Bob Burg: Give More. Earn More. Live More.
For years, my work in sports broadcasting has given me a front-row seat to the power of generosity and gratitude. What I’ve learned from nearly three decades in the business it that even though sports are measured in stats, the real score is kept by the people you lift up.
My best moments behind the microphone have always come from giving. Sometimes it’s giving respect while listening with intention in a clubhouse. Others, I’m giving attention while shining a light on someone’s incredible journey to the big leagues. As my speaking career has continued to grow, I’ve noticed those same values have proven equally crucial to the stages I step onto. No matter the work, when I lead with gratitude, audiences lean in.
On a recent episode of my podcast Rounding the Bases, I was joined by a guest who has become synonymous with generosity, trust and the idea that meaningful success begins with gratitude and service to others.
His name is Bob Burg, who is a Hall of Fame Keynote Speaker and acclaimed sales genius. But he’s best known as the co-author behind The Go-Giver, a little story about a powerful business idea that sparked a global phenomenon. Its message? When you give exceptional value, you enjoy extraordinary results. It’s a subtle shift that changes everything, putting fulfillment within reach for all who lead and live.
SINGLE: Serve first, succeed second.
One of the strongest messages Bob brings into any discussion is the idea that our value begins with what we provide to others. Before money enters the equation, there must be a genuine desire to help or serve someone else.
As a force behind The Go-Giver, which has been an international bestseller since 2008, it’s no surprise he has so much wisdom on gratitude and success. “They saw this book as saying . . . you’re going to be successful,” he said, adding, “Money is simply an echo of the value you bring to the marketplace.”
When we shift our focus from what we want to what we can contribute, something powerful happens. Pressure fades, desperation dissolves and we start interacting with people in a way that is centered on their needs. The result is a higher level relationship can’t be shaken by circumstances.
“The golden rule of business, of sales, of life, really, is that all things being equal, people will do business with and refer business to people they like, know and trust,” Burg shared.
Looking back on my own career, the times I’ve led with gratitude have always created the strongest outcomes. To me, there’s something steadying in the knowledge that success doesn’t come from chasing numbers. It’s in showing up for people first.
DOUBLE: the bridge to influence
The importance of authenticity is another theme Bob emphasizes, not as a branding tactic but as a way of being. He argues that real influence comes from showing up as yourself, openly and consistently. To succeed at this, the first step is to give without expectation.
“The danger of keeping score when it comes to relationships . . . the energy that you’re putting out there actually causes this person . . . to feel obligated,” he shared. “What you want to do is just provide value to others, because that’s what you want to do, because that’s who you are.”
People can sense a difference between someone who is trying to manipulate them versus truly help. When we shift the focus to consistently providing exceptional value, doing business becomes more fulfilling for everyone.
“When you take the focus off yourself and you place it on service others, discovering their needs, their wants, their desires, how to help them overcome and solve their challenges . . . people feel good about you,” Bob shared. “They want to tell the world about you and be your personal walking ambassador.”
In the world of sports broadcasting, I’ve learned that audiences and players alike connect with honesty. It’s because real relationships always grow from that foundation. When we bring our authentic selves into a conversation, we’re actually building trust, not just delivering information. And through trust, we elevate our influence more than any strategic pitch ever could.
TRIPLE: relationships over transactions
Human connection is central to Bob’s philosophy. He see’s every interaction as an opportunity to make someone else’s life a little bit better, and is the kind of mindset that turns ordinary moments into opportunities for extraordinary impact.
“I think it’s human nature that we want to, we want to make the world a better place,” he said of business. “We want to, in some way, touch peoples lives, do something that’s bigger than just ourselves.”
When we focus on relationships above transactions, we start playing the long game, no matter what line of work we are in. The trust that’s built leads to shared success.
“How am I helping another person by doing that,” he is a question he encourages people to ask before every sale. “When they can do that and earn a lot of money while they’re doing that, what a wonderful way to live and do business.”
