Bill Schley is the author of The UnStoppables: Tapping Your Entrepreneurial Power (Wiley 2013). The story of how the Chairman of Rackspace, some Navy SEALs, a few Israeli Innovators, and a branding expert got together to discover the heart of entrepreneurship.

He is Co-Founder of BrandTeamSix, a brand development firm in Connecticut whose clients range from global corporations to promising start-ups. He is author of Why Johnny Can’t Brand (Penguin Hardcover) that won a Best Marketing Book Award from strategy+business magazine; and The Micro-Script Rules: It’s not what people hear, it’s what they repeat. He is a frequent industry speaker and radio guest. He was a founder and Chief Brand Officer at two successful start-ups in the 90’s that became industry dominant brands before sale to a public company. He began as a writer at Ted Bates, the legendary New York Ad Agency where he won the National Effie Award for sales-effective advertising. He later took time out to write a screenplay for 20th Century Fox and has written another best selling book, Power-of-10, published by HarperCollins. His latest book,The UnStoppables: Tapping Your Entrepreneurial Power, was published by John Wiley & Sons (April 2013). He is a graduate of Harvard University, a trans-Atlantic sailor and avid skydiver.

* * *

Morris: When and why did you decide to write The UnStoppables?

Schley: Graham Weston and I are two entrepreneurs from opposite sides of the business spectrum (he’s a billionaire, I’m not) who came together after Graham read one of my branding books and contacted me about a brand problem he was working on at Rackspace. We found we shared two passions—a love for finding the true center of business issues and articulating simple solutions—and love for entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in general. After the great recession began in 2008, we started talking about entrepreneurship more and more. America needs millions more to choose this career path if we are going to replace the lost jobs from legacy industries that are never coming back. We had a sense that America’s place as the can-do, entrepreneurial nation was being disrupted by a new, permanent kind of global competition. We were asking ourselves, how do we really double the number of entrepreneurs? Can it even be taught? So we started on a journey to find answers that satisfied us—not originally to write a book but to solve a problem we had. In short, we got in motion, started peeling back the onion—and we started to see startling things.

Morris: Were there any head-snapping revelations while writing it? Please explain.

Schley: When we started to see the myths vs. the realities about what the entrepreneurial spirit really was, and who it was that actually did it successfully, we changed our own definition of the word. We realized that people looking for the answers were not talking to the right instructors. The MBA programs were teaching everything but the essence.

Morris: To what extent (if any) does the book in final form differ significantly from what you originally envisioned?

Schley: We had to cut the scope—we wanted to cover in depth how big companies could create real entrepreneurial cultures—something we call a Belief Culture vs. a Fear Culture—because only entrepreneurial cultures can be innovative and compete in the new age. But it would have made the book too long. So we set up the concept in the final chapter. To be continued.

Morris: What are the most common misconceptions about entrepreneurs? What in fact is true?

Schley: The most common myth is that you have to be a visionary like Steve Jobs, or a genius, or a wild-ass risk taker, or a lone wolf who just wants to be CEO, or you have a special education, or money to begin with.

What’s true is that the vast majority of successful entrepreneurs start with none of these things. What they all have in common is that they get started and keep on swinging anyway. Everyone else just talks.

Morris: What is the primary driver of each of three types of entrepreneur: Start-Up, Inside, and Solo?

Schley: They all have an idea that they are yearning to turn into a physical reality. They have a dream and start doing something about it because they want to hold the solution in their hands. They want to solve a problem or take care of a need they have that no one else is solving for them, so they decide to do it themselves. In the process, they create something of value that wasn’t there before.

A start-up entrepreneur imagines a product, a job or a future for themselves and endeavors to
get it made, starting from scratch. An inside-a-big-company entrepreneur may need a solution to a problem where no solution currently exists, so she can better serve her customers and the mission of the company. So she marshals her resources and goes for it.

Morris: What are the defining characteristics of Accelerated Proficiency?

Schley: Accelerated Proficiency is the way you dramatically speed up the process of learning anything, so you can safely put yourself in motion—practicing the skill for real and gaining the kind of expertise you can only acquire by actively doing.

Morris: What is its specific relevance to “tapping entrepreneurial power”?

Schley: Accelerated Proficiency only works if you are taught the absolute essence of the subject from the first moment, then a key set of skills and rules that emanate from it. In this way, you can teach someone to fly a plane in 3 hours instead of 6 months as America had to do in World War II in order to produce a hundred thousand of pilots from scratch. Remember, we need to mobilize millions more entrepreneurs in America to win the war for the economic future. The essence of entrepreneurship is an emotional ability, much more than a technical one. Emotions can’t be taught. But they can be tapped. An unlimited amount of this power already resides within each one of us. It has to be revealed to students and would be entrepreneurs—then guided.

