You Got It; Now Go Get It!: Realizing once and for all just how high you can fly

By Troy Ritchie

"You Got It; Now Go Get It" reveals what it takes to finally overcome the nagging feeling that you're not reaching your full potential. This motivational book provokes thought and challenges what entrepreneurs assume to be true about success. It will inspire hope and reignite the dream you buried long ago. It's time to dig it up, dust it off, and bring a new frame of mind to making your dream your reality.

When Troy Ritchie was laid off, alongside his entire department, he embraced the challenge. After a successful career as a Senior Sales Professional, he now had time to examine his life. How does success happen? How is it sustained? Well, it all comes down to your definition of success.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Dec 25, 2020
• ISBN: 9781098348823

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You Got It; Now Go Get It!

You Got It;

Now Go Get It!

Realizing Once and for All Just How High You Can Fly

Troy Ritchie

You Got It; Now Go Get It!

Copyright © 2020 by Troy Ritchie

Troy Ritchie Creative

304 S. Jones Blvd #5248

Las Vegas, NV 89107

www.TroyRitchie.com

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,

or transmitted in any form by any means–electronic, mechanical, photocopy,

recording, or other–except for brief quotations in printed reviews,

without prior permission of the author.

This book is dedicated to LinkedIn influencers Sally A. Illingworth from Sydney, Australia, and the #MilwaukeeMagic: Shay Rowbottom, Jackie Hermes, Sam Lister, and the godfather of them all, Quentin Michael Allums (Q).

Acknowledgments

There are thousands of people who have impacted my life over the years, and hundreds I could acknowledge in this, my first book.

Many years ago, however, I made a commitment to only give my first fruits and acknowledgments to:

Our Creator: I AM,

His son: Jesus Christ,

and the Holy Spirit.

I’ll catch y’all on the next one.

Preface

With all the self-help books in the world that have been written by inspirational authors with much greater credentials than mine, why would I attempt to write another one? This question has gone through my mind thousands of times over the last few months. You see, on April 9, 2020, I was laid off from my job due to COVID-19. Instead of spending time watching Tiger King on Netflix or playing the Xbox with my kids, I decided to write a book for those of us who grind and hustle every day as entrepreneurs.

The genesis of You Got It; Now Go Get It came after a coffee visit a few years ago with a very smart and talented entrepreneur. We met to discuss if my newly created side hustle, a sales enablement company, could help her small business in gaining customers. The conversation started with questions about her current situation. After I asked where she saw herself and her business going, it opened up a line of questioning about her personal dreams and goals. The questions continued and, before I knew it, she was crying. Thinking I had offended her, I asked what was wrong and she admitted that what she really wanted to do wasn’t what she was doing. She apologized and assured me things like that don’t happen often; it was my questions that got her thinking.

The more coffee visits I had with small business owners, the more I realized how many entrepreneurs had that same struggle. I can’t help small business owners with their sales process if they are still questioning their identity with their work. Originally, I thought these were failed meetings, but people would tell me how much they appreciated the talk and that I had given them a lot to think about. It was almost as if they left feeling a little better about what they wanted to do next.

I’m sure there are tens of thousands of smart and talented entrepreneurs who have invested their time into activities without matching their actions to what really matters. Seeing that I can help them with self-discovery more than their sales process, I started a podcast called The 4 AM Daily Wake Up. It’s a three- to five-minute micro-podcast given every weekday to inspire hope to my listeners. If everyone had someone like me in their life to ask questions about their destiny, dreams, and goals, they would be forced to answer them. But in order to answer the questions, they would first have to think about the context to the question, sparking a much-needed self-discovery.

What I expect to accomplish by publishing this book is to provide entrepreneurs (and anyone else needing to discover their identity) with personal stories and insightful information which will provoke thoughts toward self-discovery.

Since 2018, I’ve read more than 200 non-fiction books, mostly in the self-help genre. There seems to be a blueprint for self-help books in that they give their point and then reinforce it with one or two stories. Where it’s problematic is that the point they initially made was so fantastic that there isn’t a need for one or two (or, in some cases, three) stories to reinforce the initial point. It feels sometimes like the reinforced stories are just there to fill space on a page. This book eliminates that reinforced story style by sharing a story with a compelling point found within the story. It’s a book of good stuff, without the fluff.

You’ll read about boom moments and spitt’n fire. A boom moment is when you have a lightbulb moment, only it’s so big the lightbulb explodes. Spitt’n fire is a term I use to describe someone who is passionately sharing their message.

