How to Be a Champion, A 6 Step Process to Become Great at Anything

mrchichester December 20, 2016 Ad Life, Career Advice, Content Marketing, Digital Marketing, Entrepreneurship, SEO Leave a comment 573 Views

Learning how to be a champion is not easy. To be a champion you have to create a plan and stick to it and pivot quickly when necessary. However, the road to becoming a champion in anything is filled with hardships, loss and amazing moments of extreme bliss. I have developed a process that has helped me become successful in SEO, business, blogging, and life. It is a process I have observed many people go through, and which I personally used to help turn MullenLowe Profero’s search group into a multi-million dollar business (in less than a year) and make it on to Ad Age’s 2015 40 Under 40 list.

This post is dedicated to the Champion in all of us. Osu! If this inspires you in anyway please pay it forward and send someone you know an anonymous email of hope, love or inspiration via our Spread Love widget on the home page.

Click Here –> Love We leverage technology to make this world a better place one person and email at a time. Thanks.

Here is the post on slide share as well. Enjoy.

What is a Champion

Before I get into the process I want to define what I believe a champion is because it is very important. A champion is a person who is striving and finding success at being the best version of themselves that they can be. I believe that if we strive to be the best version of ourselves that we can possibly be there is no goal that we set for ourselves that we can not accomplish. The goal is not to be perfect but to make the choice one moment at a time to do the task at hand in a full contact no half measure kind of way. I’ve recruited some champions and top fighters to help me hammer my points home.

How I became a Full Contact Karate Champion

I use to fight full contact bare knuckle Kyokushin Karate and learned after my first fight (where I lost because i was not prepared) that there are no short cuts in a bare knuckle fight or in Search Engine Optimization (SEO). In that type of environment you either create a plan and do the hard work to get ready for your fight, or you will get seriously injured.

Once I got my ass kicked I decided that I did not like that feeling, so created this training regime:

Fight Prep M-F Regime

5:30am – 7:15am – Training in the Gym

9:00am – 5:00pm – Work

1:00pm – 2:00pm – Training in the Gym (Lunch)

7:00pm – 8:30pm – Training in the Kyokushin Karate School

And followed it until my next fight. Watch the video below to see the result of this plan. In short winning my next fight made me realize that with a plan, hard work and perseverance; I could accomplish any goal.

Watch the fight here.

Some Interesting Things About Kyokushin Karate

Kyokushin means “The Ultimate Truth” in Japanese
Mas Oyama killed Bulls with one punch and beat Boxer, Wrestlers or
who ever would accept a fight to promote the style
George St. Pierre UFC Welter Weight Champion’s foundation is
Kyokushin
Practice never stops; the goal is to keep evolving and to test yourself
You are taught to never give up and always stay in the fight

So Naturally I Do Full Contact SEO

Full Contact SEO is “The Ultimate Truth” because it builds a strong foundation for every other digital marketing discipline
I will go to the ends of the earth to promote SEO but I promote it best by doing good work
Practice and learning never stop; the goal is to keep evolving and to test yourself
I never give up and always stay in the fight

The Truth is We Are All Fighters

Champions Embrace This

A Few SEO Champions

Since I work in the SEO industry I decided to identify four people in various levels of the SEO/Digital Marketing Industry who are Champions and inspire me to keep working to be the best SEO and Lavall I can be.

Rand Fishkin

CEO, MOZ – An Marketing analytic software company

Why:

Brought Moz out of $50,000+ in debt to now making millions. Never gave up despite the debt, makes valuable tools and educational content and inspires others to be the best they can be in SEO, business and marketing.

Mike King

Founder, iPullRank, A Digital Marketing and SEO Company

Why:

Mike is one of the best SEOs and digital marketers that I know. He recently founded his own digital agency and is a true entrepreneur. Mike also creates heaps of helpful guides and tools to for the SEO community and has inspired and has helped a lot of us craft our skills.

Mackenzie Fogelson

Owner, Mack Web Solutions. a Web Marketing Solution

Why:

Has proven that if you make a plan and stick it out you will become hugely successful. She has increased her site traffic, grown her business and speaks at the top SEO conferences all because of a plan and perseverance.

How to Be a Champion, The Process

Mas Oyama The Founder of Kyokushin On Success

I‘ve worked in start from scratch entrepreneurial environments for most of my career and learn that process is everything. Processes are like roads, they help you get to a destination in an efficient manner. The roads were one of the main reasons Rome was able to conquer most of the world. This is the process I and many people use to accomplish their goals and become successful.

On Going Qualities

Before I explain each step of the process I want to explain the on-going qualities that you must have to support each state and this process. With out them I don’t think the process works or it won’t be as beneficial for you.

Believe in Yourself

Perspective is everything and if you don’t see yourself through a positive lens you won’t be successful. If you don’t believe in yourself and your projects you will never accomplish anything. You have to believe in yourself despite past failures and what other people think of you. Belief is like a muscle; the more you use it, the stronger it gets. Write that blog post, complete that project and put it out there. Even if it does not turn out the way you wanted it, you develop the skill of starting and finishing projects. This is a prerequisite to success in SEO and life.

Action Step: Look yourself in the mirror every morning and say, “I’m going to crush it today no matter what!”

Work Hard

work ethic is the foundation to success. Even if you don’t believe in yourself, you can work so hard that you make other’s believe in you. You should work smart as well but always work hard because it will turn into a habit and then a character trait. This is very important to be successful in SEO. It is very easy to take short cuts that lead to short term benefits but sustainability should be your goal. In Full Contact SEO there are no short cuts, just strategy/data driven, hard work.