Morris: What does it mean to be Minimally Functionally Qualified (MFQ)? What is its relevance to Accelerated Proficiency?

Schley: If you are a baby bird, MFQ means you’re just strong enough and know just enough for your mother to push you out of the nest to fly the first time. And survive to do it a second time so you can become good at it. The idea behind Accelerated Proficiency is that we are taught just enough of the key skills and rules—what we call Master Aligning Principles (MAPs) — to safely get into motion in whatever it is we want to do because motion is literally magic. Once in motion we start learning the most critical lessons in any human endeavor—the ones we teach ourselves in the process of trial, error, mistakes, failures, correcting, fixing and not quitting until we get there.

We get guidance from teachers and mentors and teammates—but ultimately we synthesize our own truth, based on our unique mental, physical and social makeup.

Morris: Please explain the meaning and significance of “emotional mechanics.”

Schley: Emotional mechanics is the ability to take fear and love emotions that we all have in unlimited abundance—and turn them into your own power– an irresistible force that starts you, rather than a barrier that stops you. Harnessing fear and love in this way converts them into Belief — that “it’s possible for me,” “I can handle this.” It’s the most powerful motive force there is.

Morris: To what extent are they relevant to becoming an UnStoppable? Please explain.

Schley: Israeli performance psychologists will tell you that the moment your brain” switches from “I can’t handle it” to “it’s possible for me,” its like a magical switch. You may not be going forward just yet, but the emergency brake is off and your vehicle is in Drive. Touch the gas peddle even a little and guess what happens?

Morris: What is fear’s “Achilles heel”? How so?

Schley: Fear is the original animal emotion and it lives in the most primitive part of the brain. It’s quick and reactive, it makes blanket automatic assessments. It tells us, for example, when in doubt, be afraid. And by the way, everything new is in doubt. The only thing safe is “what I know.” On that basis, all risk is out of the question.

But this primitive hard wiring is also the key to defeating the fear impulse. It’s quick but it’s also dumb. Fear is tamed — basically out-witted –by the front of the brain which is much more evolved, the part that forms our conscious, complex thoughts. We can re-frame how we think about almost anything if we want to consciously control fear. We can never get rid of fear—but we can put it on a leash and make it do our bidding. It’s like a fire— you can use it to burn down your house, or to cook your dinner. Every one of us has that choice.

Morris: What is “the secret to self-talk”? How so a secret?

Schley: Self-talk is a simple technique used by all those who must operate and succeed on vital missions in spite of fear. We remind ourselves verbally and consciously about thoughts that control fear impulses or the simple procedures we’ve been trained to do that remind us that we know what to do. In other words, it’s talking to yourself and all great performers do it.

The secret we found that the most effective self talkers use are what we call “Micro-Scripts—“ short scripted phrases that are easy to remember and repeat because they usually contain vivid colorful words, they often rhyme, or they tell a little story. For every lesson the SEALs are taught, they’re given a little word set to remember it with. “When you’re going through the door keep going.” “Attack the crack.” When there’s a big wind gust, sailors say: “When in doubt, let it out.” “Altitude is your friend” is how pilots re-frame climbing thousands of feet up in a plane. We learn “turn into the skid” at driver’s education. Here’s one of the most important re-frames there is: failure is learning.

Morris: To what extent can Optimizers and Entrepreneurs be allies? To what extent can they be opponents? Please explain.

Schley: In nature, every value has an equal and opposite and entrepreneurs are no exception. We call the opposite of entrepreneurs in an organization: the Optimizers. Optimizers get paid to eliminate all risk, create more efficiencies, and standardize procedures using set processes. Optimizers perform an important function, especially in big companies that need predictable models and quality controls across large markets.

We think that schools of business teach an optimizer mindset more than anything else so students can fit into existing organizations—that is get hired to fill a slot in an established company.

The problem is that there is no innovation or progress without risk or without knowing when certain rules need to be broken and when ideas for change need to be acted upon. Companies that start up and grow by definition are lead by entrepreneurs with entrepreneurial vision. We need Optimizers to place controls and standards on organizations as they grow. But we need companies of the new global era to be led by the entrepreneurs—those who can keep an inspiring mission alive for themselves and their co-workers, those who understand the role of mistakes, failure and initiative in the ultimate pursuit of success, those who love the product more than they’ll ever love process.

Morris: For those who have not as yet read The UnStoppables, you provide some “distilled-over-time wisdom” with regard to how to [begin italics] identify [end italics] a good idea. In your opinion, which of the five points you stress is most important? Why?