Baseball judges transactions by the number on the scoreboard. But relationships built behind the scene create a culture that helps teams thrive. Not because they’re chasing numbers, but because they’re invested in one another. The same applies outside the ballpark. When people feel valued and supported, they stick around to grow and to give back.
HOME RUN: a ripple of gratitude
Perhaps the most powerful takeaway from my time with Bob is his deep belief that giving and gratitude must go hand in hand. Giving without gratitude can feel empty, like nothing more than an obligation fulfilled. But when giving is done with appreciation, it becomes memorable.
“You focus on giving,” he coached. “You plant those seeds but you, but you also willingly and gratefully receive that which you’ve earned.”
Practicing gratitude for every opportunity we’re given actually keeps us grounded. When challenges arise, it gives us perspective. And when riding a wave of success, gratitude also keeps us humble.
“No one’s forced to do business with anyone else,” Bob said. “In order for you to receive and do really well, you’ve got to find a way to please your customer. You’ve got to find a way to please others. And that’s exactly how it should be.”
In a world obsessed with final scores and bottom lines, my conversation with Bob reaffirmed a principle I’ve seen play out time and time again: the the most meaningful success doesn’t come from what you collect, but what you contribute. Whether it’s authenticity, gratitude or value-based relationships, those quiet victories that aren’t recorded anywhere are the real wins.
Listen to the full interview here or tune in to Rounding the Bases every Tuesday, available wherever you get your podcasts.
LEARN MORE ABOUT gratitude FROM JOEL
Book Joel Goldberg for your next corporate event. He draws on over 30 years of experience as a sports broadcaster. In addition, he brings unique perspectives and lessons learned from some of the world’s most successful organizations. Whatever your profession, Joel is the keynote speaker who can help your team achieve a championship state of mind.
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Joel Goldberg 0:16
Hello, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of Rounding the Bases presented by Community America Credit Union: Invested In You. I've got a spectacular guest today. The song says everybody knows Joel Goldberg, that's not the case. Maybe some in Kansas City, but a lot of people know my guest coming up. A quick shout out to my friends at Chief of Staff Kansas City, whether you're in KC or in Florida, like my guest, or anywhere around the country, if you do happen to need a resource, looking for a job, looking to hire someone, great culture, company that gets people, which is so much about what today's podcast is regarding as well, check them out. Chiefofstaffkc.com. Making Connections That Matter. My connection today comes from my good friend, Dr. Michelle Robin, who's such a positive influence on my life, and has been a guest on this podcast, a good friend, also my chiropractor, a mentor and advisor, and so much more. She said, have you had this guy on yet? I said, No, but I know his work. Every now and then, a simple idea reshapes success. Today, I'm joined by a man who did just that, and in the process, pioneered an international movement. His name is Bob Burg, a Hall of Fame keynote speaker and acclaimed sales genius, but he's best known as the co-author behind the book The Go Giver, a little story about a powerful business idea that sparked a global phenomenon. Its message? When you give exceptional value, you enjoy extraordinary results. It's a subtle shift that changes everything, putting fulfillment within reach for all who lead and live. The book's been around now for, I think, almost about 20 years. It's still a phenomenon. I read it years ago, and I was just telling Bob that I got it the first time around, but I didn't really get it. I just reread it again the last few days, because it's what my focus has been lately. On giving. I just did my whole newsletter last month on the importance of giving. Not charitably, that's important too. The giving mindset. And I get it right now. And I'm so happy to be joined by Bob Burg. Bob how are you?
Bob Burg 2:16
Hey, great. Joel, fantastic to be with you. And you know, I was excited just, you know, when I was asked to be on your show, but I also, because I know your history with the Negro League Hall of Fame, I had to wear my official Josh Gibson t-shirt, which I actually bought online, on Twitter, on X from either his grandson or his great grandson, but who really has done a wonderful job of carrying on the legacy of Josh Gibson. And so he sold these T shirts, and Josh is like my hero. And so I had to get a shirt. So I was so excited to be able to wear it on this show.
