12 People (Just Like You) Prove that New Surroundings Make Their Impossible Possible

30 Jul12 People (Just Like You) Prove that New Surroundings Make Their Impossible Possible

Traveling the Unexpected Path

I just got back from the most invigorating run I’ve had in months. Here’s why…

In the past day, 60 new people joined ourConnect With Anyone course and community(we prefer to call it a family). They’ve come from Canada, U.K., Italy, Brazil, India, France, Japan, Denmark, Germany, Singapore and the U.S. Seeing them join and connect with our alumni lights me up. And I can’t help but think of the potential – and the possibility that they’ll have the same kind of experience thatso many of our other alumni have had(Btw, enrollment is open until this Friday at midnight PST – unless the 250 spots fill up sooner).

And as if that wasn’t enough reason to party, last Saturday Live Your Legend had its 3rd birthday!

Over the past three years this community has turned into something I could have never imagined. Not even close. So that is what I want to celebrate with you all this week.

When I first created LYL, I had a vision for creating a resource to help people find and do work they love.

But I was missing the biggest part of the equation. As it turns out, even if you managed to find the hands-down best career tools in the world (a very hard thing to know), they’d still be useless if the people around you told you you were stupid for using them. You’ll eventually give up or never start in the first place – the ultimate tragedy. The same goes for anything in life.

The data on the importance of community is startling (i.e. terrifying).

The best-selling author ofInfluenceand leading persuasion psychologist Robert Cialdini recently shared a study with me about what causes kids to smoke. If their parents smoke, a child is 26% more likely to start.

But guess what happens to those odds if three or more of the child’s friends are smokers?

The likelihood of him smoking goes up to 2,400%. That’s not a typo.

Starting with Norman Triplett’s work in 1898, that later lead to the idea of Social Facilitation, countless studies have proven the same things at all ages and stages of life – you are a product of your peer group. You’re the average of the people around you, for better or worse. If your friends are overweight, you’re probably overweight. If your friends run marathons, you’ll likely be a runner. If they hate their job, you’ll probably accept the same fate.

But if the people around you are dead-set on making a difference in the world and being their best self, you’ll start to change the world alongside them.

Realizing all this is when my light bulb exploded.

That is when the LYL vision started to transform into: finding and doing work you loveandsurrounding yourself with the people who make it possible.

I wanted to provide a place where we felt like it was okay to think differently – where our ‘crazy’ ideas would be encouraged.

That is what broughtConnect With Anyoneto life in 2012.

It’s hard to know where a project will lead on the day you take the first step. It’s impossible, really. Ideas are funny like that. And even if you think you know, you’ll likely be dead wrong. But that’s the beauty of pursuing the spark. That incomplete and imperfect path turns into the most perfect part about the whole process.

Start before you’re qualified to finish.

That was me when first creating CWA. I had no idea what it would turn into, but based on the 10,000+ feedback points I had from all of you, I knew it was the work I couldn’tnotdo.

So in early 2012 I set out, alone, to create an in-depth course to teach people how to connect with the world-changing people who refuse to let you fail, so you could build your ideal business and career.

But what I never expected was that the CWA Experience would turn into a full-blown global community of those very world-changers.

To see what I mean, have a look at our LYL Local global meetup and dance party that happened in 150 cities in 48 countries, on the same day. It all started with our CWA alumni, who hosted most of the meetups. We just released the video this week…

Today, it’s clearly not just me.

We have a team of a dozen people, paid and volunteer, who worked their asses off to bring the CWA Experience to life for this week’s opening.

We have certifiedConnection Coachesand Mastermind Team Curators do all they can to ensure connections and success from the start, including hand placing you into your own mastermind & accountability teams with 3-5 other like-minded members near your city, so you have a new support team from day one.

We have over a dozen Connection Crew (all alumni volunteers) who welcome new members and show them the ropes so they have new people in their corner right from the start.

And then of course our incredible and inspiring members – nearly 1,000 people just like you from more than 30 countries.

They come from just about every age, background, culture and industry you could imagine – but they all share our common belief in possibility and the importance of community. And with every new member, the strength and possibility of the community gets all the more powerful.

So the real difference between our first CWA launch in 2012 and CWA5 today is simple…

The People.

It’s become a community of like-minds dedicated to making their own difference in the world and helping all of us do the same.

We’ve gotten to see what nearly 1,000 members have done with it, and the results have been pretty overwhelming.

Twenty-eight of them were courageous enough to film their own video stories of their experience, and you can watch them all on our brand-newsexy members story page here. The most beautiful part is how often the community has worked with each other to get the results they have. I’ve never been more proud of anything in my working life.

So to kick off LYL’s birthday – let’s celebrate a few of you right here (read their short story or click the image to watch the actual video) …

12 short stories of people like you who have made huge changes by connecting with people who refuse to let them fail.

