The Daily Grind

Empire’s philosophy is based on our belief in “The Circular Perpetuity of Success.”

The circular process begins with the recognition that in order to inspire others we must be inspiring. Therefore, our actions must be worthy of inspiration.

The more people want to inspire others the greater their commitments and actions must be. One commitment can lead to multiple goals I.e. A commitment to academic performance entails multiple goals – show up to every class, read and absorb all required material, score a min of an A- on all exams etc. As each goal is achieved the process continues by committing to larger more challenging goals.

The Circular Perpetuity of Success is not specific to one achievement rather a chain of unbroken commitments and achievements that continuously expands.

As we all know, Detroit is a city on the brink of complete disaster. High office is reserved for the unscrupulous. The man who was mayor a year ago is now a convicted felon along with his chief of staff. A council member recently resigned after pleading guilty to conspiring to commit bribery etc. High taxes, high unemployment and an evaporating population of taxpayers have led to Detroit’s insolvency.

Detroit is a city whose inhabitants are mostly poor and uneducated.

This scenario always leads to a flawed and bankrupt public educational system that creates a domino effect of uneducated youth. The lack of an education significantly reduces opportunity to prosper and succeed as future adults. What Detroit youth experience is The Circular Perpetuity of Failure - a seemingly unbreakable pattern of disappointment.

However there is hope; a shinning light on an otherwise desperate situation provided by the Math Corps: www.mathcorp.org

Viewing the URL you will read about this free mathematics and mentoring program designed specifically for Detroit middle school through high school students. The goal is to improve math capability by creating a “self perpetuating corps” of students with values that breed success.

Math Corps utilizes a strong mentoring program to build relationships between the younger and older students. The goal is to get the older students to pass their knowledge and skills onto the younger ones. As the older students reinforce their learning by passing it down, they earn the respect of their mentees who ultimately do the same when they enter high school or college. The results of this program are outstanding – 90% of their students graduate from high school and 80% go on to graduate college.

Detroit has one of the lowest graduation rates in the country. Math Corps has been instrumental in improving the odds and plight in life for many inner city students. What these students have accomplished to date is nothing short of amazing.

This is a great reminder of the power of inspiration and The Circular Perpetuity of Success. The program began with two college professors and a handful of students in 1993. Today, the student body is maxed out at 400 students per 6-week session.

This mentoring program is a great example of how The Circular Perpetuity of Success works! When you decide to focus on inspiring those around, in turn your actions must be inspirational. Through the circular nature of this process, many students have developed a passion for the material. Passion is infectious and encourages all those who surround it to create their own.

Math Corps has proven they are CAP-able of inspiring others to accomplish more than they thought they could personally and professionally, have you?

Dirk Gorman
Founder & CEO
Empire Surgical

http://empiresurgical.com/thedailygrind/

This is the month for resolutions, the life changing year where you become healthier, a better person - mom/dad or husband/wife, more organized, and/or tighter financially, etc. We hear it all!

The experts sell more articles, books etc. on how to create the “right” resolution. These experts tell us to make sure it’s a SMART goal, do it for you, not for others, and always follow your passion!!! This sounds easy enough so why does everyone yes 99% fail with their New Year’s resolution? Obstacles are the reason!

What do obstacles look like? If you want to drink less alcohol or potentially quit drinking, hanging out with your buddies in the bar probably isn’t the path. Those friends are a problem! You need new friends!!

Being alone might be your first obstacle. Can you handle it? Are you prepared for that feeling or will you break that first Saturday Night, get crushed with your so-called friends and eliminate your ability to be productive Sunday morning as planned? There is always a domino effect to keeping or breaking your commitment…

To propel through obstacles you need PASSION to achieve your resolution. At Empire we are all educated on the path to creating the passion needed to excel. Commitment plus Action creates Passion.

The first commitment will require anticipating that early obstacle. Entering the process with your first commitment means you have yet to create passion so how will you overcome them? Education on this process and sheer will, help you overcome the urge to break without the use of passion!!

This is the toughest time for obstacles and thus the reason New Year’s resolutions fail. Once you overcome that first obstacle through continuous action, the process of creating passion has begun. Embrace the initial sacrifice the first obstacle requires knowing you have entered the process to create the passion needed to become an unstoppable force. Passion will take you from ordinary to extraordinary!!!