Joel Goldberg 3:03
I'm so happy to do that. I've got Satchel Paige over one, Buck O'Neil over the other. I'm such a I'm a proud board member of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, and I've heard their president, Bob Kendrick, numerous times say that some people say that Josh Gibson was the was the Babe Ruth of the Negro Leagues. And he says, but a lot of people said that Babe Ruth was the Bob was the Josh Gibson.
Bob Burg 3:30
I heard Babe Ruth, said, said something like that. Like somebody said, you know, Babe Ruth, what do you think of Josh Gibson? Babe, you know, the the the black Babe Ruth. And he said, No, I'm the white Josh Gibson or something like that. It was like a really cool story. And Ted Williams, I think, you know, really went to bat, pardon the pun, but went to bat, you know, just saying at that time that it was really doing such a disservice to Major League Baseball and everybody, all the fans the entire country, you know, to not to not be open, right? And that people like Josh Gibson could have just, just, you know, gone cra-, given the fans really so much value.
Joel Goldberg 4:13
I gotta tell you, I'm so lucky to have landed in Kansas City in 2008 a little bit after the The Go Giver came out and being in Kansas City living a dream job, talking about baseball every day, but in town where the Negro Leagues were formed, and to have access to the museum and to have access to their dynamic president, Bob Kendrick, who is an extension of Buck O'Neill, who, unfortunately I never got to meet, but I feel like I know. And now to be on stage a few weeks ago, emceeing with Bob their annual awards, which now go to, you know, current or former big leaguers that are carrying on the legacy, and to be sitting on stage with Dusty Baker and Seto Gaston, I mean, it was Willie Randolph. It was, it was incredible. So anyway, I did not have you on to talk about baseball, though I have this feeling that you and I can probably just do 30 or 40 minutes on baseball. You'd probably be happy with that, but I get to talk about that all the time. I was telling you that I I reread the book because I knew I was having you on and also, let's be honest, you can knock this thing out in a day, and even a slow reader like me two days, and it just, it's pouring through my veins. Why do you think this thing has been such a global phenomenon for coming up on 20 years now?
Bob Burg 5:28
I think that that one of the pieces of feedback that John, John David Mann, was my co-author, and really the lead writer, great storyteller. I'm a how-to. I'm step one, step two, step three. I'm like, most boring guy, but John's a great writer. And one of the things we first heard when the after the book came out, and it got off to a, you know, fortunately, a really good start, is people would say two things. One is, this book gave me permission to live and sell and act and do business according to my values, because I think it is an element of human nature that we want to, we want to make the world a better place. You know, we want to bring value to what we're doing. We want to, in some way, touch people's lives, do something that's bigger than just our ourselves, while remaining individuals, of course, do something bigger than ourselves, and most people, they do that through their business. And now it doesn't mean you can't do other things and be involved in but a lot of our time is spent in our business. So when someone, let's say, sells a product or a service, okay. In that case, you know, how am I helping another person by doing that? Now, when they can do that and earn a lot of money while they're doing that, what a wonderful way to live life and to do business, because it's not one or the other. And for so long, you know, what were people taught? You know? And this is, again, the so many of the anti prosperity messages that we're hit with, whether it's a combination of upbringing, environment, schooling, news media, television shows, movies, popular culture, cultural mores, certainly social media. There are so many anti prosperity messages where, you know, where to be successful. You know, back in my day, I'm 67 now, so back in my day was J.R. Ewing was the guy who was, you know, the mean, terrible, horrible business person who stepped on people's toes, and that's that's what so many people, unfortunately, think. And it's a message they get, and sometimes they get it from the people they work for who buy into those messages. And I think that they saw this book as saying, No, you're not going to be successful in spite of helping others and bringing value to others. You're going to be successful, because as a result of bringing value to others, that money is simply an echo of the value you provide the marketplace. And I think people, people liked that message. And you know, the other thing was, there were people who, who, after the book first came out, wrote to us and said, This is exactly what I did. You know, this is how I built my business. This is how this but none of my team members or sales people or whatever, believe me. Why? Because, again, they're all brought up with that idea that to be successful, you've got to do all these awful things to people, right? Instead of good things for people. So they kind of use the book as third party credibility, you know, to say what they wanted to. So I think that's why the message was was received like that.