In order to get the most out of this book, read it with an open mind and little to no judgement. I reference a lot of books throughout these pages, and some of the suggestions may take you out of your comfort zone. It’s okay if you disagree with me. I’m not trying to convince you of anything. My purpose in writing this book is to help you understand where I’m coming from and to prompt you to think about how my guidance can be applied to your life. Although it starts with a boom moment, coming to a place of self-assurance through discovering your identity is a snowball effect. It takes time to build as it rolls downhill. Stories will reinforce the message of your importance through self-mastery so you can lead others with your personal brand and effectively engage your audience.

If, after reading this book, you think to yourself, who is this guy? I can do better work than this. You’re right! You can do better work than this. And if this book reveals that to you, and you actually do it, I will consider this book a massive success.

My name is Troy Ritchie and, if you don’t know me, you will.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Preface

TABLE OF CONTENTS

introduction

Section one: Self-Mastery

There Is No One Greater than Me, and I Am Greater than No One

After the Rain, Follow the Rainbow

Surrender All

Although Pain Is Unavoidable, Suffering Is Optional

Remember, Only You Can Prevent Yourself from Being Offended

Don’t Be a Troublemaker; Be a Wavemaker

It’s Impossible to Be Mad When There Is No Mad in Ya

Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart

Courage Doesn’t Exist without the Fear to Act

What Does Tomorrow’s You Look Like?

Your Greatest Success Is One Step Further than Your Greatest Failure

Interpersonal Competence Is Greater than Powerful Intellect

Let Me Be the First to Say...

A Mistake Is the Greatest Opportunity to Show Others What You Are Made Of

Does It Feel Hard? Good.

The Mindset Spectrum

Pressure Is a Privilege. Accept It. Embrace It. Love It.

History Will Not Judge You on Your Strikeouts, So Swing!

Positive Beliefs Are Greater than Positive Thoughts

You Are Not a Feather, Blowing Here and There through Life

Opportunity Doesn’t Knock. Opportunity Knocks.

The Perfect Time to Do Something Isn’t Coming; It’s Already Here

Read to Know; Do to Learn

Read Between the Lines

Overcoming Problems Is Refusing to Accept Excuses

Focus on What You Do Well

Failure Is Action without Planning

You Own Every Minute of Every Day

Address the Elephant in the Room

Work without Identity Is Just a Job

Attack the Day by Beating the Sun with the 4:00 a.m. Wake-Up

Always Go Big

Section two: leadership

Love Others before Leading Others

Inspire Them

Respect Is Greater than Power

Discipline over Punishment

Followers Do What Leaders Do, Not What Leaders Say

Section THree: personal branding

How Do You Become Remarkable? You Define Remarkable.

Authenticity Doesn’t Need to Be Announced

Do It Poorly Until You Do It Better

See like Everyone Else, Think like No One Else

Spit Fire. Ignite Fire.

SECTIOn 4: Audience Engagement

BELIEVE

You Cannot Transfer a Feeling You Haven’t Felt Yourself

Others Will Not Find Value in You Until You Find Value in Them

How Will Your Accomplishments Benefit Others?

Employees Are Greater than Customers

Entertain Us

Give Them a Fish Before You Teach Them to Fish

Stop Disguising Advice as a Question

Stories Are the Vessels That Carry Information You Are Trying to Convey

Love Selling. Hate Pitching.

conclusion

The Team

sponsors

Bibliography

You have no idea how high I can fly. —Michael Scott

—Troy Ritchie

introduction

It was February 2018. I had had enough. My life was going nowhere, and she didn’t answer my question. Do I get the oversized 25-pound bag of dog food, or should I get the smaller one instead? There’s usually a better overall savings with the larger portion, but our dog was fourteen years old, and we were talking about putting him down. Considering what we were about to go through, maybe the question was insensitive. Why did I even ask? I didn’t want to make her cry; she’s my wife. The possibility of hurting her made me sick to my stomach.

So many thoughts flooded my mind as I stood in that aisle, staring at the shelves of dog food in various sizes. The answer to my question came as many answers had before: The oversized bag cost more and we couldn’t afford it. I thought back to a conversation with my wife three months earlier. I had come home late on Thanksgiving night with a brand-new OLED HDTV. Surprised, she asked, How can we afford this?

It’s a great deal because of the Black Friday sales tomorrow. Besides, my big bonus check will come in the first few weeks in January.

