On Friday, Earvin "Magic" Johnson was on the Charlie Rose show and it was one of the best interviews I've seen for quite some time. He talks about work ethic, life after basketball and specifically how to run a business, and more. If you didn't get to watch it, definitely check it out...



My favorite story was at the beginning of the interview (at the 2:00 minute mark) when Magic talked about working the garbage truck with his dad in the cold Michigan winters. Sometimes the garbage bags would get stuck in ice and so young Magic thought it was too difficult to get at, so he would just leave the garbage there and go back into the truck. He said his father would pull him out of the truck bring him back to the curbside, and told him, "son, you gotta learn to put 150% effort into everything, and learn to do things the right way..." and they would pick away at the ice until they got all of the garbage out. There are no shortcuts in life, do things the right way once and you won't have to do them again.

The other story I liked was when he went to venture capital firms seeking funding for his business. They rejected him at first. Magic said that was the best thing that could happen to him, because it taught him a lesson that you have to work for everything you get, nobody is entitled to anything in this world, not even if your name is Magic Johnson, you must earn it. I also liked his motto of "underpromise, overdeliver." That is so applicable in coaching, speak cautiously, act bodly.

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