Schley: The best ideas do one thing really, really well. That means they are simple and they are focused. And all they need is to be 1% better, not 1000% better, to succeed.

Morris: Do you have any such wisdom to share concerning how to [begin italics] generate [end italics] ideas, some of which – hopefully – are good, if not great?

Schley: Simply ask the entrepreneur’s eternal questions over and over, all the time: Why can’t I do ____? What if _____? How come no one ever fixed_____? How can I get rid of this pain, or nuisance or frustration? Would it be amazing if_______? That’s where ideas come from. Doesn’t have to be for a new product, could just be for a new business, started by you: “Why can’t I open a restaurant the specializes in cupcakes?” The answer is, you can.

Here’s an example of what happened to me last week: I’m out with 5 friends sightseeing. Every few minutes, someone says: lets stop and take a picture in front of the whatever. Each time, one person has to take the photo and be left out of the picture, unless you find another tourist and you’re willing to bother them to take the shot of all six of you. In frustration I said “what if there was an app that would always put the picture taker in the shot so no one’s left out? Take a picture of the photographer, the group—then instantly photo shop them together?” I mentioned it to the group. Everyone laughed and said that’d be great. One has a brother who’s an app designer. He said it could definitely be done. Maybe not perfectly at first but it could be done. So there it is. I bet we’d get at least 10 billion downloads the first day.

Morris: In this context, I am reminded of an observation by Howard Aiken: “Don’t worry about people stealing your ideas. If your ideas are any good, you’ll have to ram them down people’s throats.” Your own thoughts about that?

Schley: I call it the mouse trap rule: Only the naïve or inexperienced think that “if you build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door.” Truth is if you build a better mousetrap, the world thinks you are a pain in the ass. “Why did you have to come into my life and make me go through the process of retraining my co-workers, investing in new equipment, and making me risk losing my job if it doesn’t work? Everyone here was happy with the old mousetrap that worked fine. Could you please go away?” In other words, even the best new ideas need to be SOLD and marketed—sometimes for years.

The other reason not to worry about people stealing ideas is that no one ever pays for ideas that reside in your head or on a spec sheet. They pay for ideas that someone took the time, effort, money and risk to execute. People can’t steal your unique ability to execute.

Morris: Of all that you have to say about “The Big Picture,” what do you want your reader to “get,” if nothing else? Please explain.

Schley: That “it’s possible for me.” That not everyone is destined to be the CEO of a new business, but everyone can be entrepreneurial—you can tap that power that’s in you and when you do, whether you have your own enterprise, or are part of a team or work inside a company, I guarantee that your life and career will never be the same.

Morris: You suggest that there are six essential priorities, “The UnStoppable Six,” three strategic and three tactical in nature. To what extent does their relative importance depend on the size and nature of the given enterprise? Please explain.

Schley: Those six are critical to any competitive enterprise—whether you are a start-up or a 6 Billion dollar company. You must think about your difference, your team, how you’ll succeed with customers, how you’ll get famous, how you’ll get revenue (sell) and how you’ll bring your initial product to market. And then continually improve it.

Morris: How best to determine the unique difference of one’s organization? What are the most important do’s and don’ts to keep in mind when attempting to make that determination?

Schley: It must meet this test: It must be Superlative (best in its category), Important (to the customer), Believe-able (coming from you), Measurable (tangible to the market) and Own-able by you. It must be simple and be specific.

Morris: To what extent (if any) does such a difference change over time? Please explain.

Schley: Your unique difference may have to evolve as markets and technology evolve. Products are disrupted for example when the function they do best—say, make the best feed bag for horses—is no longer important to the customer.

Morris: In your opinion, what is the single most important change in the relationship between sellers and buyers during (let’s say) the last decade? What are the most significant implications of that change for [begin italics] sellers [end italics]?

Schley: Buyers have a voice and an ability to broadcast word of mouth in a way they never had. They also have a vast array of choices they never had. Sellers can no longer just pay lip service to listening to the voice and opinions of their customers. They have to actively communicate, constantly learn, and give customers their undivided attention. Our fortune cookie quote was: “Failure is feedback and feedback is the breakfast of champions.” Today, all feedback is the breakfast of champions.”

Morris: Given your response to the previous question, how best to respond to that change?

Schley: Institute a feedback loop in your organization—make following and responding to customer comments a full time job. Make sure that listening to those customer comments inside the organization is also a full time job

Morris: Why is “wearing one’s values on one’s sleeve” the most important principle of all?

Schley: Because the most successful organizations from now on will be values-led organizations. The best potential employees and partners demand it. Leadership cannot just talk the talk. They have to follow their own values in deed. All employees know that values are what you do when no one else is looking. The values you want your people to give to customers must start and be demonstrated every day at the top in your company.