Are you sure they’re going to pay you? It was an honest question.

After what I did in building the company? Of course, they are going to pay me a bonus.

We had so much hope. After all my failures, I had finally come through. According to my numbers, based on the employment agreement, the bonus would have been anywhere from $65,000 to $70,000. Just the right amount for a down payment on a house in the new neighborhood we’d grown to love.

Every part of my plan had fallen into place. I joined a cool EdTech start-up in February 2016 and, over the next year and a half, we exceeded all expectations. In August 2017, I moved the family from Seattle, Washington, to Henderson, Nevada, just outside of Las Vegas. We desired an improved quality of life and had grown tired of the rising cost of living in Seattle. Living in Henderson allowed us to purchase a spacious, beautiful home that was big enough for guests and rooms for each of our four children. The plan was to rent for the first year and then purchase a home with my bonus money. We were ready to be homeowners again. How could I have been so naïve?, I thought, as I captured the tear, trying to escape the grasp of my firm stare. The bonus never came, and the betrayal cut deep. I purchased the small bag and headed out of the store.

Before turning the key to start the car, I reflected on my life—I was a forty-seven-year-old failure. Lindsay, my wife of seventeen years, had to suffer through another one of my broken promises. She was crying at home because of our financial situation, triggered by a simple question about buying dog food. My life had to change. It had to change now. As I took a deep breath and started the car, I noticed the building next to the pet store was the public library. I reminded myself that, in order to change, I’d have to do something I hadn’t done before. The library was my next stop.

I pulled into the library parking lot and quickly entered. If looks could kill, everyone I passed in the library died that day. After filling out the library card application, I asked the clerk where I would find the self-help section. He pointed to his left and reminded me they were closing in fifteen minutes. All I need is five, I grumbled, before heading to the aisle.

Once again, I stood staring at shelves, only this time, I wasn’t looking at bags of dog food; I was looking at hundreds of books. Negative thoughts began to creep in. Books aren’t going to turn your life around, I thought to myself. Then one book stood out from the rest. It was as if it were a shiny object in a murky pond. I reached out to grab it, not because of the title, Start, but because of the subtitle, Punch Fear in the Face. If there was one thing I wanted to do at that moment, it was to punch someone in the face. Me; I wanted to punch myself in the face. My face is too pretty, so fear will have to do, I thought to myself, joking back the tears. I grabbed the book, along with two others, How to Get Your Point Across in 30 Seconds or Less by Milo O. Frank and The Zig Zag Principle by Rich Christiansen. Neither of the latter books would go on to hold the same love affair as Start: Punch Fear in the Face by Jon Acuff.

My life changed when I walked out of the library that day. Over the next two years, I read 180 non-fiction books, 100 of which I read in 2019, all specifically self-help. Consuming this much content in such a short time increased my knowledge and understanding of many things and, most importantly, helped me to better understand myself. I had a strong desire to share what I learned, so I made it happen. I published hundreds of personal branding videos across social media, including a ninety-day video challenge, and I started a daily micro-podcast. Yes, daily-–dropping five episodes every week for over 250 episodes in a year. I also feel strongly that young people need to hear this information, so I started to volunteer as an inspirational speaker for the Clark County School District, which is the fifth-largest school district and in 2018 was ranked last in the United States, according to Education Week’s Quality Counts report. The school coordinators make sure to give me the largest, loudest, and rowdiest students.

So, what changes happened to make all of this possible? How did I, a defeated failure of a man, go from potentially suing my employer to staying with them and loving every minute of my new life? I read. By reading, I discovered how hard it was for successful people to achieve their moment of breakthrough. It wasn’t easy for them. They suffered from self-doubt, financial hardship, and betrayal. I learned that the authors were no better than myself, and that I am no better than them. They taught me that we are all unique.

Now it’s my turn to write. Most of you don’t think you have enough time to read because you have shows to catch up on, people to see, kids to serve, and side hustles to launch. I understand, which is why I’ve taken the concepts, viewpoints, and strategies from 143 authors and distilled them with my own stories to create this book. I’m confident if you follow these principles, you’ll find you also have your own story to tell. And it will be magnificent.

If your life is perfect, then this book isn’t for you. If you have everything figured out and you’re completely satisfied with life, this book isn’t for you. I wrote this book for those who have a nagging feeling inside telling you that you can do better. You feel like life is Lucy, holding the football of opportunity, and every time you try to kick it, it’s pulled away at the last second. Like Charlie Brown, you fall flat on your back again.