Joel Goldberg 8:35
Yeah, and it's just, it's so relatable. But we've been trained to have our guard up. We've been trained to think we're being taken advantage of. We, we have those defense mechanisms, yet there's such a there's such a sweetness to Joe in the book and innocence to him, that I think reflects most people that they want to do good, but they feel like if they get caught doing too much good and giving away too much, that they're falling behind, that they're losing in the race, that they've got to compete. And, you know, I mean, think about sports. We're just talking about baseball, and it's like, you know, you're you're battling out there, and you're trying to beat up on the other opponent. And I think we've all been sort of raised that way, that in competition for business, for for the big deal, that it has to be cutthroat. And I'm not saying it's not, and I know you're not saying that it's not. I think that's one of the big things in this book, too, is it's not just a we hear a lot of, if you give to the universe, the universal give back. Which, by the way, I'm starting to believe that through a lot of meditation. But it's not just a simple, well, if I do it, it's going to happen. It's not as woo woo as that. But I think, and there's something in the book that towards the end that you write about, you guys write about too, about how you do need to be and Joe learns the lesson you do need to be open to receiving. It goes both ways. There's a very profound moment in the book where Pindar has Joe exhale for, I think, 30 seconds, and he couldn't do it anymore. And it's like, no, but you it's the oxygen and the carbon dioxide, right? You got to give to receive. You got to receive, to give. There's a beautiful synergy to all this, isn't there?
Bob Burg 10:07
Yeah, yeah. And that was exactly it, you know. You breathe out carbon dioxide, you breathe in oxygen. It's not one or the other, you know, if you try to do just one, it's not going to work out. So you give, which is value out and receive, which is value in. You focus on the giving, okay. You plant those seeds, but you, but you also willingly and gratefully receive that which you've earned. And, and I want to go back to something you said, which I think was a great point. You know, there's nothing woo woo about this, you know. So when we say, let's say the premise of The Go Giver itself is simply that shifting your focus, and this is really where it begins. Shifting your focus from getting to giving. And now, when we say giving in this context, we simply mean constantly and consistently providing exceptional value to others, understanding that doing so is not only a more fulfilling way of conducting business. It's the most financially profitable way as well, but not for any kind of way out there. Woo woo, magical, mystical reasons. Not at all. It's understanding that when you take your focus off yourself and you place it on serving others, discovering their needs, their wants, their desires, how to help them overcome and solve their challenges, moving them closer to happiness. People feel good about you. They want to be in relationship with you. They want to do business with you. They want to tell the world about you and be your personal walking ambassador. And so that's you know, and when I used to speak at sales conferences, one of the first things I say is, you know, nobody's going to buy from you because you have a quota to meet, right? They're not going to buy from you because you need the money. And they're not even going to buy from you just because you're a nice person. They're going to buy from you because they believe that they will be better off by doing so than by not doing so, right? Why else would they? And so this is great news, first, for the person who really has a heart for service, but it also is good because what it says is, you know, and this is to the degree we live in a free market where no one's forced to do business with anyone else, right? It means that in order for you to receive and do really well, you've got to find a way to please your customer. You've got to find a way to bring value to others. And that's exactly how it should be.