The most common obstacles are loneliness, leaving your comfort zone, and not knowing your passion. The fear of loneliness is temporary. Your committed actions will build new relationships. When you join a gym or change the time you train to 5am, do you meet new people with similar commitments?

Educate and prepare yourself. Become comfortable with being uncomfortable. Getting up early to train is uncomfortable until you do it regularly. You will recognize you are more productive in other areas in your life. Embrace your increased energy and happiness. The commitment to train first thing in the morning is the impetus for this productivity increase. Getting up early is the answer not the obstacle.

Not knowing your passion is the reason most people stay put and sit idol. They hope their passion will find them. I didn’t know I was a die-hard Jet fan nor did I like football when I was young. I became one! My dad took me to Jet games in the early 1980s at Shea Stadium. We listened to the pre and post game shows on the ride there and sat through freezing conditions which ultimately morphed into reading every Jet article in the NY Times, Post and Daily News. My passion for the Jets was created. Commitment plus Action creates Passion!!!

Become CAP-able of accomplishing your New Years Resolution!!!

Dirk Gorman
Founder & CEO
Empire Surgical

http://empiresurgical.com/thedailygrind/

The CAP Process has been the foundation for propelling Empire into a sustainable winning culture. It is the underpinning for building and producing Empire’s brand recognition of excellence in the national medical sales community over the 5 toughest economic years this country has seen.

The first step of CAP is commitment and our company is committed to exceeding $100M in sales revenue annually within the next 3 years. It has taken 5 years to build the first 25 million and the next 3 years will be fast moving and exciting!! To accomplish this goal we can’t afford to have passengers on this BUS, everyone must PASSIONATELY drive it. This is a clear requirement for everyone who has chosen to JOIN the building of this EMPIRE.

As the holiday season sets upon us, many still get excited that SANTA is coming with gifts and answers to life, magically making them happier and healthier in all aspects of their life. Objectively, I observe those who are happy v. those struggling in life. The difference is simple, obvious and one that is totally controllable by each of us. Clarity is that gift!!

People who are happy are passionately driven by purpose and their vision. They have clarity in where they are going, how they are getting there, and why it is important to them. That clarity only occurs when commitments have been made and adhered to. One commitment will make decisions in some many other areas of your life clear. Does this action help me accomplish my goal or does it impede progress? Two choices stand out, YES or NO. Clarity is the best gift you can give yourself this holiday season and the gift I wish for you all.

Observe those who are passionately driven and watch how easily they make decisions to sacrifice or refuse to partake in certain endeavors. They have given themselves the gift of clarity and have become CAP-able of happiness and inner peace. Those who struggle find gray area all around them. They have trouble making simple decisions, avoiding simple traps, and ultimately hope that SANTA will save them.

You must CREATE your own passion. Start in any area of your life with one commitment. When you do, it will begin to permeate through other areas of your life, simplify decision-making, and provide the clarity those we envy have achieved.

The CAP process is the best gift you can give yourself this holiday season. By accepting your own gift you will begin to experience clarity and enter the path to inspire others toward it as well.

Dirk Gorman
Founder & CEO
Empire Surgical

http://empiresurgical.com/thedailygrind/

Tiger was anointed by Corporate America and touted by the International Community as a leader due to his ethnicity and golf prowess. Tiger never lobbied nor appeared to care about this amazing leadership opportunity, he simply stayed quiet.

Tiger is just another example of how Corporate America does not comprehend leadership and all that it entails. How many more fallen “leaders” can they produce? Their failure with Tiger parallels their responsibility for our current financial crisis.

Leadership is never anointed, it is earned and the person who earns it must make a conscious decision to uphold the tenets of that responsibility.

Why are we shocked? It’s interesting to see, read, and hear how so many people are shocked Tiger violated the requirements to lead. The public is disappointed and as companies take notice they look to severe ties or weaken their partnership.

Luckily no one within the Empire network ever looked to Tiger as a leader! Sure his personal CAP performance in golf is inspirational and still is, however, he never once demonstrated leadership qualities beyond that performance. He always made it clear he didn’t want to lead.

