Set Higher Standards by YogiRavi

Rocky, an inspiring movie - but the story behind how Stallone got it made is even more inspiring!

The story behind Rocky is something that I first heard first hand from Tony Robbins, as part of a training he was conducting several years ago. The story was one of the most inspiring tales I’ve heard. I’m a big Rocky fan and had no idea that it was not only created by Stallone, but of the ridiculous courage (some may say massive obsession with a sprinkle of craziness) it took to stay true to his belief in his work and in his vision for how the movie could best be made.

The best revenge is massive success – Sylvester Stallone

Luckily, I’ve  found the story recorded in full on YouTube. I highly recommend listening. If you are going through a tough time. If you are having a challenge staying true to a vision you really believe in. If you are facing rejection in any part of your life. You must listen to this story. It might just make your day – it might just change your life.

Pandora Town Hall (photo courtesy of ashwinrao1)

Last week I went to a Pandora user talk at the Seattle Library. Pandora founder Time Westergren has been doing these since 2007 (I actually went to one of the first ones back then – check out my notes) and he’s done over 250 since. He shared some stats about the service, and spent most of the Q&A with the audience.

Pandora has almost gone out of business several times (first during the dot-com bust and then due to licensing litigation), but is now doing well in terms of user growth (unclear about profitability, but looks close to it). Their core asset is their music genome, where they hire trained musicians to laboriously score songs along 400 dimensions (takes 20-30mins per song!). This asset is then used to build custom “stations” and target on-air advertisements based on user feedback.

I’m amazed at how they’ve built such a passionate fan-base in short order (the talk was overflowing yesterday, and they are packed in every city). They have strong conversion/engagement on their website (1 in four songs are “thumbed up or down”) and great breadth across connected devices (Pandora is available across cars – through Ford Sync, radios, PCs, iPhones, TVs, etc.). Also, they are laser focused on simplicity. They have seen first-hand that adding features lowers overall site engagement. In fact, their lead designer used to make exhibits for a children’s museum ?, that’s how much they care about simple UI.

Tim’s personal story is also quite amazing. He spent 10 years touring the country as a struggling musician, and brought Pandora back from the brink on several occasions to make it what it is today, quite a household name. There is something to be said for endurance and sticking with something you truly believe in. Since some of you are probably Pandora fans (like me), wanted to pass along my notes from the town hall meeting:

• Launched Pandora 4 years ago as a streaming radio station, before that the Music Genome Project was active from 2000.
• $50m in revenue and pays $30m in royalties for music
• Almost went bust a few times! (dot com bust and then licensing litigation)
• 50M registered listeners
• 2M new users join the service every month
• 180 employees
• Genome started in 2000 – started online streaming in 2004
• Hires 20 musicians to classify songs along 400 attributes
• 5Billion thumbs so far, 1 out of 4 songs are thumbed!
• 750K songs in their genome adding 10k new songs a month
• Songs are played in 3-4 song sets within a given station
• 70% of artists not on major label – goal is to help the underdog
• Half of their music not on major label compared to 5% of radio being not on major label
• Big challenge is to not be too repetitive – that is their challenge
• Their lead designer’s previous job was to make exhibits for a children’s museum! They care that much about simple UI ?
• “Disocverometer” is one dial they think of adding (choose how much you want to hear new stuff vs stuff you know)
• When u add extra options, u lose more than u gain – it’s been proven for them…..less features is best
• iTunes and amazon are fulfillment methods for buying songs you like, when they added a third fulfillment method the overall conversion drops!
• Pandora sells more music on amazon and iTunes than anyone else and most of their stuff is ranked 100k (long tail artists)
• Commission they get is in single digit percentages
• They get commissioned on entire shopping cart from amazon – so if you click to buy a song and then buy a TV…they get a cut of that!
• 80% of stations launched from typing in artist names
• Audience mirrors population of US
• Vision is to build infrastructure to enable matching musicians and people, to help live acts find and serve their audience
• Pandora is 1% of all of radio – they want to be more of that!
• Only serves US market
• No prereqs for new artists, just need to be avail on amazon – they have a submission process
• They pay $.02/hour in licensing costs
• No API anytime soon – otherwise monetization would be tough since small changes in the interface have large impacts on conversion
• iPhone is a huge success, 35K users a day are added on iPhone added
• Half of radio listened in-car – they see huge potential there
• Pandora is on over a 100 devices, from cars to TVs
• Game consoles are big target incl Xbox – they want to get in that market

Related posts:

1. Pandora…the best music site on the internet!

I’m not usually into pomp and show but boy is this video by Eric Horner incredible. Sometimes you just gotta acknowledge your own power and give yourself a kick in the but to do what you’ve gotta do. This video includes scenes from one of my favorite movies “Snatch” with audio from Muhammad Ali and Rocky and a music soundtrack spliced from the Transformer’s movie and Gladiator (another one of my favorites!).