Morris: As I indicate in my review for various Amazon websites, there are dozens of passages throughout your narrative that caught my eye. For those who have not as yet read the book, please suggest what you view as the key take-away in each of several passages. You develop each of your insights in great depth.

First, The Four Steps for Accelerated Proficiency (Page 34)

Schley: The take away is that you can apply these steps to learn and understand anything in a very accelerated way. The reason they matter is they get you in motion as fast as possible.

Morris: Three Master Principles of Accelerated Proficiency (36-38)

Schley: Think on your feet, simple beats complicated, go all in when you find the center—these are the guidelines for every part of the process.

Morris: True Team: The Number One Fear Tamer (58-59)

Schley: A true team—one where the members believe in and build on each other’s strengths, one that effectively turns four individuals into a single operating organism, is the most powerful success multiplier ever discovered. That it helps each individual handle fear to a degree they couldn’t on their own, is one of its many significant advantages.

Morris: The Optimizers Versus the Entrepreneurs (73-75)

Schley: We need both, and we will always have both. In the new era however, we need the entrepreneurs to lead us. We need educators to understand and advance the entrepreneurial essence. That means, emotional mechanics need to be in the school curriculum.

Morris: Everything You Need to Know about Ideas (80-91)

Schley: Ideas with the fewest moving parts are best. Simple always beats complicated. We like small, obvious ideas.

Morris: The Law of the Laser (100-103)

Schley: Focus with a vengeance on the key difference that sets your idea apart. Make it the best in its category—then grow the business. As the ancient warrior says: don’t fear the person who’s done 10,000 different kicks. Fear the one who’s done one kick 10,000 times.

Morris: Business Planning: Make the UnStoppable Six Your Template (116-117)

Schley: Ask a small number of very important questions. And then ask them everyday for the life of your business.

Morris: Your Dominant Selling Idea (124-130)

Schley: People only remember one thing that sets you apart. We call it the “one item of carry on rule.” So find the one idea about you that’s most unique, important and memorable and have them just remember that.

Morris: The Roots of Small, Super-Powered Teams (137-141)

Schley: The world’s greatest, most skilled practitioners, under the most difficult and stressful conditions, generally agree that small teams of four—a leader plus three– is the prime number when it comes to creating individual team units. An organization can grow to be any size—but it should be composed of such units.

Morris: Customer Psychology (152-157)

Schley: All customers want their pain or problem taken away. Find out what it is, then [begin italics] do it [end italics]. If you do, they’ll reward you with a relationship and repeat business.

Morris: What’s Measured Is What Matters: The Net Promoter Score® (158-160)

Schley: It may be the best, simplest, most actionable way to continually measure how you are succeeding with customers, so you can sustain the good and fix the bad.

Morris: The Five Universal Steps to Selling (184-195)

Schley: Once you realize that selling is persuasion–not just to change a person’s mind, but to make them take action–and that all people who are persuaded go through these same time-tested steps– you can become a master of the craft. The steps in the pyramid are the immutable keys to selling.

Morris: Of all that you learned while producing the final manuscript of the book, what do you consider to be most valuable? Please explain.

Schley: That neither I, nor anyone else can escape the moments of fear, doubt and uncertainty that are a natural part of attempting to achieve anything new and significant in this world. You’re taking a leap of faith whenever you have the Chutzpah (the gall) to try to conceive and make something that no one has ever seen before—whether it’s a new business or a new book. You’ll always be sailing through some uncharted waters and you have to keep sailing. I had to go through the same entrepreneurial process to write this book that anyone does. But I kept finding precious proof, over and over again, that daring pays dividends.

Morris: Let’s say that a CEO has read and then (hopefully) re-read The Unstoppables and is now determined to develop and then leverage entrepreneurial power at all levels and in all areas of the given enterprise. Where to begin?

Schley: Articulate your values and your mission in three sentences. Then live it.

Morris: For more than 25 years, it has been my great pleasure as well as privilege to work closely with the owner/CEOs of hundreds of small companies, those with $20-million or less in annual sales. In your opinion, of all the material you provide in The Unstoppables, which do you think will be of greatest value to leaders in small companies? Please explain.

Schley: Those organizations that run on love and trust will ALWAYS out-perform those that run on fear. And to give customers what they want you must first give your people what they want. As Graham Weston puts it: everyone wants to be a valued member of a winning team on an inspiring mission. Do that and you can build a business from scratch that grows to the size of Rackspace.

* * *

Bill cordially invites you to check out the resources at these websites:

The UnStoppables link

The BrandTeamSix homepage

Twitter link

Why Johnny Can’t Brand link

The Micro-Script Rules</em> link