Tiger’s CAP process for golf and the successes it has produced have positioned him to lead, but unlike George Washington, he never took the mantle or the responsibility to truly lead.

None of us should have needed this recent tabloid debacle to inform us Tiger is not “the leader” we thought he was. We knew this long before Corporate America got it wrong from the Empire axiom – Leaders Must ACT!!! – They are Accessible, Communicate, and Transparent.

Accessibility is the first tenet and foundation for leadership. Tiger has never been accessible, violating the first requirement to lead. He never wanted or tried to lead the world like Obama yet others requested he do. Perhaps he wasn’t accessible out of fear of being outed. Regardless, his refusal to be accessible other than through commercials or his website to impersonally touch base with his constituents to satisfy his endorsement deals should have been the wake up call.

True leaders make a conscious decision to ACT. It is then they expand their reach from individual CAP driven accomplishments to leadership. Being accessible is a major inconvenience and one reason leadership is not for the masses. Leadership is both a symbiotic and reciprocal relationship between the people and their leader. The people empower the potential leader and the leader reciprocates and must ACT to educate and inspire.

Unlike Corporate America, Empire places a premium on leadership because the responsibility to lead transcends just high performance. Make sure you can identify true leaders and never allow Corporate America or slick marketing campaigns to blur your judgment.

Tiger isn’t a fallen leader. He is a great golfer and a person with serious family problems that he must address.

Dirk Gorman
Founder & CEO
Empire Surgical

http://empiresurgical.com/thedailygrind/

We are actively developing a powerful network through our belief in “The Circular Perpetuity of Inspiration.” By accepting the responsibility to inspire others through our own actions, we in turn become more inspired, living a more productive and successful life.

As inspiration grows in YOU, it expands in others.

It is up to each of us and our individual actions to continue expanding our circular network of inspiring people. Thank someone who has inspired YOU. That recognition might just in-turn inspire them further.

Thank You!!!

Dirk Gorman
Founder & CEO
Empire Surgical

http://empiresurgical.com/thedailygrind/

The URL below provides insight into leadership and its requirements. It is to our advantage to ask ourselves if WE meet or exceed each of the stated six factors that drive confidence in leaders. Reading through these factors should continue to convince you of the validity and simplicity of Empire’s
“Leaders must ACT (Accessible, Communicate, Transparent)” ideology.

While we know it is our job to develop leaders by continuously educating on this subject, it is also our job to actively find and speak to examples of leadership qualities demonstrated by others. in turn this will help us draw upon those examples to improve our own leadership CAP-ability.

Remember, we are not trying to be all things to all people. We have strict beliefs on how individuals in this organization must ACT!! You are all here voluntarily and it is up to each of you to ACT-ively lead. To ensure everyone at Empire is immersed in the CAP process, we must all be living with this intensity or leave!!

This is an elite organization with elite expectations. There is and will be no compromise. Make sure YOU are the leader that will keep Empire elite.

http://scotteblin.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/the-six-factors-that-drive-confidence-in-leaders.html?utm_source=f

Dirk Gorman
Founder & CEO
Empire Surgical

http://empiresurgical.com/thedailygrind/

Empire’s model, “The Circular Perpetuity of Inspiration,” is the underpinning of Empire and responsible for both our individual success and record five-year growth run as a company.

Empire’s CAP model effectively covers the following topics:

• Recruitment philosophy: we focus on competencies over experience
• Individual peak performance and assessment
• Leadership requirements and assessment
• Long-term organization sustainability

As we continue to validate CAP by individual and company results it is always good to review what other respected people in business are doing, saying and achieving. Mindy Grossman is the CEO of HSN Inc. (Home Shopping Network). The following excerpts are from her recent interview with Adam Bryant from the NY Times.

Q: Tell me about your leadership style.
A: “I believe in ACCESSIBILITY. I believe in honesty and a culture that supports that.”

Empire’s model consistently reinforces and requires that “true” leaders must ACT!!! (Accessible to all, Communicate the 5Ws & “the how,” and Transparent. Any break in these requirements erodes the trust people have in their leader. The people empower leaders and if their trust is broken, they will longer follow.