Action Step: Keep working on that project for 10 minutes longer than when the voice in your head says to quit. If you do this eventually that voice will become your biggest motivator.

Spread Love

Love begets love.” I used to think that there was no real way to quantify the power of love. However, I did some research and found data that shows Love is Essential for Human Development. I created an infographic on my site spreadlove.org that shows this information. Love is so important that if an infant is not touched and loved it will die. Similarly, not being in a loving family decreases height and intelligence in children. Being kind to others, having manners and being compassionate goes a very long way in business, SEO and in life in general. As an Global SVP of Search and Content Marketing for MullenLoweGroup love plays an important part of the way I mentor my team. I show appreciation for good work and create a wonderful environment for them to grow in. A little love goes a long way it really matters and in business people want to do business with people they love to have around. No one want’s to work with Douche Bag Bison because “Bison Does not Give a F#ck.” and when things get tough he won’t support you. He will run you over and leave you for the wolves. Would you want to work or help Douchebag Bison accomplish his goals? Probably not so spread love and you will get love.

Action Step: Smile and go the extra mile to make sure everyone you meet is left feeling better about themselves after they leave you.

Be a Champion, The Process

Step 1: Create and Execute a Plan

A goal with out a plan is a wish.” That being said you have to create a plan and process for any goal you want to accomplish. Write this plan down and attack it step by step. Most importantly stick to your plan even if things don’t work out at first or take a long time to pick up. Mack, Rand and most entrepreneur’s success is a testament to their willingness to not give up. But remember to leave room to be able to pivot and slightly alter your plan to take advantage of opportunities that may pop up.

Action Step: Write down a goal – it can be anything from creating an infographic to launching your blog. Next, write down the steps you are going to take to accomplish that goal and then do it.

Step 2: Practice

Repetition is the mother of all skill.” Practice more than you sleep and you will be able to develop any skill to a level of mastery that will inspire other people to do the same. Invest in yourself, spend time by yourself and practice. My personal blog is my SEO training ground. I test new things, crash the site but cultivate my craft daily. Every year since I was in College I focused on developing a new skill.

No matter what your craft is design, sewing, financial trading, SEO, inbound marketing, invest the time to develop it. Also develop the many little skills that will give you an edge in what you do.

Step 3: Symbiotic Relationships

There are two types of relationships in Nature. Symbiotic relationships and Parasitic relationships. Parasitic relationships drain you. Symbiotic relationships empower you; they benefit all parties involved and create ecosystems. . A Bee pollinates a Flower creating more Flowers and the Flower feeds the Bee creating more Bees. Spread love and create symbiotic relationships with like minded people and foster symbiosis in everything you do. You should try your best to create SEO products and tools that are so good that our community and your clients can’t live with out them.

Action Step: The best SEOs create such great content and tools that the SEO community depends on them. Create something awesome and give it away. Then do it again and again.

Step 4: Fight and Test Yourself

If you don’t go into the field and test your skills or products you will never get anywhere as a fighter, business person or SEO. You learn can learn a lot by doing. So as an SEO you should be launching SEO projects, trying to solve problems, and get your ass kicked (fail) a little so you can learn.

Action Step: Create a theory or product and set some goals and a projections. Try and prove your theory or make your product a success.

Step 5: Learn and Evolve

If you are not growing you are decaying.” This is even more true in the SEO and the digital marketing world. You have to develop the desire to keep learning new things. I live by this quote from Mark Twain. “I Never Let Schooling Get in the Way of My Education.”

Action Step: Use next month to learn a new skill or discipline. You can learn digital skills on Lynda.com and how to code from Codeacademy.com

Step 6: Stay in the Fight

“A goal with out a plan is a wish.” That being said you have to create a plan and process for any goal you want to accomplish. Write this plan down and attack it step by step. Most importantly stick to your plan even if things don’t work out at first or take a long time to pick up. Mack, Rand and most entrepreneur’s success is a testament to their willingness to not give up. But remember to leave room to be able to pivot and slightly alter your plan to take advantage of opportunities that may pop up.

Action Step: Write down a goal – it can be anything from creating an infographic to launching your blog. Next, write down the steps you are going to take to accomplish that goal and then do it.

Final Advice from Our Champions

Rand Fishkin

Blog: Moz.com/Rand

Twitter: @randfish

Advice:

“Be the exception, not the rule. If everyone else is doing things one way, there’s almost certainly opportunity and value in questioning what’s “normal” and seeking the alternative.”

Great Content from Rand

Rands personal blog is filled with amazing content that will force you to think and inspire you. Read and follow him the post below is amazing start there.

It just depends what you consider.

Mike King

Site: iPullRank.com

Twitter: @ipullrank

Advice:

“Test every assumption, avoid silos and always be learning.”

Great Content from Mike

This Reinclusion story can teach you a lot about reputation management and brand building. Read it and follow Mike.

Mackenzie Fogelson

Blog: Mackwebsolutions/blog

Twitter: @mackwebteam

Advice:

“Put the focus on your goals, your customers, and your business. Figure out what you’re really passionate about, are really awesome at, and then develop a strategy that will help you accomplish what you really want to achieve. Bring hard work and drive to what you do every day and surround yourself with people who believe in what you’re doing.”

Great Content from Mack

Read this blog post on how they set a goal, executed it and kicked ass in only 10 months. How we accomplished big goals with content and social media marketing.