david_horsager: Welcome to the Trusted Leader Show it’s David Horsager, I have one of my

david_horsager: dearest friends on today, so there’s a lot we could say about you. but

david_horsager: first, please welcome Ross Bernstein.

ross_bernstein: Or see how are you? My friend Could to see her.

david_horsager: I’m doing great. great to see you. Virtually. we’re going to see each other

david_horsager: face to face again before long. but uh, just everybody knows.

david_horsager: Ross Bernstein is the best selling author of almost fifty to get the other

david_horsager: one written with you, So it’s fifty sports books including. I’ve got a few

david_horsager: them here if if you’re watching the video The Champions Code, raising

david_horsager: Stanley, her, Brooks, uh, America’s coach, and a whole lot more. I love Brett

david_horsager: Favre. I hate Brett Favre. Remember that, uh, anyway, we got some. We got some

david_horsager: good ones That got a a lot more of them on on my home library. But Um, he

david_horsager: has Keynodd, He’s a hall of fame speaker and has Keno conferences on seven

david_horsager: contents, Even an arttica, not many people have done that, and uh, you know,

david_horsager: he’s been interviewed all over the world. He’s been a part of the press.

david_horsager: He’s interviewed so many athletes were going to talk about. A few of those

david_horsager: from you know, Pat Summit to Gretsky to Tom, Rated today, and and others

david_horsager: you’ve interviewed. How many. How many pro athletes? I mean, How many people

david_horsager: have you interviewed and all this writing a books, and being a part of the

david_horsager: press and all that you’ve done studying champions

ross_bernstein: It’s thousands. I’ve been doing

david_horsager: Y.

ross_bernstein: this since I was twenty one years old.

david_horsager: Unbelievable and back then back when back just after you were the Uh, didn’t

david_horsager: quite make the the U M hockey team and became the Gofer.

ross_bernstein: That’s right. a giant smelly rodent to gold to the golfer.

david_horsager: All right.

david_horsager: Well, it’s great to have you on. Tell a couple more things about Ross

david_horsager: Bernstein and they, we’re going to dive in because you’ve got some great

david_horsager: things to share. But what? what are some things we should know about Ross?

ross_bernstein: Well, I’m a huge fan of Da for Dave Horsager. That that’s what else you

ross_bernstein: want to know. Like right there. That pretty much says everything right

david_horsager: Oh, my goodness.

ross_bernstein: you know, like you said I, the crazy story. My, my dream is by hockey at the

ross_bernstein: University of Minnesota

ross_bernstein: got got cut from the team. Became the mascot, Wrote a book about it called

ross_bernstein: Gopher Hockey by the Hockey Gofer and launched my career. I had two two big

ross_bernstein: brothers that had Ivy league, M B, A And and I aspired to be a a giant

ross_bernstein: rodent. So uh, mom and dad were so proud, but you know, I, I just uh, like

ross_bernstein: you, David. I, just, I kind of found my way doing something I love. We all

ross_bernstein: before we become become professional speakers. We all have a previous life,

ross_bernstein: and my previous life was writing and publishing books. and and uh, and now

ross_bernstein: like you, I just get to speak all over the place and and try and help

ross_bernstein: people. so I’m just I’m everyday sort of a new adventure. And and uh, I’m

ross_bernstein: just grateful for our friendship and I’m happy to be on visiting with you

ross_bernstein: and hopefully entertaining your, your legion of listeners and fans all over

ross_bernstein: the world.

david_horsager: well, I, I’m I’m grateful to have yon. you’ve written a load of books.

david_horsager: You’ve interviewed a load of champions. I, If I was going to say something

david_horsager: that I think is really interesting about what you’ve done is you’ve you

david_horsager: know? you built an amazing business yourself and and your family is, just

david_horsager: uh. It’s just so fun to see your marriage and your family, and just the way

david_horsager: you intentionally run life. and

ross_bernstein: Hm.

david_horsager: um, that’s it’s

david_horsager: just such a cool thing, but uh, but what? I? uh, I? I think something you

ross_bernstein: thank you, you, too.

david_horsager: share and I think you live it out is just all this wisdom of that you’ve

david_horsager: learned from interviewing champions and I think it’d be fun to jump right

david_horsager: in. I think you know some of the books you can see here. We’re going to put

david_horsager: them in the show. Now’s trust the Leader show Dot com. So you see at least

david_horsager: several of our favorites of Ross Bernstein’s books, But the code you wrote

david_horsager: this series called series called the Champions Code, And you talk about a

david_horsager: lot. I’ve seen you speak, and we’ve been on some of the same stages, But Um,

david_horsager: if you were going to take some of the takeaways, I’m going to talk about

david_horsager: some specific people in all, but just some key takeaways that jump to mind.

david_horsager: Uh, as far as the champions you’ve interviewed, where would you start

ross_bernstein: Hm. Well, my program that the Champions code. it’s really. It’s really about

ross_bernstein: winning with integrity. So I, I wrote this series of books. as you

ross_bernstein: mentioned. Uh, these books called the Code About the. Really. They’re about

ross_bernstein: the unwritten Unspoken rules and sports. So, in sports, as as you know,

ross_bernstein: because you were an all state wide receiver from Verndale high school,

ross_bernstein: Minnesota, and then you played at

david_horsager: nine man football?

ross_bernstein: Bethel Card. I’m just saying I’m just, and man, I’m just saying

david_horsager: Y. Yeah,

ross_bernstein: okay, Uh,

ross_bernstein: you know

david_horsager: I was all safe for linebacker, By the way, Don’t want to get too much

david_horsager: credit because somebody will think I’m fast of you, Saal, statewide

david_horsager: receiver.