Be Great, Be Powerful Beyond Measure

Some of my favorite quotes from this short video are:

• Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
• I’m gonna show you how great I am! Only last week, I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick – I’m so mean I make medicine sick! – Ali
• I’m gonna show you how great I am! Last night I cut the light off in the bedroom, hit the switch, was in the bed before the room was dark! – Ali
• I’m gonna show you how great I am! I’d huv wrestled with an alligator, I’d huv tussled with a whale, I’d huv hand-cuffed lightnin’, put thunder in jail! – Ali
• Nobody is gonna hit as hard as life, but it ain’t about how hard you can hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep movin’ forward. That’s how winnin’ is done. – Rocky
• If you know what you’re worth than go out and get what you’re worth! – Rocky
• It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We were all meant to shine as children. Not just in some of us, but in everyone. As we let our own light shine, we give others the opportunity to do the same.

Here are the full words to this video (thanks to Dustin):

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure, beyond measure.

Ima show you, how great I am.

Last night I cut the light off in my bedroom, hit the switch, and was in the bed before the room was dark.

Ima show you, how great I am.

Only last week, I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick, Im so mean I make medicine sick.

Ima show you, how great I am.

This kids gonna be the best kid in the world.
This kids gonna be somebody better than anybody I ever knew.

Ima show you, how great I am.

I have wrastled with an alligator, I done tussled with a whale, I done handcuffed lightnin, thrown thunder in jail.

Ima show you, how great I am.

All you chumps are gonna bow when I whoop him, all of you, I know you got him, I know youve got him picked, but the mans in trouble, Ima show you how great I am.

But somewhere along the line you changed, you stopped being you.
You let people stick a finger in your face and tell you youre no good, and when things got hard, you started looking for something to blame, like a big shadow.
Let me tell you something you already know, the world aint all sunshine and rainbows, its a very mean and nasty place and I dont care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it.
You, me, or nobody, is gonna hit as hard as life; but it aint about how hard you hit, its about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward, how much you can take and keep moving forward.
Thats how winning is done.

Cause if youre willin to go through all the battling you gotta go through to get to where you wanna get, whos got the right to stop you.
I mean maybe some of you guys got something you never finished, something you really want to do, something you never said to somebody, something.
And youre told no even after you pay your dues, whos got the right to tell you that, who? Nobody.
Its your right to listen to your gut, it aint nobodys right to say no, after you earn the right to be where you want to be and do what you want to do.

Now if you know what youre worth, then go out and get what youre worth.
But youve gotta be willing to take the hits.
And not pointing fingers saying you aint where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody.
Cowards do that and that aint you!
Youre better than that!

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

All you chumps are gonna bow when I whoop him, all of you, I know you got him, I know youve got him picked, but the mans in trouble, Ima show you how great I am.

Enjoy!

Listening to the audio book for How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. Read Part 1 and Part 2 for insights from the earlier portions of the book. Here are some insights from this evening’s listening:

• See things always from another person’s point of view – always, try as hard as you can to do this
• Be sympathetic with the other person’s ideas and desires
• Appeal to people’s nobler motives
• Use showmanship to get attention – movies do it, TV does it, window displays do it – and it works
• You can dramatize ideas in business or any other part of life – works great when dealing with adults and kids! Dramatize facts to make a point in a business setting. Use props if necessary to get your point across
• The way to get things done is to stimulate competition – in a healthy and productive way, throw down a challenge and see what happens!
• Work is the most motivating force for any worker, not money, benefits or anything else – quality and interesting work is the single biggest tool to keep people interested in their job
• Let other people do a great deal of the talking in any conversation
• It’s always easier to listen to criticism after you have given someone some praise – never just criticize, always see the positive aspects and comment on them first – them provide your thoughtful critique
• Providing criticism after praise is a technique used by many world leaders past and present (Lincoln, Coolidge, McKinley, etc.) in motivating staff an leading without making people feel bad
• Beginning with praise is like a dentist that begins with Novocaine!
• There is a way to redirect/correct/criticism without upsetting people – make others feel important (praise) while correcting
• People judge us by our “letters” – small errors, like spelling errors, make a big impression
• Humbling oneself and praising another can turn a staunch adversary into a close friend
• Admitting one’s own mistakes can motivate others to change their behavior for the better. For example, by quitting smoking – parents will set a positive example that children and friends will notice (and potentially follow)
• A good leader talks about their own mistakes before criticizing others