Joel Goldberg 12:31
You know, I wish I'd gotten the message the first time I read the book, and I did. I understood it, but I didn't quite feel it. And I, I'm now in a spot right now, basically rereading it confirmed what I've been really focused on for the last few months. It's just this shift in mindset, because you just hit on something that you know they're not going to buy from you, just because you're a nice guy. And I like to think that generally, I'm a nice guy in a in a television world where you don't know what's real and what's fake. I've always prided myself on when people say to me, Hey, you're the same guy off camera that we see on TV. Yes, that's exactly what I want, for better, worse, whether you like it, don't like it, this is who I am. And I don't love to play the game a whole lot, so to speak. But what I found, and I'll just be open and raw here, because I think people can learn from it. That as I started networking, when I began my speaking business, joined NSA, which you're, you know, you know all about, and all those things National Speakers Association, that I understood that I was starting not from a completely unknown name, that people within our community maybe were watching. And I'd go out and I'd network, and it was so easy to tell them my background and my story, and they were very interested in it, because not a lot of people have a TV job like I have. It is if you're a sports fan or it's different, oh yeah, right. I mean, it's not your your normal nine to five job. It's not, you know, your teacher, your doctor, your nurse, your lawyer. It's, it's, there's a perception that it's something it may not be what you think it is, but it's different. It's unique. So its a really easy conversation starter, but then it always ended up with, Hey, if you know anybody, hey, if you have anything for me. And it's like, Have I ever really spent enough time listening to what their needs are and even seeing if there's alignment? People want to be heard. People want to know that you care and that you're interested in them, which I did, by the way. I mean, I was, but I never led with that. I was always leading with myself, not to be selfish, just because it was they enjoyed it. It was easy, but it wasn't getting Does that make sense? Like.
Bob Burg 14:37
Oh gosh, it makes, it makes total sense.
Joel Goldberg 14:39
It was, it was a crutch. You know, I, you know, I just, I want, now, I wonder about that, though, because, I think that the challenge, and this was the challenge for Joe in the book, and it took him, you know, the better part of what a week, number of days hanging out with Pindar and all these people that there's usually, but, yeah, but I don't have time for that because I'm on a deadline. I've got a quota to meet, I've got a number to meet, I've got a. So how do people get past that and trust that that giving piece, being the Go Giver, actually will help them get to where they want to go, and leading with that first?
Bob Burg 15:20
Yeah, well, first for them to do that, they've got to understand why it's beneficial to them to do that, right? Because, if someone is doing something a certain way and having a modicum of success, and then they're told, Well, you know, there's a different way, a better way, that might be no the way I'm doing it's, you know, working pretty well. And like you said, besides, I don't have time to do all this, this stuff. So, you know, first someone has to really understand why it is of benefit to them to make that shift in focus, and by the way, to understand that that investment of time is going to pay off. You know, big time for them. And it doesn't have to. The funny thing is, it doesn't have to take a long time for that to happen. It you what you do is you, you know, you go for the you know, you go for the singles, and you sacrifice bunt, you hit the sacrifice fly, and you do those little things, steal a base, and all of a sudden the Grand Slam comes, you know, when you didn't expect, when you're just trying to meet the ball. So, you know, really it's doing those things are going to add to your success, and the time is going to be very, very you know, well spent, well invested.
Joel Goldberg 16:19
You both write in this first book about the five laws and talk about value, compensation, influence, authenticity and receptivity. Is there one that you see that people struggle with more? Is it all of them? What's the biggest challenge?
