40: Skill-Stacking to Seven Figures with Pat Flynn
Pat Flynn takes on the generalist approach in an increasingly “niche” world and explains why skill stacking – combining many diverse skills into one unique whole – is a better and more realistic approach. In this approach, it’s ok to get bored of just one interest and it’s also ok to not be the very best at any one thing.
As Pat gears up to make his mark and take generalism to the next level, who should he focus his new approach on so that it can have the biggest influence and turn into a real movement? Tune in to find out and join in!
Teaser:
My Guest: Pat Flynn
Pat Flynn is great at many things, not the best at any one and not afraid to say so. Writer, entrepreneur, musician and fitness & meditation try-hard, Pat runs multiple six- and seven-figure businesses around his various interests and skills.
Pivotal Moments:
The Advice:
Skill-stacking is more powerful and more rewarding than specialization. In today’s world, you are better off being good to great, or at least fairly competent, in a few skills. You can then combine those skills to bring something unique to the world.
Better to be different than better.
There is a difference between having a lot of random skills and disparate interests, to having a connected skill set and a core brand that connects all your different aspects. Skill-stacking is about building a set of diverse skills that you combine to create one unique whole.
A good generalist is a short-term specialist. If you want to get good at something, go totally into it until you have become good at it. Then you get bored and can move onto the next thing.
The importance of a good coach cannot be underestimated, for at least two good reasons:
- You don’t know what you don’t know. A coach shows you what you are lacking and what skills you need to stack onto your pile.
- All success is a gradual removal of mistakes and a coach speeds up that process. Though coaches are expensive, the mistakes you make without them are much more expensive.
The Struggle:
The Breakthrough:
- A movement needs an evangelist leader, so he needs to get up and preach.
- To change people’s lives, Generalism needs to hit people at the right time in their lives. Many entrepreneurs have gone too far and are already too deep into specialization to be influenced in a meaningful way.
- To become a movement, Generalism needs to have a strong influence and impact on people when they are making pivotal choices in their lives.
Therefore, the best place to take his movement is to college students. Pat is already convinced that college does not teach in the right way. Many graduates know nothing about how to actually work in the area of their study, much akin to someone with a degree in Jazz guitar music who doesn’t know how to play the guitar. Bringing Generalism to college students can change their mindset for when they do go out to work, influencing the next generation of entrepreneurs in a meaningful way.
Quotes:
Resources and Links:
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Find Pat‘s Blog and Subscribe to his Email List: chroniclesofstrength.com
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Read Pat’s Book: How to Be Better at (Almost) Everything
- Work with Estie: www.strandconsulting.net
- Join us on the Show: www.estierand.com/breakthrough
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