ross_bernstein: well you, you know as an athlete that that, if you, if you break the rules,

ross_bernstein: there’s consequences. So I wrote the series of books about You know what

ross_bernstein: happens if you cheat or take short cuts, like in in hockey. If you you

ross_bernstein: cheat, it leads to fighting and in baseball, If you cheat, it leads to to

ross_bernstein: get drilled right. So so the program is really about winning the right way,

ross_bernstein: and I try and translate that to business. As as a journalist, I love

ross_bernstein: studying, you know what makes the great ones right, and then translating

ross_bernstein: that to great leadership and and customer experience,

ross_bernstein: and and dealing with with adversity, So for me that’s just kind of the angle

ross_bernstein: that I do, but I I love. I love studying all all kinds of different athletes

ross_bernstein: and coaches, then just figure out what’s unique about them.

david_horsager: Let’s take that. let’s what. Let’s talk about. a couple great ones and we

david_horsager: can go anywhere from here. But you did study the great one. He become a

david_horsager: friend of yours. He’s written forwards in your books, but the great one

david_horsager: Gretsky, The, you know, famous for

david_horsager: where where the puck’s going to be instead of where it is right now. But um,

david_horsager: you. you got to. you know. you’ve connected them intimately in some of this

david_horsager: work. What’s something you learned from Wayne Gretsky?

ross_bernstein: Well, I, I had a a full blown stage five man crush on him as a kid. I’m not

ross_bernstein: going to lie, you. I had posters of wane all of my bedroom walls, and as a

ross_bernstein: little kid I was, he was one of my heroes, and to get to know him later in

ross_bernstein: life was pretty cool. Um, you know, when I talk about Wayne in my program, I

ross_bernstein: don’t. I don’t talk about the obvious stuff, but I talk about how you know.

ross_bernstein: Wh, Wayne told me a great line one time about how you he. He’s the n h, ▁ls

ross_bernstein: all time leader in goals, and he’s the all time leader in assists, but he

ross_bernstein: had twice as many assistant goals, and when

david_horsager: Hm,

ross_bernstein: asked about that, he said that a goal made one guy happy, but an assist made

ross_bernstein: two guys happy. And I just love that and I love how it’s just in his d n a

ross_bernstein: to give and to serve. And you know whenne when wore the scene it, it was.

ross_bernstein: Uh. It was the the subject of one of my books about wearing this scene and

ross_bernstein: about what that means to be the captain about how to lead and to lead by

ross_bernstein: example. And that was really what what his emmo was all about, and I, so I,

ross_bernstein: I love you know, kind of studying. Um, the weird little idiosyncrasies about

ross_bernstein: about champions and about what makes you know being a champion isn’t

ross_bernstein: necessarily by winning championships, it’s just about the way you conduct

ross_bernstein: yourself, the way you, the way you do business, the way you treat people.

ross_bernstein: It’s about relationship building, so he’s just you know, he’s an amazing

ross_bernstein: human being and uh, you know he was an amazing hockey player, but he’s he’s

ross_bernstein: had equal success, you know, off the isolater in life as well, So it’s

ross_bernstein: someone I’ve been very proud to sort of get to know and I’ I’m still still

ross_bernstein: in awe of him.

david_horsager: I think you knowm. not trying to you know, Blow your horn so much, but it’s

david_horsager: just this is something. if people don’t know what. That everybody that knows

david_horsager: Ross Bernstein, he lives. generosity,

ross_bernstein: Hm. thank you.

david_horsager: I was yesterday. I took a look at the one of the B. One of the gifts you’ve

david_horsager: given us this massive, the biggest I’ve ever seen Scrabbleboard that we, we

david_horsager: had out and like, or the time you know, are invited to the Uh. you know,

david_horsager: many pe. you have c, e Os, and Steve wasnac your friend, and and many knows,

david_horsager: the Uh, one of the Um. Founders of Apple, and And, and you invite us to this

david_horsager: uh, amazing, sweet, uh event at the uh, um, I don’t even remember the game

david_horsager: be cause. I was so into being together

ross_bernstein: the W. A wild hockey game.

david_horsager: right. Oh yeah, wild hockey game.

ross_bernstein: Yeah, that was fun.

david_horsager: Okay, but I just I. I. There’s so many ways you live that out. This. That’s

ross_bernstein: Hm.

david_horsager: what I love about it is not just learning and writing about it, but you, Uh,

david_horsager: where you didn’t quite make the U. You live out all you’ve learned and all

david_horsager: this stuff I’m proud of that. I want to jump to somebody.

david_horsager: Youre one before she passed away. That got to interview at the time who was

david_horsager: the winningest

david_horsager: basketball coach

david_horsager: in the country and C.

david_horsager: Ncle a university, Tennessee Women’s Couch, Pat, Pat, Summ, What what? What

david_horsager: was that like? As you think back on that interview connecting with her were

david_horsager: she team you? We talk a lot as you know all about trust. How did she so

david_horsager: consistently build these high trust high performing teams?

ross_bernstein: Yeah, she was really an an amazing coach When I talk about Pat. I. I,

ross_bernstein: really, Um, it’s It’s a pretty cool vinet, But you know, when asked Pa about

ross_bernstein: her legacy she said she didn’t want to be remembered so much being a great

ross_bernstein: coach, but rather for being a great teacher and there’s a big difference.

ross_bernstein: You know. That’s how she was able to connect and really build trust with

ross_bernstein: with her with her students. Student athletes was by not necessarily Um.

ross_bernstein: Teaching you know, coaching them how to be better basket players, but have

ross_bernstein: you be better human beings, and as a result they were able to foster trust,

ross_bernstein: and you know for Pat, too, it wasn’t about recruiting the best players, is

ross_bernstein: about recruiting the right players and they really try and translate that to

ross_bernstein: business. As people think about their book of business as their clientele,

ross_bernstein: as they think about hiring and keeping young Gen, ▁ze, and millenniials to

ross_bernstein: to to create by, and you know old Pat was was um,

ross_bernstein: fire and brimstone likevince, Lombardy, she’d yell at youa screaming. Yeah,

ross_bernstein: but you know, as Pat got older and the kids got younger, she had to really

ross_bernstein: change her tune and and speak a new language. you know, social media texting

ross_bernstein: young people that A’s not about Um,

ross_bernstein: it’s not about the money, I, it. It’s more about culture and chemistry and

ross_bernstein: being a part of an organization where they feel valued and respected. So so

ross_bernstein: you know you’d still get that mile long stair if you screwed up, but then

ross_bernstein: always a big hug in praise like ham proudy you’ doing a great job and I’m

ross_bernstein: going to text you some Youtube videos and things you could work on so

ross_bernstein: constantly changing evolving as a leader. Um, but really you know it. it’

ross_bernstein: stuck with me, you know, and Pat said it wasn’t about the best players, but

ross_bernstein: the wreler. She said, You know, it’s if it was the best players, then the

ross_bernstein: Yankees would would win it every year, right be cause they

david_horsager: Mhmm.