Bob Burg 16:37
Biggest one is receptivity. And again, it goes back to what we were talking about earlier. The negative messages that society, you know, hits us with on a constant basis. And you know, so much of this is, it's not, it's not outright, but it's but you see it in everything you know, even when you good friend of mine, Randy Gage, who is a one of the foremost prosperity authorities in the world, he does this fantastic vignette about movies that, if you you know, if you notice any successful movie, there are typically two types of characters. There is the good person. There are the good people who are usually portrayed as being poor and struggling, but honest and so forth and but they're always then there's the other character that who they're always being taken advantage of, stepped on, stepped around, stepped over, the evil rich person, right? The greedy business person, or whatever, who, you know is ruthless and horrible and terrible, and, you know, whatever. There are those, generally, those two types of people. He points out these different movies and where you can see this. Now, there's nothing conspiratorial about this. It's not that they're the producers or directors are necessarily trying to do that. It's just what sells. It's what sells. But he gives us great example. I think this is such a wonderful example. If you remember the movie Spi- the first Spider Man movie, Peter Parker and his Uncle Joe. Was not, Uncle Ben. Excuse me, Uncle Ben, are start in the living room talking about, you know, being poor. And Uncle Ben says these words, he says, Peter, we may not be rich, but at least we're honest. What a horrible, terrible message for some 12 or 13 year old boy or girl to see, right? Because what is the premise there? That if you're a good, honest person, you've got no chance of being financially successful. And that if you are financially successful, you must have done something dishonest. And I say, Well, wait, wait a second, Burg, that's one movie. No, it's actually pretty much every movie and every TV show and every book, and you know, whatever, and what you see everywhere, when you know, when you see people saying, Get rid of all the millionaires or billionaires or you know, and you see all and hear all these things. So this gets into people's unconscious. Now, if it was just in their their conscious, it'd be okay, because you can, you can deal with that. You can battle that. But when something's in the unconscious or the subconscious, you don't even know it's there, and you cannot overcome a problem that you don't realize you have. So when someone grows up with this mindset, even though they don't even know they have it, now, as they start, as they get older, and they start bringing value to others and bringing value to the world, and doing those things and starting to earn some money, well, now the there, there's a conflict there. Because if they've been raised consciously to be honest and good and kind and thoughtful and this and that, and yet they're making a lot of money, which subconsciously means they've been dishonest and brutal and horrible to whatever. Now there's a battle that goes on between the conscious and the unconscious. And you know, when it comes to the, that battle, the unconscious always wins, right? So people will push away the prosperity that they've, that they've earned. Okay? They'll sabotage themselves, or they'll do this, or did that, and so so I so it makes it very difficult, and that's one reason why I truly believe. And you know, in the book, John and I, in the fifth law, was about receptivity. But, you know, I mean, it's a parable, so you can only cover that to a certain extent. I'm a big believer in making a study of prosperity and seeking out those people like Randy Gage, like Sharon Lecter, like Ellen Rogan, like Bob, the late Bob Proctor, David Nagle, Lisa Peterson, Ken Honda, these people who they talk and they write on and they teach prosperity mindset. And to read their blogs, watch their videos, read their books, because there's so much anti-prosperity garbage that comes in all the time. We need to be able to seek out and consciously put that clean pro-prosperity thinking into our heads and into our hearts.
Joel Goldberg 21:06
Okay, before I get to my baseball theme questions I want to ask you, but it's a little bit baseball-y as well. That's always a word I like to make up baseball-y, but really anything all sports business, we have been trained to keep score for everything. And by the way, people say to me, why do you keep score of every game? Because I got a Post Game show to do, and I want to look down at my scorecard and know everything that happened, and that's the way I take notes. And I got my own system. So yes, there is a great function to it, but there's also within the book where you talk about not keeping score. About stop keeping score in business. Can you explain that? Because, again, we've been wired to be measured by that, and we don't measure the meaning in the relationships and the giving and the value that we're adding.
Bob Burg 21:56
Yeah. Well, you know, Joel, it really comes down to context, because there's a time and place to keep score. In baseball, in sports, you keep score. Okay? You know, if you're if you have a certain goal to meet, you keep score so you can fine. What, what it was Sam that was the the chapter on the law of influence. Sam in the in the story, was speaking to, was talking to Joe, who was the protege in the story about, you know, the danger of keeping score when it comes to relationships, because if you bring add value to another person's life, and really you're keeping score and saying, Okay, I did this for them, they owe me this. That the energy, and again, this is not woo, woo stuff. This is just how this is life. Okay? The energy you're putting out there actually causes this person to kind of a little bit, you know, to feel defensive, or to feel as though they they're obligated, and that's not a good place to be coming from. What you want to do is just provide value to others, because that's what you want to do. It's who you are. And this is what, what you know, what Sam explained, it's who you are, and because it's who you are, it's, it's what you do. Now, again, we don't want to to in any way confuse this. When we talk about in law number three, your the law of influence, placing other people's interests first. No, not in a self-sacrificial way, not in a martyrish way, not in a doormatty way. It's simply understanding, as Joe learned from several of the mentors, the golden rule of business, of sales, of life, really is that all things being equal, people will do business with and refer business to those people they know, like and trust. And there's no faster, more powerful or more effective way to elicit those feelings toward you from others than by genuinely and authentically moving from that I focus, or me focus, to that other focus. As Sam explained to Joe, making your win all about the other person's win, you can't do that and keep score.