This book will show you why you keep missing the opportunities life is offering. You’re doing everything right by putting the maximum amount of effort into kicking the football of opportunity, but you’re trying to kick the wrong football. After reading this book, you’ll crush the ball so far that Uncle Rico will ask for your autograph. You’ll realize, once and for all, just how high you can fly.

There are four sections in this book: Self-Mastery, Leadership, Personal Branding, and Audience Engagement. There are also individual, stand-alone topics within each larger section, which are grouped together to provoke thought, inspire hope, and ignite a fire in you.

Since I have ADHD and dyslexia, I wrote this book in a conversational style to communicate my concepts as quickly and smoothly as possible. The topics are written in a micro-content format that is easy to digest. You’ll discover more about yourself (in the Self-Mastery section) so you can lead others through positive influence (in the Leadership section), instead of control. The impact you make will then transfer through to your personal brand (with the Personal Branding section), which will allow you to better engage your audience (in the Audience Engagement section).

Got it? Yeah, you got it; now go get it!

Section one

Self-Mastery

Self-mastery is a complete understanding of your true self. You feel a calming sense of peace in where you are in the present. Regardless of what happened in the past, you’ve forgiven yourself and others, and you find value in your past, for without it, you wouldn’t be who you are today. You have a clear picture of where you’re headed in the future and can describe it confidently.

The Self-Mastery section has 160 topics that will help you discover:

How to overcome self-doubt and negative thoughts received internally and from external comments by your closest loved ones.

The basic steps to identifying your true passion and how to align it with your daily activities.

How increasing your knowledge can change your perspective and give you the confidence to achieve breakthroughs and move beyond limited thinking.

There Is No One Greater than Me, and I Am Greater than No One

Start with Who

Simon Sinek wrote the bestselling book Start with Why. His TEDx Talk is the third most popular, with close to 50 million views. The purpose of the book is to show leaders how to create a purpose-driven organization. When he gave his talk at TEDx Puget Sound in September 2009, he highlighted three examples of companies and people who start with why:

Apple

Martin Luther King Jr.

The Wright brothers

These are great companies and extraordinary individuals with a deep understanding of who they were before they started communicating their why. From June 2016 to June 2017, NPD BookScan ranked Start with Why as the best-selling leadership book. A lot of people have read it and moved straight to their why. And, in my opinion, they are skipping the most vital step: who they are. Before sharing your why with others, you need to know who you are. If you don’t know who you are and what you do, does anyone care about why you do it?

When I first moved to the Las Vegas area, I met with smart and talented entrepreneurs who had a clear understanding of what they do and why they do it. We talked over coffee, lunch, and networking events. Over time, I noticed a disturbing trend: Most of them didn’t know who they were. There was a general lack of self-knowledge. This boom moment for me was a catalyst in writing this book and cemented my desire to share the benefits of self-mastery. Knowing who you are is the most essential step in everything we do.

If you don’t know who you are, you may be involved in activities that are outside of your skill set or gifts, which is causing you to miss the mark with what you do. The impact of why comes after you know who you are and what you do. Starting with who is the most difficult point in your quest for self-mastery. It requires you to drill deep into your past, evaluate your present, see clearly into your future, and accept you for who you are.

Start with why if your audience knows who you are and what you do. But if your audience doesn’t know who you are or what you do, start with who.

The What and Where of Your Life

An April 2019 study published by The Journal of Abnormal Psychology found that the number of youths in America with mental health issues has more than doubled in the past ten years. It’s not just our young people who are suffering from mental health challenges, either. Depression and suicide rates in America are on the rise among all age groups. Knowing the what and where or your life can help avoid self-doubt and negative thoughts, which can eventually lead to depression.

Ponder these three questions in your life:

What are you doing today for work? (present)

Where have you come from? (past)

Where are you headed? (future)

Present

Some of you are working a dead-end job because it pays well. Even though you may not enjoy it, you know the importance of receiving a paycheck. Working at a meaningless job can be taxing as time goes on, and may eventually lead to depression. Fulfillment through meaningful work can help overcome the earliest signs of depression. If your job lacks meaning for you, I recommend you start a side hustle or hobby, immediately.

Past

There is a fine line between living in the past and recalling your past. Remembering your roots is important, as long as you don’t dwell on the past. I grew up a poor, white, skinny son of a preacher on the Big Island of Hawaii. I was bullied for those