ross_bernstein: have the best players they can afford. The Um, the top talent, and and and

ross_bernstein: uh, but it really comes down to chemistry and coaching, and these these

ross_bernstein: intangible qualities that were you know so important to Pat, so for her it

ross_bernstein: really came down to these other things, And that’s how she was really able

ross_bernstein: to Uh, recruit the right kids for her system and that you know she’d study

ross_bernstein: him, She, she, she studied, she recruited kids as freshmen, sophomore, not

ross_bernstein: juniors and seniors, And she’d you know she’d go to their. She recruited,

ross_bernstein: you know, coaches, kids. You know, coaches kids have a totally different Da.

ross_bernstein: She recruited farm kids like you, David, because they have incredible work

ross_bernstein: ethic, you know, Uh, dairy farm kids. you know they disciplined. you know,

ross_bernstein: cows don’t take days off as you know, And she loved recruiting those kids

ross_bernstein: and and uh, she studied them and she’d get to other parents and grandparents

ross_bernstein: and teachers and and their friends. You know, people say, people judge you

ross_bernstein: by the friends you keep. So she wanted get to know all these things, and you

ross_bernstein: know, over a lifetime of work she was able to achieve amazing success

ross_bernstein: through not a bunch of big things, but a bunch of little things.

david_horsager: I wonder what’s translable there to hiring? Because you know when we we

david_horsager: think of one of the biggest problems people have. it’s hiring right. and in

david_horsager: fact, a friend of mine, that’s a Ceo, said With all these assessments When

david_horsager: I’m hiring a senior leader for my company, I get it with everything we got

david_horsager: today. I get it right about fifty one percent of the time. It’s like when

david_horsager: you think about what, Because somehow she she hired right. In essence, you

david_horsager: know people that didn’t even get to get paid right, They just got to be a

david_horsager: part of the team, and from there she built a culture. You know what? else?

david_horsager: Is there anything we can take away? as far as

david_horsager: from how she in essence, courted or hired people into the team.

ross_bernstein: Well, it interestingly one of the things that I talk about Pat, is I talk

ross_bernstein: about how you know at this senior ceremony when these kids graduated and

ross_bernstein: they did by the way, ’cause Pat promised their parents that a lot of the

ross_bernstein: kids would get the Lady Val’s tattoo on their body at the senior ceremony

ross_bernstein: And then I equate that to a friend of ours, Chuck Runyon, the founder of

ross_bernstein: Anyim Fitness, Uh, who we’ve we’ve both worked at and I talk about how you

ross_bernstein: know any timee fitness that you know the largest fitness chain in the. World

ross_bernstein: now approaching five thousand franchise locations. How more than a third of

ross_bernstein: their franchisee Onerpters have the Antime Fitness Running Bandu logo

ross_bernstein: tattooed on their bicep or or calf? And you know just what? What are it? You

ross_bernstein: know? How many? How many C e Os. How many people have their corporate logo

ross_bernstein: tattooed in their body, And what that means? We talk about Rabbid fans. I

ross_bernstein: mean, you know we both love the Minnesota Vikings. I mean there, there are

ross_bernstein: Vikings fans who have Vikings tattoos right. But how many people would love

ross_bernstein: their company or love what they do so much to put it on their body forever.

ross_bernstein: So talk about you know, building trust, building relationships doing the

ross_bernstein: right things. It’s it’s those series of little things that I think, and you

ross_bernstein: know that’s that’s what I love to do is. I love to you know, translate

david_horsager: Mhmm,

ross_bernstein: things we can learn from sports. Which is is, which is my passion to

ross_bernstein: business, And I, because

david_horsager: Mhm.

ross_bernstein: I think it’s a universal language. Whether I’m talking, you know rugby and

ross_bernstein: new ▁zealand or cricket in South Africa. Uh people speak that language A, as

ross_bernstein: you know, because you go all over the world, So for me, I think it’s just

ross_bernstein: about connecting those dots. It’s it’s it’s really fascinating.

david_horsager: Well, let’s talk about another one that’s real big today,

david_horsager: Tom Brady is. Uh, you know, big deal

david_horsager: and he’s back to winning again And you know he. this. I mean old, many, you

david_horsager: say, and still performing what you know. What do you learn from how does he

david_horsager: keep performing? Bring at such a high level. I guess from what you know,

ross_bernstein: Well, ill tell you, I, I’ve never met a more competitive human being in my

ross_bernstein: entire life than Tom Brady. I mean that guy hates losing more than he loves

ross_bernstein: winning, and at forty four, which is pretty insane because these are like

ross_bernstein: dog years in in professional sports. the average professional athlete hass

ross_bernstein: less than two seasons. What he’s doing is is is incredible. But I’ll tell

ross_bernstein: you, the thing that’s interesting about Tom when I talk about Tom, is I talk

ross_bernstein: about consistency. I think Tom’s greatest asset might be his short term

ross_bernstein: memory. You know you throw an interception. Forget about it. have a bad

ross_bernstein: play. have a bad series, have a bad game. have a bad week. Forget about it.

ross_bernstein: That’s what separates the veterans from the rookies. Rookies obsess about

ross_bernstein: failing and they can’t get over and they keep thinking about it. The great

ross_bernstein: ones are able to process it. Learn from it. Move aside, and you know the

ross_bernstein: thing that I’ve learned about Tom. You know seven super bowls. He’s the

ross_bernstein: goat. No one else

david_horsager: Mhm.