Joel Goldberg 23:58
Okay, so with that said, it's so profound. It's so brilliant. Let's go to the baseball theme questions. I know you're a baseball guy, so what's the biggest home run you've hit? Because really, well, to me, at least a home run doesn't have to be what we call a Grand Slam or the biggest home run moment ever. It could be something small too. But what about for you? What's a home run that you've hit professionally?
Bob Burg 24:17
Yeah, I mean, I think the Home Run is the success John and I have seen with The Go Giver, having sold about close to a million and a half copies now. So I'd say that that's the home run, probably.
Joel Goldberg 24:28
By the way, if you're listening and you haven't read this, it's never too late. And I'll say that because it's just I know if you're if you're not a reader, then some people listen, some people consume in different ways. This is such a quick read, you'll get lost in the story. It's such a beautiful story that-
Bob Burg 24:46
Thank you.
Joel Goldberg 24:47
That could be life changing. It really can and will get you thinking. How about a swing and a miss along the way?
Bob Burg 24:51
It is on audible, by the way, too. So if they, if they're listeners, they can listen.
Joel Goldberg 24:55
But either way, I mean, my point is, is, if you don't read because you get stuck, like, I'll start a book and then not finish it for a year, and then pick another, you know, and sometimes it is Audible, but it's such a quick and fun read to be able to do. So I just want to encourage people on that one. And if you've read it already and it's been a while, it's a good refresh. I believe it was for me. How about a swing and a miss? And what did you learn from it?
Bob Burg 25:17
Oh, man, there's been so many swings and misses. I would have to say it was when, when the internet really began to become a thing back in the late 1990s and I just did not want it to be because I had, at that time, had built my business up to a really good place, and I just enjoyed it as it was and and I, you know what, I knew these, excuse me, I knew these changes were coming, that my clients were getting more onto the internet, and then I input, you know what? I knew it, and I didn't do anything about it. And it really, really hurt my business. And the lesson was, you know, Berg, I know you don't like change, okay, but it doesn't matter whether you like it or not. You've got to do it when it's appropriate.
Joel Goldberg 26:05
Yeah, yeah. AI is here. It's a whole nother discussion, by the way. That doesn't mean you go all in on AI, but if you're going to completely skip it, you better be done with the career in life. And you know, there comes a certain point where we're all allowed to do that, but otherwise, okay, that's a whole nother discussion. How about small ball too? Every bit of this is small ball. Talked about the bunts, the sacrifice. I don't need to explain to you what small ball is, but I'll let you explain what it is to you.
Bob Burg 26:29
I think what it is, it is doing those daily things, and it's doing it consistently. Okay, that single is is, you know, reading in the morning. That single is, is posting on LinkedIn in the morning. That single is writing my next daily impact email newsletter. You know, that single is making that phone call to a prospect. That single is, that is the follow up, you know? So I think it's those daily things that, if we just keep doing that and just just worry about making contact in you know, you're going to get the home runs. They're going to come.
Joel Goldberg 27:07
No doubt about it. I can't tell you how many times I've talked to players, the star of the game, that hit the home run, they almost always say I wasn't trying to hit a home run. Sometimes they are, but for the most part, because of the right process. Okay, four final questions. We'll go quick here as we round the bases. First one, I know you have a lot of causes, a lot of giving which, which is similar to this, but could be a little bit different, too. That's a whole nother discussion we're talking about. But I just want to ask about your your involvement with animal rescue, and why that's been so important to you.
