Ep. 4 – Daniel Harkavy, Best-Selling Author of ‘Living Forward’
If you could pick any superpower, what would it be and how would you use it?
If I had to pick a superpower it’d have to be healing, the ultimate physician and healer. I can’t think of a more powerful and impactful superpower. If I could touch anybody and all of a sudden ailment and disease are taken away, I think that wins.
What was the impact moment that launched you on the path of entrepreneurship?
The idea of Building Champions came to me after taking a sabbatical from the mortgage banking world. What fueled my passion for this business was that I loved the coaching piece of my last job. I really excelled at management and my style of management was to work with really talented, hungry, humble people and help go further, faster.
Something that really excited me was owning my own company. I was surrounded by entrepreneurs from my grandparents to aunts and uncles. They were all startup kind of folks. I saw that as really real and possible.
Can you tell us a story of a mentor in your life who impacted your mindset and influenced outlook on your life and business?
I’m always comfortable with asking people for help. I will always people for a cup of coffee. I will always ask people for 30 minutes.
I always pushed myself to get out of my comfort zone. Therefore it enabled me to meet with a bunch a people that other people might be intimidated by.
You co-authored Living Forward with Michael Hyatt, but you were the first one to introduce him to the concept?
I started coaching Michael and walked him through the Life Planning process which is one of the things we outlined in Living Forward. It made a profound impact on him, his thinking, his beliefs, his behaviors, and he’s grown immensely since then. He loved Life Planning. He began sharing it. He wrote an ebook off our process, and then a couple years later approached me and said, “Hey, would you like to write this book with me?” and I said, “Dude I’m going to write it, so let’s give it a go together.” I’m really grateful we came together and created the Living Forward piece.
What is a Life Plan, and why do we need it?
This Life Plan has your vision, your purpose, your primary role, and then it has specific actions that you can implement on a daily and weekly basis, so that every time you do you’re mindful of increasing net worth in all those areas. So it helps you to see what’s really important to you, and how you can strategically close the gap from current reality to that future state. A Life Plan is a dynamic tool that you plan from. It helps you to make more intentional decisions.
You need one because most of us drift through life. Most of us will not tend to what matters most today. We buy a lie that we can get to it tomorrow. You need one so you don’t amass great net worth in certain accounts in your life, and go bankrupt in some others that are really important.
“How you lead life, impacts how you lead others. People don’t leave companies, they leave leaders.”
What are the main questions we need to be asking ourselves as we approach completing our Life Plan?
Am I ready to fill my days with more intentionality? Am I at a place where I don’t want to feel like I’m out of control anymore? Am I at a place in my life where I know no matter what, I’m not going to get it all done, but I need to get the right things done?
What would you tell a 21-year old who looks at the word “legacy” and doesn’t think it applies to them?
The sooner you come to grips with your mortality, and the opportunity you have today to make a difference – regardless of how young you are – you can make a huge difference today, but you’ve got to be crystal clear on what matters most to you. This world today doesn’t need a bunch of people to just say yes and go along with the trend. What we need is people who stand for something.
What impact can we expect to see from completing the Life Plan?
You’re going to see impact everywhere. I’m not saying if you do it you’re going to have this perfect life. What is does is position to be filling your days and reacting to whatever life throws your way in ways that enable you to make proactive and intentional decisions. You’re in control more than you think so there’s peace in that. At the end of the day, when you look at your life 30 years from now, if you do this, you’re going to have a much high probability of living a regret-free life.
How will you measure your life?
What fans my flames is how I impact others. My life’s going to be measured by how I live out my gifts, my callings, my passions, my purpose so I make a positive and lasting difference in the life of everybody I come into contact with.
Show Links
Daniel’s Coaching Company – buildingchampions.com
Living Forward book – livingforwardbook.com
Living Forward Life Assesment – livingforwardassessment.com
Facebook/Twitter – @DanielHarkavy