ross_bernstein: has come close. Eleven conference championships. Here’s a guy who got bored

ross_bernstein: in New England took a new challenge because he needed needed another

ross_bernstein: challenge and went to Tampa Bay. a team that had made the playoffs in two

ross_bernstein: decades, changed the culture overnight, took less money in his own contract

ross_bernstein: to be able to afford some of his buddies, and they want a Super bowl And

ross_bernstein: it’s it’s unheard of. in a salary cap era. it will never happen again. He

ross_bernstein: may repeat this year because he’s just so committed. But what I’ve learned

ross_bernstein: about Tom and I’ve learned about sports in general

ross_bernstein: is that it’s easy to get to the top, but it’s really hard to stay at the

ross_bernstein: top. But that’s the essence of the dynasty mentality and that’s what Tom has

ross_bernstein: and that’s what great companies have. So you and I get to work for some of

ross_bernstein: the greatest brands in the world, and that’s what you see, These companies’s

ross_bernstein: iconic companies that have around for fifty years, a hundred years, a

ross_bernstein: hundred and fifty years. And you look at how consistency right

ross_bernstein: that? That’s what.

david_horsager: how did they stay consistent and be innovative? Because as

ross_bernstein: yeah,

david_horsager: you know, a lot of big ones died last year, right.

ross_bernstein: yeah,

david_horsager: So how? how do we?

david_horsager: So how? how do we?

david_horsager: in? In essence, how do they stay in? Um, Consistently innovative like an

david_horsager: Ibm. That’s been around ever. I think when I wrote about them was like seven

david_horsager: times, but now I think it’s like eleven major shifts that Ib. You know, but

david_horsager: most companies, I think all the companies written about in the you know good

david_horsager: Dege aren’t even around anymore performing very well. So how? what about

david_horsager: these? that Ha? what it take like to be both consistent and innovative

ross_bernstein: yeah, yeah, I mean, I think consistency is really the price of admission for

ross_bernstein: top producers Like we all work hard. We all smile in dial, and get in our

ross_bernstein: cars and solve other people’s problems to to be successful. But I think

ross_bernstein: innovation is really the key. and when I, when I talk about consistency, one

ross_bernstein: of the companies I love talking about is Levi Strauss, who haveve done a lot

ross_bernstein: of work with. You know they are. There’re a hundred and sixty year old

ross_bernstein: company that that literally invented blue jeans. They invented Denm because

ross_bernstein: the gold miners were ripping their pants, and to see how they’ve reinvented

ross_bernstein: themselves year after year and even the last couple of years with with with

ross_bernstein: global retail sales in the tank, they were up ten percent. It’s an iconic

ross_bernstein: brand that didn’t have the hubreist to say. Well, we’ve always done things

ross_bernstein: that way we invented jeanes. They just keep reinventing themselves and they

ross_bernstein: keep you know, they keep. uh, Just you know, whether it’s a a

ross_bernstein: women’s uh, Al line, or accessories or children’s or an online strategy.

ross_bernstein: Really, they, They even changed their whole brand to living, leave eyes

ross_bernstein: right. It’s and, and and getting influencers like Taylor Swift and Biancee

ross_bernstein: to to brag about them and creating these new mediums. So um, they’ve just,

ross_bernstein: they’ve just done things very differently and I I love studying great

ross_bernstein: companies that that are willing to to change things up and to really change.

ross_bernstein: And you know, I, I think for you and I, David. I mean it’s it’s always been

ross_bernstein: about change right, I mean,

ross_bernstein: when when you know people think of me in, you know my college buddies and

ross_bernstein: high school buddies think. Oh, when I see and they go, Ross. what are you

ross_bernstein: working on? What work you working on? That’s not my. That’s not my ideaal

ross_bernstein: anymore. Like that was my previous life, books. books, died, Borders is

ross_bernstein: gone, Beat Allton is gone. Walden Books is gone. Crown Books is gone, Barnes

ross_bernstein: Noble, recently acquired by a private equity group, whatever that means, but

ross_bernstein: I can assure you they’re selling more Carmel Mackados board games, Chat,

ross_bernstein: cheese, greeting cards and music than they do books. And now they’ve got

ross_bernstein: these hideous things called ebooks, Kendales, Nooks, They’re killing me. I

ross_bernstein: write twenty five dollar books, but the E version is seven bucks. I can’t

ross_bernstein: compete with that. I got to the same amount of work. I got a write and

ross_bernstein: edited market to publish it, promote it, but only make a fraction of the

ross_bernstein: profit. Is that fair? No, but that’s my reality, so I change. So books

ross_bernstein: became speeches. I’ve monetized my content Differently books became became

ross_bernstein: movies, done, some documentary projects. My hockey fighting book was turned

ross_bernstein: into a movie with an academy, a warwarding director, who to thunk books

ross_bernstein: became speeches. So now my book, wearing the C. If a client likes me, they

ross_bernstein: can bring it back for something else. So I’ve just cauht, you know, and and

ross_bernstein: for you and I, when covet hit weeat, we discovered this thing called ▁zoom.

ross_bernstein: Right. So it’s constantly the change, the evolution, So companies that

ross_bernstein: aren’t willing to do that Companies with huborist, To say Well, we own this

ross_bernstein: category As soon as something bad happens, they’re gone. So it it, it’s It’s

ross_bernstein: a fascinating concept to see who’s who’s the quickest to adapt early write a

ross_bernstein: lot of our colleagues as professional speakers. Um, didn’t want to adapt.

ross_bernstein: And and

david_horsager: Mhm?

ross_bernstein: they’re struggling. They’re suffering. They’re getting day jobs. So you know

ross_bernstein: that’s what I love about you horses that you’ve you know, you’ve you’ve

ross_bernstein: built this amazing brand. you’re constantly changing and adapting. I, you

ross_bernstein: know, Dave. For your listeners, David, that we, we’ve been friends for a

ross_bernstein: long time, and and I, you know you’re one of the guys that I, just we’ve.

