choice but to fight and win. Everyone has either done it or will need to do it at some point. Sometimes we run into situations where it becomes necessary, and if we want to grow, we do it.   I never really paid attention to the things in life that I needed to get rid of until that story hit home. For me, there have been relationships or situations that have run their course, or relationships that did not need to continue past the moment of meeting the person. Usually it’s not that the person is bad. It’s just that I am very aware of certain things that I feel I am supposed to do with my life and must carry on accordingly. Some of the boats I’ve had to burn are simply conveniences, but it’s always done because of my purpose in life and who I want to become.   Henry Cloud has a book called Necessary Endings, and it is the doctoral thesis on burning the boats.   In the full episode, you’ll hear the details about some surprising boats Andy has had to burn, why he chose that strategy, and how it’s helped in his life’s continuing journey…   Questions for Listeners Do you have a question? Call in 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 have Austin back in the studio with us to talk about his business, Sporty Citrus. This business has taken off in a way that I don’t think we could have imagined a few years ago. It’s amazing what Austin is able to grow in pots—he grows grapefruit, satsumas, oranges, Meyer lemons, and a lot more. If Austin is running behind or has a really big job, I’ll help with the trimming or will drive him around. Apparently I don’t get paid very often, and I haven’t been able to get myself fired yet, but Austin really handles most of the work by himself. He started with a little trailer on his bicycle.   There was a point where Austin was hired to work on a property with 25 mature citrus trees. The entire property had not been touched in 15 years. We would go there every single week all summer for a couple hours. I knew it was worth the sweat when he would be working on the tree next to me and I realized it provided a wonderful opportunity just to think of new things to talk about with one another. That time with him was something special.   We also got to talk to Austin himself this week, about Sporty Citrus and a lot more. Here are a couple excerpts:   What’s been the coolest experience that’s come out of Sporty Citrus? Coming up, I’m going to get to speak at the Business Council of Alabama.   Is there any pressure on you because your dad is an author and people are seeking out his advice on what to do with their kids? I wouldn’t say it’s weird, but it’s definitely something I keep in mind…and I’m cautious.   In the full episode, you’ll hear how Andy’s wife, Polly, took advantage of a prime teaching moment when the boys began a silly argument about a chore…   Questions for Listeners Do you have a question? Call in 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

Several weeks ago, we mentioned SportyCitrus.com and the response was overwhelming. We brought Andy’s son, Austin, into the studio today to answer questions about how he started his company and what he is working toward for its future. Here are some excerpts...   How did this business start? Sporty Citrus began after a hurricane blew away our house and all our trees when I was young. We wanted to replant trees that actually did something useful, so we planted a couple citrus trees. I really liked taking care of our trees, and as I learned more, I started taking care of other people’s trees.   How did you come up with the idea to help other people with their trees? Originally, the plan was to just help people in my neighborhood. The neighbors’ trees were not producing fruit and the trees wouldn’t grow.   What is the difference between you and a landscaper? A landscaper sees something wrong with a tree and will treat every problem the same. That’s fine for making it look good, but that is not what you need to do to make it produce fruit.   Where did the name come from? I grew up playing sports, and the word “sporty” just kind of stuck.   In the full episode, you’ll discover how Austin got his first customers for his business.   ************** This from Andy:   Austin is a perfect example of someone who has found a passion, pursued that passion, and found a revenue stream for it.   I think Austin really got the idea that he could do something like this when I was writing The Noticer Returns. Jones is dealing with some people having a hard time finding jobs, and he recommends starting a business out of a sincere pas- sion. I think the first thing Austin said to me about his business idea was, “I think I know something I want to do that would be valuable to other people.”   There is a special deal going on between now and May 31. You can get Austin’s Personalized Pot Plan for $24.50—that’s half-off—until May 31. All you have to do is put “In the Loop” in the subject line of an email and send it to Austin@SportyCitrus.com.   More information on Sporty Citrus’ Personalized Pot Plan can be found at ? http://www.sportycitrus.com/pricing.   I work with Austin sometimes. He doesn’t pay me and I can’t get him to fire me! Join us next week, when we’ll have Austin with us again and you can hear more about my side career working for my son.    Questions for Listeners Do you have a question? Call in 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 talk about how parents can train their kids to tell good stories in a conversational setting.   The most important thing when telling a story is to be interesting. Don’t be boring! Make sure that you speak correctly. The way someone talks can get in the way of a listener’s mental process when having a conversation.   Around our house, people get points for being clever or witty. We read witty things, and when somebody discovers something clever, we share it with one another. Figuring out good questions to pose is essential. If you want to raise children who can hold an interesting conversation, they must have good questions at the ready.   You cannot get away with not knowing how to communicate effectively and be a functioning adult in society today. You and I know a ton of people who inadvertently go through their lives expecting the worst to happen. I want our boys walking through life appreciating the humorous and clever things. A common question in our house is, “What was the funniest thing that happened at school today?” In the end, it’s all about creating memories.   In the full episode, I discuss what to do if your teenager doesn’t talk to you.   