Attraction and Persuasion
business model I was calling E-Therapy to a venture capitalist group. I wanted to create a business to connect therapists with patients who would receive counseling online. I realize this is no big deal now, but it was a pretty awesome idea in 1994. Nothing even close existed at the time! I remember driving to New York City in his Jaguar and dis- cussing weaknesses and strengths. He looked at me and said, “Dean, what do you think your biggest weakness is?” I responded, “My biggest weakness is that I trust too easi- ly, and because of that I have been taken advantage of several times. I have to learn to be more businesslike, be more shrewd.” He said, “So you think that your biggest weakness is that you are too nice and trustworthy?” I said, “Yep.” He looked straight in my eyes and said, “That’s crazy that you think that, because I think that’s your biggest strength. You’re twentysomething years old, you have no big business ex- perience, no money to fund this idea you are proposing, and you have no college degree. Yet, I’m bringing you to New York and risking my reputation because you’re so trustworthy and because you’re so caring.” He continued, “By being honest, transparent, and a man of your word, you’re going to get taken advantage of. But when you look back in life on how much you lose compared to how much you’ll gain by attracting the right people and persuading them to take action with you because of your kindness and transpar- ency, it’ll far outweigh your losses.” This was over 20 years ago, and he’s still 1,000 percent right to this day. By the way, that wasn’t my true “story,” it was a limiting belief I got from my dad growing up. He loved me a bunch as parents do, and he thought he was protecting me by giving me this belief. It died that day! I realize now that when you want to persuade and attract the right people, the right money, the right job, the right busi- ness into your life, transparency always wins. Many times you’ll do business with people who keep certain things hidden or try to mask who they really are. I decided at a young age that I was
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