ross_bernstein: You know, we were in a mastermind fifteen years ago and we were. You know,

ross_bernstein: we both started out near the bottom to see your medoric rise to how you’ve

ross_bernstein: built an incredible business. you know, ten, twelve, fifteen employees. at

ross_bernstein: your I bend your offices. They’re beautiful and the fact that you’ve built

ross_bernstein: this multi millionion dollar juggern

ross_bernstein: and you’ve got four beautiful kids and an amazing wife, and you’ve really

ross_bernstein: built a brand that’s true to your ideals and ideologies that are very

ross_bernstein: important to you. Your faith, your family, Um, you’ve just had incredible

ross_bernstein: success, David, and I’m so proud of you and I’m so proud to be your friend,

ross_bernstein: and you’re so generous. You’ve You’ve given so much to me so many referrals

ross_bernstein: and so much wisdom. And and uh, you’re just, you’re one of the guys who’s so

ross_bernstein: respected in our business. and youj I mean, fear listeners who don’t who

ross_bernstein: don’t know that about David. He’s just in a. A. He’s just an awesome human.

ross_bernstein: and uh you, you know you’re constantly changing and adapting and you know

ross_bernstein: whenever we talk it’s always. What are you doing what you know for? I?

david_horsager: We better cut this off where people are going to think I paid yourrself.

ross_bernstein: nah, well, it’s funny you. you know you’ve built this big big brand and

david_horsager: That’s up.

ross_bernstein: whenever we talk you always say man, I wish I was like you with nothing. you

ross_bernstein: know, I don’t have any employee.

david_horsager: No, I, I don’t say nothing.

ross_bernstein: I. this. this is my worldwide headquarters. There is my mom. Like to say, my

ross_bernstein: basement, right, this is. you’ve got this incr. You know you’re like. I wish

ross_bernstein: it was easy like you do, and I look at you and I go, man. I wish I had all

ross_bernstein: these fancy toys and all this stuff, but we’re both

david_horsager: Oh man.

ross_bernstein: doing it. It’s fun but that that’s the beauty business right.

david_horsager: Well,

ross_bernstein: There’s no one right way to do it.

david_horsager: what? what do you? What do you learn in these days? How are you staying? You

david_horsager: know you’re not when you’re writing books. You. I mean, it just makes you

david_horsager: stay fresh relevant Capable you? you’re You’re studying new people, your,

david_horsager: your um, interviewing people. you’re doing research. I mean I, and you know

david_horsager: that we’re into research here and do putting out this study every year. the

david_horsager: trust outlook, and you know, staying fresh. Always. What do you do yourself

david_horsager: to stay fresh these days? I? I, I mean, I know one of them is, you’re in a

david_horsager: lot of companies, so you just learned from that C. e. O. In that leader, Uh,

david_horsager: you travel a ton, boy, people could just travel. Uh, they learn a whole lot

david_horsager: as far as opening their eyes and minds, but there’ anything you’re doing

david_horsager: intentionally kind of stay kind of fresh and

ross_bernstein: Yeah,

david_horsager: relevant.

ross_bernstein: well, I, I tell you, The the, The beauty for me with research is is that I

ross_bernstein: love it. I

david_horsager: Mhm.

ross_bernstein: watch games every day every day, get to watch and read and study all the

ross_bernstein: websites and watch all the games and obscure

ross_bernstein: things and coaches. and you go on, you know, and you hear their interviews

ross_bernstein: and you’re constantly learning. How did that coach make adjustments? Why did

ross_bernstein: that team win? What? What was the back story? You know, why? what was the

ross_bernstein: motivation? What? Oh, it came from a year ago when they disrespected them

ross_bernstein: and did that. And I loved studying the game within the game at at a higher

ross_bernstein: level. Right that? that’s what I love is when you? really, it’s like when

ross_bernstein: you watch a game with a broadcaster like a famous B. they’re They’re not

ross_bernstein: watching the game. They’re sing at a higher level. When I watch games with

ross_bernstein: professional athletes, you know and we’re I, I’m friends with lot of them.

ross_bernstein: Um to watch them watch the game. It’s just an experience in itself because

ross_bernstein: they see such different things.

david_horsager: Mhm,

ross_bernstein: So you know, I’m always trying to add new content. new material trying to.

ross_bernstein: and, but you know, big thing from my, my brand in my business is I try and

ross_bernstein: take things that aren’t your business and making their business. So one of

ross_bernstein: the new things for research that I’ve been doing, Um, that I’m sharing with

ross_bernstein: my clients Now when I’m speaking is, Um, I’m doing a whole vnette on hotels.

ross_bernstein: I work a lot in the hotel hospitality industry like you do. but I’m talking

ross_bernstein: about the whole new category of millenniial hotels. You know, Hotels looked

ross_bernstein: into their crystal ball and they said you know ten years ago. Like whoa, you

ross_bernstein: know, for our future customers, these Genzze Millennials, they like air, B

ross_bernstein: and B, So there’s a whole new category Big brands, Mariott, Moxy, Radison,

ross_bernstein: Red Hilton, True, Hyac, Centr, Kurio, The Graduate and I take people inside

ross_bernstein: and I talk about the buildings. It’s all about sustainability. recycled

ross_bernstein: building materials. Um, I talk about. you know, the, the, the geothermal

ross_bernstein: heat pumps and the solar and the wind power, and the ▁l g B Tq, hiring

ross_bernstein: component, and the water catchment programs. Things very important to young

ross_bernstein: people that they listen to and I walk them through every piece you know from

ross_bernstein: the you know. When you check in, there’s an I paad. there’s you know. And

ross_bernstein: and they send you room Ke, to your phone, and then about the techn logy, and

ross_bernstein: and how these places are wired up. And then you come into the lobby and it’s

ross_bernstein: about this shared experience. Right, one side is old school Seggeesis, Atari

ross_bernstein: ping pong Fos, ball, but the other side’s new school drone racing eports

ross_bernstein: social media and talk about the food. It’s all locally sourced organically

ross_bernstein: grown. The cows and pigs are treated very humanely. the uh, um, non deirary

ross_bernstein: vegan non g, m o meetless mate. Of course, you know it’s all part of what

ross_bernstein: young people want, but young people don’t have a lot of money, so there’s a

ross_bernstein: A. a grab and go section. Everything’s maybe a dollar. But then if you get

ross_bernstein: hungry later, you can text the robo butler. She’ll drive it up to your room.