Questions for Listeners Do you have a question? Call in 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 asking if the teen years are too late to get kids to start reading.   I am dealing with this every day with adults. I was 23 when Jones found me under the pier and gave me biographies. Nobody ever told me, “Let me tell you why you want to read this.” We’ve all heard that experience is the best teacher, but I think somebody else’s experience is the best teacher. This is why reading biographies is so important.   While living under the pier, I went through periods of fear and periods of boredom. Jones told me that the books weren’t biographies but rather tales of romance, mystery, and adventure. I grew up hating history, but it’s a passion of mine now. I believe that sometimes people do not think things through to their foundation; many have surface-level thoughts about what they do and don’t like.   It’s amazing to me how many people will say, “Well, I don’t like to read.” You mean you’ve never read something that made you laugh out loud, or cry? I’ll ask just a couple questions, and it turns out that there is something they’ve read, whether it’s a magazine, newspaper, etc., that deeply affected them somehow. So what you’re telling me is that the other books you’ve picked up are boring! Find something you like to read! Whatever your interest is—whether you’re a teen or a retiree—many have probably written about it, and someone has probably written about it well. Regardless of their age, find your children a book or article they’re interested in, and they’ll want to read it.   In the full episode, I reveal the trick I use to get my kids to read whatever I want them to read.   Questions for Listeners Do you have a question? Call in 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 get your kids to take your advice.   Kids tend to listen to somebody else before they listen to their parents. There are tons of adults who have quit learning and thinking years ago. If you want your kids to listen, you better make sure you are a person worth listening to. If we want kids to be open to our advice and seek wise counsel, we must be wise counsel. Wise counsel includes the timing of when you say things and how you say them.   I am a friend to my boys, but I am also their parent. Be friends to have tons of conversations. Talk about what they want to talk about. We want them to have the opportunity to teach us.   I’m not a fly fisherman, but I have a son who is really interested in it. When he shows me something, I ask how he does it or where he learned it, and all of a sudden he is giving me a lesson. A great majority of parents spend most of their time disciplining or warning their children, and kids get tired of it.   One of the worst things you can do in marketing is to market all the time. Your product may be valuable, but people will avoid you if they feel bombarded. One of the best things you can do is to give value and help with something unrelated. You can then mention what you’re selling every now and then, and it doesn’t make people want to avoid talking to you. This concept can and should be applied to parenting as well!   Questions for Listeners Do you have a question? Call in 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 talk about the business that my son, Austin, started based on lessons he learned in the garden.    I often ask people what they would do with their lives if money were no object, and then what value that activity has for other people. These are the kinds of things that Austin, my oldest son, has heard me talk about at the house over the years. Around 10 years ago a hurricane wiped out all the trees at our house. Austin was just a little boy then, but when we were figuring out what we were going to do, he said, “Plant trees that will do Like orange trees.” He was 13 years old when he came to me with the idea of helping other people grow their own citrus trees.   One of the most important lessons people who want to make money need to learn is that they must adopt the mindset of wanting to solve some kind of problem. Austin told me, “Most landscapers treat citrus trees like any other tree and that’s why they don’t have fruit.” A woman from Dallas, TX, contacted Austin because she wanted to grow citrus trees where she lived. This request prompted Austin to devise a plan for growing citrus trees in pots so they can be taken in during the winter. The word about Austin’s activities eventually got out, and before long, he was asked to talk about citrus production with the local garden club, and then the Orange Beach City Council. This resulted in the mayor himself recruiting Austin to maintain the city’s various citrus trees, making him the youngest contractor in the history of the city! The local newspaper put him on the front page, touting that finally someone was “bringing the oranges back to Orange Beach.”   In honor of Austin’s company’s recent success, we’re offering listeners of In The Loop HALF off the regular price of a custom citrus tree maintenance plan until May 31st. No matter where you live—Minnesota…Maine…Manitoba—you can grow your own citrus tree at home…in a pot! Want a great Mother’s Day gift? A fun and unusual family project? Do you like fresh navel oranges, Meyer lemons, or Ruby Red grapefruit? For just $24.50, Austin will customize a step-by-step plan that includes photographs detailing exactly how you can produce the citrus fruit you want by growing citrus trees in pots! Simply email Austin@SportyCitrus.com and tell him where you live and what kind of citrus you’d like to grow. Be sure to put “In The Loop” in the subject line and Austin will get back to you shortly! Questions for Listeners Do you have a question? Call in 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 about balancing the items in your life and how to know when you’ve taken on too much.   Before we get into this week’s episode I wanted to say a few things about my new children’s’ book Henry Hodges Needs a Friend. I’m excited about this book because it’s my first rhyming book. The artist Colleen Madden did such a fantastic job the illustrations. I’m also excited because I finally got dedicate a book to a lady who has been so important to our family.   I don’t think there is anyone who has accomplished anything great that didn’t feel like they’ve taken on a little too much. I don’t know anybody who has accomplished anything great that sleeps 7-9 hours a night consistently. Sometimes we need to catch up, but we can go for periods of time “running and gunning.”   