Listening to “How to Win Friends and Influence People ” by Dale Carnegie again. Here are some stream of conscious nuggets I’m picking up while listening. Read Part I for more nuggets.

• The best way to win an argument, is to avoid it.
• Quit telling people they are wrong, after all, how do you really know? You might be the one who is wrong. In other words, get used to admitting that you, in fact, might be wrong. It’s a disarming approach when dealing with people and shows respect for others opinions. Admitting you might be wrong will never get you into trouble.
• The word “My” has incredible force and impact. Use it carefully.
• Agree with your adversary quickly! Don’t argue with a customer, spouse or enemy. Use diplomacy.
• Never say to someone else “you’re wrong”.
• If you’re wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically!
• A drop of honey catches more flies than a gallon of “gaul”.
• The more yes’s you can induce from others early in a conversation – the positive momentum you can achieve toward a desired outcome. Saying yes is a powerful thing.
• Let others do a great deal of talking. Don’t interrupt others. Listen patiently and sincerely.
• Encourage others to express their ideas fully.

As you start setting your intentions and aspirations for the new year, don’t fret if you can’t pinpoint the exact things that you want to do, places you want to visit, people you want to meet or other experiences you want to have. Try as best you can to make your intention something that is empowering and motivating for you, and back it up with a few specific actions you can take to realize that intention in the world (e.g. goals).

Our Home

Then recognize that there are a lot of things going on out there in the world, and you might not be able to pinpoint the exact experiences you want to have and goals you want to achieve in the coming year…yet.

For me, I create a list of intentions for every new year, and a few goals that substantiate each one. For example, one intention I have this year is to Embody My True Personal Power and Vitality, and one goal in line with this is to compete in a off-road trail running race this year (distance isn’t important). That said, I don’t at this point have all my specific goals nailed down, and that is ok. I know that as the days move on I’ll have a clearer idea of the specific goals I want….goals that are lined up with my intentions for the year.

However, this year I am also going to try something new….I am going to spend a little (not a ton, but some) time doing is identifying a list of things I don’t want to experience this year! I am motivated to do this after reading this little quote by Steve Jobs:

Steve Jobs

“I’m as proud of what we don’t do as I am of what we do.”

It got me thinking. I think many people, especially those who are motivated to grow personally and professionally, often get oversubscribed with doing things…and this makes it tough to 1) really focus on the things that matter and 2) take advantage of ad-hoc fun experiences that pop up from time to time.

For example, just a few days ago, a friend asked me if I wanted to go to go snowshoeing for a few days….staying in a “Yurt” near Mt. Rainier. Apparently, someone in the group fell sick and a spot opened up. With 24 hours notice, I was able to take advantage of this since I hadn’t booked my weekend full of random stuff to do. It ended up being one of the most fun experiences I’ve had in a long time.

So after you’ve spent time setting your intentions and creating your vision board, think about a few things you are willing to cut-back on or totally cut-out. Do so and you might just end up creating the free time and space to really achieve those lofty goals, and have a ton of fun in the process.

I’ve always been a big fan of Will since Fresh Prince days. Even his cheesier movies (“Men in Black” anyone?) were at least entertaining.

Lately, he’s had a string of films (Legend of Baggar Vance, Pursuit of Happiness, Seven Pounds, I Am Legend) that are far deeper than the typical blockbuster. Touching on themes one might expect from “The Secret” or a Tony Robbins seminar, but come as a pleasant surprise from someone whose films have grossed $5 billion globally.

I guarantee that this short clip will be the best thing you watch today. I’ve seen it over a dozen times. Enjoy!

Here is part 2 (of 3) of my interview with Vegan Bodybuilder Robert Cheeke. You can see part 1 of the interview here.