ross_bernstein: It’s very, very instigramable. You can have to the roof where they’ve got.

ross_bernstein: You know an api further for honey, and they’ve got you know, Uh, young

ross_bernstein: people like food trucks, so they put a food truck on the roof. A. and then

ross_bernstein: I’m sure you brought your dog as young people and have children. They have

ross_bernstein: animals. They have a full service dog room service menu. So I talk about all

ross_bernstein: these things right, and the local music and and the spin and vinyl and the

ross_bernstein: artwork. It’s all local, but it’s about how they’re reinventing themselves,

ross_bernstein: And then I ask people, the hotel industry answered the bell. This isn’t the

ross_bernstein: future. They’ve looked into the crystal ball, and this is how they’re

ross_bernstein: dealing with it. But what are you doing? How is your business? How are your

ross_bernstein: listeners saying? How are people going to be buying mortgages and and

ross_bernstein: insurance, and and whatever wdget or gadget that you’re selling in five

ross_bernstein: years and ten years as these Genz progress and there become the into into

ross_bernstein: the middle management right, so,

david_horsager: Mhm,

ross_bernstein: I think we’re always researching and and doing things so. even though I’m in

ross_bernstein: sports, I’m always studying other industries and trying to relate that back.

david_horsager: And I’ve seen that in that you’ve always that every client you work for you

david_horsager: really research them to customize two them. right. So what about your?

ross_bernstein: I try. I, I like you. I try. it’s hard, but I try.

david_horsager: Yeah, what’s your business? Like, what about you? What about your? You know

david_horsager: you’, you’re doing a lot of speaking. We do. I, I tend to speak a lot out of

david_horsager: the institute. We do you all these other things, consulting and measuring,

david_horsager: but we made a major piff pivot in the bigger part of the company for us. as

david_horsager: far as the tech platform we built, and all that kind of stuff to serve

david_horsager: people. Well, what? what do you think? The future for you? You know, even

david_horsager: just like whether speaking or sharing your content, Anything different you

david_horsager: are going to be doing in five years.

ross_bernstein: well y well, you know it’s interesting because you know Um,

ross_bernstein: Dave and I in a in a, in a group of a organization we belong to called the

ross_bernstein: National speakers Association And we’re a. We’re a top producer group. And

ross_bernstein: and it’s interesting, ’cause this year in Las Vegas, I was asked to be a

ross_bernstein: presenter to talk about my business model because it’s so weird and you know

ross_bernstein: one thing I’m doing is I’m not doing a lot of the things like I’m

david_horsager: Yeah,

ross_bernstein: blazed or focused. I’ I’m a Knote speaker, So I do about a hundred and

ross_bernstein: twenty events per year, But like it’s funny, the guy who contrasted me, our

ross_bernstein: friend, Rural Workmanen, who

david_horsager: yeah,

ross_bernstein: we both love. Um, I took, he took a picture of one of my slides and I said,

ross_bernstein: these are all the things I don’t do like I don’t consult. I don’t coach. I

ross_bernstein: don’t train the trainer. I don’t have an ▁l s learning management system. I

ross_bernstein: don’t I don’t have a list. I don’t do social media, I don’t have a weekly

ross_bernstein: video series. I don’t blog, I don’t loog, I don’t podcast, I don’t. I don’t

ross_bernstein: do any of that stuff, And Vrl took a picture and said and put it in his

ross_bernstein: program. He said these are all the things I do. so so you know there’s

ross_bernstein: there’s so many bright sparkling squirrel things we want to do, and

ross_bernstein: sometimes I think saying no to things and just focusing on what you’re

ross_bernstein: really good at is Uh, for me,

david_horsager: it.

ross_bernstein: I guess that’s worked. I mean, certainly I pivoted to the point where I’ve I

ross_bernstein: created a an in home studio which I had to do during coved. but other than

ross_bernstein: that man, I’m just I’m grinding. I’m going and I’m I’m investing in in me

ross_bernstein: where I’m you know, going to N. S a events to learn and network? I, I have

ross_bernstein: mastermind groups. You know, my, my greatest mastermind might be with you

ross_bernstein: ’cause we don’t really have mass. I, We just call each other all the time

ross_bernstein: and we’re in our cars and we say. What do you do, a man? How’s it going?

ross_bernstein: What? how can I help you? What? what? What’s going on in your world? How’s

ross_bernstein: your family? And that’s what I love. Just kind of old school right, picking

ross_bernstein: up the phone and and just learning. And and I? So sometimes it’s just not

ross_bernstein: any huge thing. It’s just a bunch of little things.

david_horsager: well, let’s let’s take a quick pivot here to you. You know a lot of the

david_horsager: leaders, especially those that I respect on the platform are leading

david_horsager: themselves well in some way, none ofectly, but we actually care about

david_horsager: whether it’s faith, family or fitness. What are some things you’ doing to

david_horsager: lead yourself? While I know you just ran another marathon. How many

david_horsager: marathons is that?

ross_bernstein: Ten,

ross_bernstein: and I haven’t

david_horsager: Well,

ross_bernstein: won any of them. I’ve come

david_horsager: you’re a loser.

ross_bernstein: right. I got the Te shirt.

david_horsager: you. you’re a loser of marathons.

ross_bernstein: I know.