When you find yourself dropping the ball on things you’re committed to, then you may be taking on too much. I think you can balance more things in your life more than you think you can, but you do have to place barriers around your important goals and principles. It’s inevitable that as you get busier there will be people who do not understand why you don’t live your life like you did in junior high school.   Questions for Listeners Do you have a question? Call in 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 handle the pressure of people watching and looking up to you.   People watching you and looking up to you are two different things. When it comes to people looking up to me, I don’t think about that at all. While I know it’s probably true, everybody has people who are looking up to them. I think the people that become hyperaware that people are looking up to them somehow become people we don’t want to look up to.   I talk to a lot of leaders about the fact that people are watching. This can affect your income if you do not remain aware that people are watching. I knew that I was getting a handle on that in my own life when people would comment on my personality. I always want to be happy, fun, and approachable. If I don’t watch myself, I can get very direct and intense. People tend to take a glimpse as the whole deal.   What do I do to keep my batteries charged? I read. I make sure that I have time around people that I am totally relaxed with, who will joke around with me. I have to have time by myself.   Questions for Listeners Do you have a question? Call in 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 sit down again with Jerry Jenkins to talk about and the surprising backstory behind New York­ Times Bestseller, The Matheny Manifesto.   Baseball is my favorite sport probably because I wanted to be a baseball player. One of my earliest breaks in writing was when my boss came into my office and said, “Would you want to help write a biography with Hank Aaron? I don’t really know that much about football...” People hear that I’ve written for Nolan Ryan, Walter Payton, Joe Gibbs, and Mike Singletary, but Mike Matheny is as classy a guy as I’ve ever worked with.   Mike was asked by some parents to coach a little league team. He wrote a letter to the parents, telling them that if he was going to coach the team, they needed to back off during games. In it, he wrote that “the biggest problem with youth sports today is the parents.” The letter ended up going viral and posted in locker rooms around the country. People referred to it as The Matheny Manifesto.   In the book, Mike tells this story about getting hit in the face with a 95 mile per hour fastball. He lost 8 teeth and didn’t even fall down. When he came back from the hospital he said, “I want to play tomorrow night.” Now when his players want out of a game they say, “Are you going to tell him you have an ‘owie?’ ”   There are plenty of other amazing stories in The Matheny Manifesto.   If you want to become a writer, Jerry’s blog is must read material. He teaches writers the little-known secrets behind writing an amazing book and getting it published. Click here to get Jerry’s top 5 most crucial writing tips for free.   Questions for Listeners Do you have a question? Call in 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’re honored to have special guest Jerry Jenkins with us to share his proven writing process.   Give us a snapshot of your journey that got you into writing. I played on a state championship little league team. I was hurt my freshman year in high school playing football and decided to be a sports writer so I could stay close to the games. We’re a bad example to great writers because we can’t identify the different parts of a sentence but composition was something that came so natural.   Did you go to college to write? My first year of college was at Moody Bible Institute. I wanted to go to journalism school, but by the time I was 19 I was a sports editor of a local paper and never did finish college. I felt a call as a teenage to full time ministry. I thought I would have to give up my writing to full-time ministry. Someone counseled me and said, “God sometimes equips us before he calls us. Don’t assume you have to give up writing. It may be the vehicle that you use to fulfill your call.” I looked for work in Christian journalism, and that really put me on the path that I am now.   Do you feel like writing is a discipline? I see people year after year that say they’ll write a book when they have the time or feel inspired. I keep a sign in my drawer that says, “The only way to write is with seat in chair.” Sit in the chair, look at the screen and do something. When I go to my writing cave, the work I do before noon is the best work I do. The first thing I do is a heavy edit of the work I did the day before. That catapults me into the writing I need to get done that day. When I finish the book, I’ll go back and start from the beginning with a heavy edit.   I have a phrase I use almost every time I teach: “Writers are readers. Great writers are great readers.”   If you want to become a writer, Jerry’s blog is must-read material. He teaches writers the little-known secrets behind writing an amazing book and getting it published.   Click here to get Jerry’s top 5 most crucial writing tips for FREE.   Questions for Listeners Do you have a question? Call in 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 get your kids to read.   It’s extremely important that you get your child to read. I understand when people say they don’t like to read. I’m more of an outdoor kind of guy so I have to make myself read.   When we look at the massive benefits of reading, then it doesn’t really matter whether you like to read or not. The statistics about reading show that people who read make more money, have a lower divorce rate, have fewer problems with their children, and get many more benefits. I want my kids to read because I know what reading does. Do we always want to read? Not necessarily, but we do want to make a better living for our families. We do want to be more valuable in our careers. If there’s something you want to learn how to do, you can learn exactly how the best people in the world have done it by reading their books.   If you think a certain book is critical for your child to read and it can’t wait…pay them. Have them give you an oral or written report. Make it worth their while and worth your while.   Questions for Listeners Do you have a question? Call in 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