Mastermind to Biz Partners – Naz and Leah in Sydney/Brisbane, Australia

Ryan moved to his dream city of San Diego, met his business coach, launched his own full-time video business and used his CWA skills to get free tickets to a 4-day Tony Robbins Seminar.Watch Ryan’s story.

Baz made like-minded friends in his brand-new city and got a video editing job working with another CWA alumnus! He also filmed and edited some of the more professional-looking CWA stories while attending his first World Domination Summit, thanks to getting a free ticket from another CWAer.Watch Baz’s story.

Carolyn, an up-and-coming country singer/songwriter, used the tools to better connect with fans, improve her communication with booking agents to immediately start getting more shows, and got to open for Smash Mouth in California! WatchCarolyn’s story.

Matias was feeling really lonely… then had the craziest 10 months of his life. He quit his job and started a business, and as he put it, “We’ve already finished our first course with real clients that paid money for doing work we love! …Everything connected to the CWA course.” And he was invited to talk at a TEDx event – something that seemed impossible before.See Matias’ story.

Helping & Befriending Influencers – Troy in Toronto, Canada

Troy learned the power of adding unique value and leveraged it to build real relationships with dream connections, which got him a $1,000 training program for free and put him on the homepage of a leading business and lifestyle brand. He now also does some incredible video work for the LYL and CWA community. Oh, and he hired fellow CWAer Baz, who you heard from above!Hear Troy’s story.

Introvert Turned Party Host – Steve in San Antonio, Texas

Steve learned how to leverage his strengths as an introvert, built his writing and editing business and launched and hosted his own LYL Local group in San Antonio. And two weeks ago he and three other CWAers and local hosts put on the first ever LYL Local regional event in Texas.Watch Steve’s story.

Azmat got 150 new subscribers to his site in a day, started connecting in person and used the 3-Second Rule to befriend and start working with an admired entrepreneur. His mastermind is now filled with real friends.Hear Azmat’s story.

Mike began CWA with no idea where to start with his vision. “I’ve grown my community, connected with people I couldn’t imagine and I reached my goal of making my first dollar online — 10 months ahead of schedule! Probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”Watch Mike’s story.

Sasha went from lost student to getting the knowledge and support needed to become a Kindle publisher. She started making money from her talents by launching a successful web design business, secured mentorship with a software entrepreneur and got accepted to a top tier entrepreneurship camp across the world. She also interviewed a National Geographic Explorer, went on more dates than ever before and attended the first LYL local meet up in Manila.See Sasha’s story.

Introvert to Host & New Career – Charlie in the United Kingdom

Charlie started out shy and introverted and, after realizing the value she could add to conversations, actually started seeking out new social settings. Now she initiates conversations she never would have, launched a new career path in psychology and created her own LYL Local group in the U.K.Hear Charlie’s story.

Stephanie was isolated in a small Scottish town and has now started her own community, had her poetry published and secured a gig with an established author.Watch Stephanie’s story.

Connection is the seed. It’s the foundation for potential.

That’s what you all have proven to me over the past three years. None of this would exist without the people in my corner – including all of you.

Change your surroundings. Change what’s possible.

The most beautiful realization I’ve had about our community came at World Domination Summit in Portland this year when I saw hundreds of you LYL and CWAers embracing each other as real friends. You were trading ideas, celebrating and high fiving as if you’d known each other for years. At this point, the cool thing is some of you actually have. A number of you even shared apartments for the weekend.

This is the dream I had a few years ago. And seeing it come to life has been the most surreal thing in the world.

You don’t have to take a course to transform your surroundings, but if you’d like some specific guidance, I have a feeling ourConnect With Anyone course and communitycould help. You’re always welcome to try it out risk-free and each comes with a copy of Live Off Your Passion ‘Lite’, as well as a few other fun tools. But please only consider joining if you really plan to use the course and participate in the community.

If you decide it makes sense, I look forward to seeing you on the inside. Our alumni (and many of the people listed on this page) have offered to answer any questions you might have for them this week. Just let us know using the green help button on the left ofthis page. But be sure to do so before Friday at midnight, assuming it doesn’t fill up before then (as of now we have about 28 coaching spots left).

We’d love to welcome you with open arms and help make the impossible your new normal.

Either way, it’s such an honor to have you a part the LYL movement.

Happy birthday to us,

-Scott

P.S.Congrats to our two scholarship winners Rose and Evelyn! Rose is focusing on helping mothers have happier, less painful births (and is a Bali LYL Local host) and Evelyn is helping foster kids have a healthier and more supportive upbringing. I couldn’t think of two more worthy CWA applications. You two will fit in just fine!

Learn More and Join CWA here.

Or Meet Our CWA Members & Watch Their Stories here.