david_horsager: So what? what? Uh? what? What do you do in daily? What kind of routines do

david_horsager: you have, whether it’s doing this research or health wise? I know your

david_horsager: marriage is important. To what? What are you doing? As Far as some

ross_bernstein: Yeah, thanks. no. I. I appreciate you reaching out. Um, you know, obviously

david_horsager: consistent things

ross_bernstein: running exercising trying to eat right, I know you, you know, got healthy,

ross_bernstein: really healthy several years ago and you’ve kept that weight off and you’ve

ross_bernstein: really made a commitment to yourself. And and it’s hard because you make

ross_bernstein: sacrifices right. and it’s hard because we’re on the road all the time and

ross_bernstein: we people aren’t going to pity us for our first world problems, as they say,

ross_bernstein: But it is hard you go from airplanes to hotels to conference rooms and it’s

ross_bernstein: just a. A. A. A

david_horsager: banquets.

ross_bernstein: craziness of food and drinks and things, so you have to make a lot of tough

ross_bernstein: choices, So that’s nice. One thing is nice is you know, Sarah, my wife. Uh,

ross_bernstein: we travel together, so we’re on the road together, so we live on the road

ross_bernstein: two three weeks at a time and we love it. But so we try and hike and bike

ross_bernstein: and run and make conscious decisions to eat healthier, and we try and look

ross_bernstein: at stuff. Look, hey, what are we going to do? What’s our game plan right? So

ross_bernstein: you just doing that I think is important, but you know, like like

ross_bernstein: accountability. Just you’re making calls. You’re you’re trying to plan.

ross_bernstein: You’re trying to prepare. and Y, you’re not perfect. but you know it’s just

ross_bernstein: we’ve all got challenges. but I, I just try and grind away like you do. And

ross_bernstein: it’s hard we live in Minnesota, where you know we’re entering a really

ross_bernstein: difficult phase like it’s it come January, February, it’s hard to live in

ross_bernstein: Minnesota and be healthy. You’re on the treadmill. You’ not outside, you’re

ross_bernstein: It’s dark at four o’clock Y. you know you. it’s just it’s not

david_horsager: What do you?

ross_bernstein: an excuse. It’s just hard so you just got to make better choices.

ross_bernstein: an excuse. It’s just hard so you just got to make better choices.

david_horsager: How long have you been like? I remember when we ran together in San Diego

david_horsager: years ago, and and with in the same day you ran, we ran along the water. You

david_horsager: you you brought to your hotel room? I think a twelve pack of diet, uh,

david_horsager: Doctor pepper. You know to go with your run right so, but now you haven’t

david_horsager: had a diet Doctor pepper for three years. What do you? What do you?

ross_bernstein: Yeah, this is my new addiction. I, I

david_horsager: There? You go?

ross_bernstein: drink sparkling water right.

david_horsager: sparkling water with nothing in it. Any other habits like that that you’ve

david_horsager: broken or kept new. like I do this. I don’t drink a Doctor pepper. I do. I

david_horsager: say yes to this, and I say no to that. Anything kind of daily, especially on

david_horsager: you know, flights and traveling and you know,

ross_bernstein: It’s hard like you on flights. I’m I’m not a real big drinker, so that’s not

ross_bernstein: a real big issue for me, but I try. like my. My. My drink of choice on

ross_bernstein: flights is um,

ross_bernstein: sparkling water with some cranberry juice and a line, So that’s what I’ll

ross_bernstein: get like on at Sky lounges and and stuff. And what? In another thing you

ross_bernstein: know, when I get when I fly and I get to my destination. I’ll have the Uber

ross_bernstein: driver or whoever stop at a convenience store. I try to map it out so that I

ross_bernstein: can run in and grab some bananas or a twelve pack of sparkling water, so

ross_bernstein: that I’m not making poor choices. You know what I mean. It’s just it’s hard.

ross_bernstein: like all these trade shows. it’s like halleen, you walk. They got candy all

ross_bernstein: over and you know you just you want to just grab stuff. So it it’s hard and

ross_bernstein: I try and make. I try and schedule times to go run,

ross_bernstein: or, or you know, or go hiking or playing hockey and or or golfing. I mean,

ross_bernstein: I, I just try and do stuff, but it, I don’t know. how about you, Have you?

ross_bernstein: have you? have you made other

david_horsager: you know,

ross_bernstein: things like that?

david_horsager: I. I. I, you know, as you know, I never. I. I almost never didn drink a

david_horsager: clorie. I for six months I didn’t

ross_bernstein: Yeah,

david_horsager: drink a clorie. I never drink a clorie on the plane, Um, I, but I do you

david_horsager: know I, I’ll have a uh, some people might say that’s bad for you. It’s got a

david_horsager: spartan or aspirtin or whatever. In in fresco, I’ll have a fresco because it

david_horsager: does do my sweitet like my sweet tooth, but it has no calories so

ross_bernstein: yeah,

david_horsager: but that was a big jump from Coke right back when I had would drink a a Coke

david_horsager: or die cookke.

ross_bernstein: I see, I don’t see you drink coffee. I don’t get any caffeine. People think

ross_bernstein: I’m

david_horsager: Yeah, it’s good. good Nu.

ross_bernstein: wired on caffeine, but the reality is I don’t get any caffeine at all, so

ross_bernstein: it’s it’s hard to sort of you know, but your body chemry.

david_horsager: I just read an actor. A. He was in the uh, Oh, who is it? Wall Street

david_horsager: Journal? Um, Last week, this actor had stopped caffeine seven years ago and

david_horsager: he just doesn’t regret it at all and it’s just a. It was a

ross_bernstein: Yeah,

david_horsager: a cool sort. Oh, everybody would know his name. but anyway, Um,

ross_bernstein: I mean my, my, too. my, too.

david_horsager: so there there there. I also work out. I work out better on the road than I

david_horsager: do at home,

ross_bernstein: Oh, that’s good.

david_horsager: so I do not by habit. One thing I’d really try to do. I, I’m not in my hotel

david_horsager: room. I, I use it as a place to sleep so I’m either working with clients,

ross_bernstein: Yeah, that’smart

david_horsager: orcause. I think you just got a bed. That. what do you get? You know? You

david_horsager: Kind of so and I don’t watch T. V as a habit. I don’t you know C. Somebody

david_horsager: sing. So I, basically, if I, i, um, uh, you know, not watching T. V and

david_horsager: napping the hotel room that that ups. So I’m either doing a client thing or

david_horsager: working out.