In this segment, we cover:

• Robert’s story of transformation from 125 pounder to 200 pound vegan bodybuilder
• How to gain weight on a plant-based diet
• The importance of a journal – keeping track of your goals and training progress
• Tips to staying motivated and achieving goals

Enjoy!

<if you can’t see the video embedded in this post, click here>

A few months ago I got the chance to sit down with Robert Cheeke, my good friend and an accomplished vegan bodybuilder. Robert is currently super-busy working on his second documentary (“Vegan Brothers in Iron“), his first book (due out sometime soon!) and touring the country as a representative for Vega and as motivational speaker. He frequently gives talks at health/fitness festivals, universities and vegetarian/animal rights conferences.

Robert is a super-motivating guy who really walks his talk – he’s been vegan for over 15 years and in that time has gone from 120 pounder to 190+ pound bodybuilder, all using 100% plant-based nutrition. I split the interview into three different clips. I’ll post the second two in the next week or two, but wanted to share this one with you right away.

In this <10 minute clip, we discuss:

• What Robert is up to – filming, speaking, competing!
• Update on his latest competitions
• Common nutrition “pitfalls” many vegans make
• His favorite 100% plant-based protein sources

Enjoy!

Vegan Bodybuilder Robert Cheeke Interview (Part 1/3)

BTW…if you have questions for Robert, please leave them in the comments to this post and we’ll address them in a future post.

I just finished reading a book by one of my favorite authors, The Blind Side by Michael Lewis. The book is about the story of Michael Oher – a kid who grew up and out of desitute poverty to become one of the most acclaimed high school and college football players in the country. Oher is now playing as an offensive lineman for the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL.

What makes Oher’s (pronounced “oar”) story unique is that he only started playing football during his Junior year in high school, and was so poor as a child that he spent most of his childhood literally wandering the streets – looking for food and a place to sleep. After being taken in by a wealthy white family (with a passion for football), they discovered his talents and helped him get back on the track – channeling his energy and providing him with the family support system he desperately needed.

I highly recommend this book, even if you are not a sports fan. It will open you eyes to the inequity that is going on around you, and help you see that we all have a role in helping other people succeed. What if Oher hadn’t been taken in by his host family? What would his life be like now? Would he even be alive?

I picked up this book after hearing Michael Gladwell talk about his most recent book, Outliers, last year, and during the Q&A after his talk he mentioned Lewis’s Blind Side. He made the comment that if all Oher’s friends from the ghetto in east Memphis (where he grew up) had the chance to play football and get the care that Oher received later in High School, they’d need two NFL’s!

We like to think that our world is incredibly efficient, and that everyone has a fair chance if they work hard, and that the best people get the best jobs. Unfortunately, this is not the case. A heck of a lot is left to chance, or just depends on those that care to make sure that those that don’t have the means or a voice, get their shot.

Similarly, I have a friend – Robyn – who is in Africa, teaching English to refugees in Rwanda for a few months. She recently wrote a blog post describing her experience. It really struck a chord with me and again points out the inequity that still exists around the world. Here is a snip from her recent post describing the refugees in the camp where she teaches:

They are smart. They are ambitious. They are passionate. They are honorable and very Christian. They want opportunities. They kept asking me what their options are for furthering their education, or coming to the States. It is still not safe in their home country, the DRC. I have no answers for them. It is not easy. They tell me the people who get resettled by UNHCR into other countries are the vulnerables: the sick, the elderly, the crippled. This is because they would likely not survive in their own countries in the event that they were repatriated. It all seems so unfair. In the US, if you study hard and demonstrate ambition and intelligence, you have opportunities. But in this case, it is the very opposite. I wish UNHCR could resettle some of these young men in Seattle. I could help them find jobs, find a church, further their English study…. The challenges seem overwhelming.

Social inequity is everywhere, if you open your eyes you’ll notice. The good thing is, the most important thing we can all do is to resolve to not be ignorant of the reality of the world around us. With ignorance of this issue left behind, we have a chance to start addressing it by going out of our way to help others and really give people a chance – especially those who might not normally get one.

We can’t just rely on our institutions and “systems” to take care of social inequity, we have to make the problem a personal one, and take individual steps to create equality wherever we can. This could be through donating money to a worthy cause, helping kids through a Big Brothers/Big Sisters program, volunteering at a local charity, teaching pro-bono yoga classes, tutoring kids in needs….whatever you can do. No step is too small.