Bob Burg 27:37
I just, you know, grew up with animals. We always had, you know, we always had animals. And I just love them, all of them, not not just dogs and cats and so forth, but all, all animals. You know, I think it's terrible the way, you know, people have treated animals and abuse them, and I don't want to, but so I do my best, you know, just to be able to, you know, with giving time, money, fostering, you know, whatever, all the different things. And so I'm just lucky to be involved with different groups that that, you know, they're the ones who do the real hard work. I'm just there to help. But, yeah, so it's a, it's a very, it's a cause dear to my heart.
Joel Goldberg 28:15
Okay, second question, you talked about the writing series of books. I mean, everybody starts with the Go Giver, but there are more to let our my audience know a little bit about the other books, the courses, all. There are a lot of ways for people to be able to consume and get involved.
Bob Burg 28:32
Thank you. Yeah, so the the there's the Go Giver, which is the first one, the second one is Go Givers Sell More. This is the only one that's not a parable. It's a it's a more of an application guide to the Go Giver. Then there is the Go Giver Leader, the Go Giver Influencer. And that, that's probably my favorite book of the series, that's all about people skills and and then John and his wife Anna wrote a separate parable called the Go Giver Marriage, which they did a wonderful it's half parable, half how to and they did a great job with that. Yeah, at my website, at Burg, B U R G.com, you can subscribe to my daily impact email. I send that out Monday through Friday. And we have, you know, different courses. We have the Go Giver Success Academy Vault, the Go Giver Vault, and so forth. So, yeah, we invite people to come to the site and hang out and have some fun.
Joel Goldberg 29:23
I need to do that. I'm going to do that. Third question as we round the bases, just just my standpoint here, when I read that and I told you, I've been really focused on this in the last three, four months, and I'm feeling it so it was exactly what I needed. It makes me excited. Again, not woo woo, not blind faith, but it makes me excited by doing the right things, of what I can't see yet, and and I wonder if you still have that feeling as well with some of what you do?
Bob Burg 29:54
Yeah. I mean, I'm so lucky. I love my work. I mean, I'm 67 and I'm not about to retire. I mean, I'm not on the road speaking anymore, so I don't get on airplanes, and that for the last three years, haven't done that. I do, you know, virtual keynotes and so forth, but I never like, never liked the travel part of it. I'm a homebody, so I just so I'm not on the road, but I'm far from retired. I'm still writing, speaking, doing interviews, all these things, I just have fun every day.
Joel Goldberg 30:24
Okay, last question, we'll go light hearted gere. We talk so much about giving and receiving, for that matter. The Go Giver. Check out the book. If you haven't, check out the other books. Go to the website. What do you do to relax or have fun? I've learned that you do like baseball. You got the great Josh Gibson shirt on. What does Bob Berg away from work, enjoy doing?
Bob Burg 30:45
You know, I'm really a fairly boring, no, not fairly I'm a boring person. I really am. I mean, I just, I'll read a book and just me, and right now just have one cat, Buddy the Cat, who's, of course, a rescue and and he and I just hang out and and read. And, you know, that's, that's really what I love to do. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I don't have a more exciting answer for you, but I'm really that that is kind of just me.
Joel Goldberg 31:08
Well, there's something nice about that simplicity as well and and I think more importantly, the amount of good that that both of you have done, and putting this, this incredible book, out into the world many years ago, and I know it's got to be incredibly humbling to see the effect that it still has on people all over the world. Include me in that group as well. It really is life changing, and it just it goes against everything that we hear, but yet makes so much sense once you get it. So Bob, I really want to thank you for your time, for your graciousness with your time, because I know that in giving you give so much of your time to so many people like me and others. Congratulations on all the success, continued success, and thank you for spending time today.
Bob Burg 31:51
Thank you and you as well. Appreciate you.