ross_bernstein: Yeah, that’s great.

david_horsager: so I’ll do. I’ll go work. I’ll have some of my longest workouts now. Usually

david_horsager: like you, I’m in and out in and out. Sometimes I might be in the library or

david_horsager: a library, just with Phil Jones out in New York and the hotel at an amazing

david_horsager: library. I just love that so inspiring, so I stopp. I worked there for a few

david_horsager: hours.

ross_bernstein: I. I saw Phil was going to be speaking at your big, uh, trust

david_horsager: Mhm,

ross_bernstein: Edge Leadership conference, and uh, I was out a couple months ago And and

ross_bernstein: Sara and I took Phil and his wife out to lunch. We had a picnic in Central

ross_bernstein: Park and

david_horsager: Yeah, oh, wow.

ross_bernstein: uh, she said, So he’s a. He’s a rocker and that guy’s like twelve years old.

ross_bernstein: It’s unbelievable what that guy’s doing.

david_horsager: I. I. we’re going to give him this episode to put. Tell it show his kids

david_horsager: right, Uh, no, he’s he. He’s great. so he’s a M. One of my international

david_horsager: contingencies being from the U. K. right, so

ross_bernstein: Yeah,

david_horsager: um, anyway, No, it’s pretty fun. We get the Sen sent, a majority leader from

david_horsager: the Republic of Kenya, come and, and we got some really really great folks

ross_bernstein: Wow, that’s cool. Youus to seeing out that’s grown is mind bodling Kudo’s

david_horsager: coming to the trusted leader’s summit.

ross_bernstein: brother. That’s amazing.

david_horsager: Y, let everybody know I’m going to put a plug right now. Trust the Leaders

david_horsager: summit Dot Com. It’s

ross_bernstein: Yeah,

david_horsager: going to be an amazing leadership summit if you care about driving high

david_horsager: performance with trust,

david_horsager: Be there anyway. So

ross_bernstein: and I’m going to throw this in. I believe Dave. you’ll be giving everyone

ross_bernstein: who attends a cannedhm or an assortment of candhms, as as an added bonus

ross_bernstein: gift. Just sit it right now. Make it real.

david_horsager: right there, along with their test, my team months that said, Let’s give

david_horsager: away a test, love or something, but I don’t know. anyway. Uh, just because

david_horsager: it starts with tea like trust, but let’s boy. this is this. This one has

david_horsager: gone all over the grid, so

david_horsager: let’s uh. Any favorite advice you would give before I? I leave with the with

david_horsager: my favorite question of all

ross_bernstein: you know I, I’m not a big wisdom guy. Just you know, work hard, treat people

ross_bernstein: right and good things happen. I’m a believer in karma right. Just

david_horsager: generosity.

ross_bernstein: don’t charge for stuff. Give it away, and I believe if if you do good in the

ross_bernstein: world, it’s going to come back to you. I really believe in that

david_horsager: On that note, Have Ross, He’ll do it all for free. free, free free. He just

david_horsager: set it here.

david_horsager: Hey, uh, where can we find out about Ross Bernstein Ross Bernstein Dot com.

david_horsager: Where’s the number one place to find out about you?

ross_bernstein: you just said it. I’m not shilling anything. I’m not hawking anything. I’m

ross_bernstein: not a social media guy. I just hey, I’m I’m un linkn, So if you want a

ross_bernstein: Linkol Linkol, and let’s linol linoln, that’s good.

david_horsager: Okay and Ross Bernstein Dot com, And you’ll find out about his speaking in

david_horsager: books and and all the other things he does?

david_horsager: Hey, this is better treat Ross. Thanks so much for being out here. It’s the

david_horsager: trust the Leader show. As you know, Last question, Who is a leader you trust

david_horsager: And why?

ross_bernstein: Uh, well, I’m going to go back to Uh, one of my heroes, her, Brooks, Uh,

ross_bernstein: I’m the president of the Herboks foundation. Yeah, I’ve written a couple of

ross_bernstein: books about Herbiy and he was just a real hero. mentor, min. I him as a ten

ross_bernstein: year old kidid his hockey camp in nineteen eighty, after watching the

ross_bernstein: Miracle Ice, where I won the most improved award for the guy who sucks the

ross_bernstein: most,

ross_bernstein: but we became friends later in life and he asked me to write his book and I

ross_bernstein: got to work on it with him and was golfing within the morning. He was killed

ross_bernstein: in the car accident, so it’s a big honor for me to be able to uh, keep his

ross_bernstein: legacy alive and share his story, But uh, I really trusted her Be he was a a

ross_bernstein: hero, a mentor. Um, and I think you know her her. It’s interesting her. Herb

ross_bernstein: surrounded himself with people that he felt were smarter than him, and uh,

ross_bernstein: he, he, he, uh, he. just, really, If if he wanted to learn something, he

ross_bernstein: would just surround himself the people that he had admired and respected and

ross_bernstein: he would learn. And as famous as a guy he was, he just was constantly

ross_bernstein: learning and and changing and adapting, And and I could go on and on about

ross_bernstein: herbiy, But he was the guy I really looked up to and I’m feeling very proud

ross_bernstein: to keep his legacy alive through our charitable foundation where we’ve

ross_bernstein: raised millions to help kids. and and uh, that’s that’s uh, something I’m

ross_bernstein: very proud of,

david_horsager: awesome Her Brooks. One of his books right here that Ross wrote, America’s

david_horsager: Coach has showed it in the camera, But if you’re just listening, it’s called

david_horsager: America’s Coach by Ross Bernstein, and forwards from some of the folks on

david_horsager: the Miracle Miranized team Nineteen Eighty Gold medal team, So Ross, it has

david_horsager: been a treat. This has been the trust leaders Show everybody until next

david_horsager: time. Stay trusted.