Q: Describe an “unhealthy” business environment.
A: “Fear is not a motivating factor. You might be able to get a little bit more out of someone in the short term, but you will completely erode your business and your culture in the long term. You are going to lose all of your good people. You are not going to have people tell you the truth, and it becomes the tradition.”

Most of us have experienced and observed this insecure style of faulty leadership. This is usually a result of an individual not being transparent with their actions. S/he is unable to control messaging by not properly communicating or being accessible to answer and guide the people through their questions and concerns.

When leader recognizes the trust of the people is broken, s/he instinctively reacts with an iron fist demanding people do what they are told or else!! By demanding loyalty, the leader shows more concern for power then responsibility.

Q: What are your thoughts on hiring practices?
A: “One practice is that you only hire tigers. You don’t hire eeyores. It doesn’t mean that they have to be loud, but I need ENERGY givers and I have to get the feeling that this person is going to be able to INSPIRE people, be optimistic about where s/he is going and be able to ATTRACT people who are like that?”

CAP driven individuals will demonstrate the passion of a tiger vs. an eeyore. CAP-able people scream of optimism for the future and are consistently engaged in forward moving activity. We all know that like finds like, water seeks water, and CAP-able individuals attract other CAP-able individuals. Isn’t this Empire’s recruitment and marketing strategy?

Our success over the past 5 years speaks for itself and it seems that “the experts” sing a similar tune. The difference being WE created and consistently speak to a clear, simplistic model that is reproducible for others to follow.

Empire’s model, “The Circular Perpetuity of Inspiration,” creates CAP-able individuals and CAP-able organizations. ARE YOU CAP-able TODAY!?!?!

Dirk Gorman
Founder & CEO
Empire Surgical

http://empiresurgical.com/thedailygrind/

FEELING pressure will paralyze many. People sense pending doom and their mind is only focused on the negative scenarios.

In sales the pressure mounts on people in the field when their numbers begin to fall and they realize they are in danger of not hitting required goals or failing to meet expectations. The reality of numbers can make them FEEL pressure and only focusing on the negatives without solutions eliminates optimism. Optimism is a key component for sales success and we must not allow pressure to rob us of it.

Empire views pressure in two ways, you either FEEL it or APPLY it!!

Feeling the pressure is reactionary and caused by inaction or a lack of preparation i.e. your CAP process!! Whenever you are not properly prepared you expose yourself to feeling the pressure and its potential paralysis. Have you ever watched an unprepared quarterback handle the blitz? Indecisive on every pass, he resembles a deer caught in headlights because he is FEELING the pressure rather than APPLYING it!

Winners always APPLY it. Applying pressure is being proactive and forward thinking and that requires CAP (Commitment, Action, Passion). The quarterback prepared for the blitz knows where to stand in the pocket, for how long and when to scramble. The prepared quarterback applies pressure on the opposing defense trying to stop him.

Does this happen to sales people? Of course it does. Anthony Zito has been a master at consistently APPLYING pressure.

The competition regularly comes into his hospital with a GRAND plan to diminish Zito’s influence and take away market share with some “fantastic” new product launch. They mistakenly believe that simply introducing a new product means they are now applying pressure on Zito.

Zito usually anticipates new products by consistently engaging the surgeons and hospital staff prior to a launch. Not wasting time, Zito immediately takes action and learns everything there is to know about the product in the shortest amount of time – features and benefits, product scope and efficacy, necessity, marketing angle to uncover weaknesses the competition does not want exposed.

The process is a serious commitment to taking the actionable steps to control messaging. Every resource and earned relationship is used to educate him and beat the competition by proactively informing the surgeons in his hospital about that product before they do.

The actions Zito takes allows him to control the communication so the competition FEELS the pressure from the surgeons and hospital staff to answer their questions and concerns instead of making their sales pitch. The competition must now focus on proving the product has stated advantages. Even in a seemingly defensive posture, Zito finds a way to continually APPLY pressure!!

If you are FEELING the pressure and find it paralyzing, you must adopt a CAP process to address this TODAY! You must begin positioning yourself to be CAP-able of APPLYING pressure instead of feeling it. Applying pressure will keep you alert, knowledgeable and optimistic. Focusing on problems guarantees you will FEEL the pressure and eliminate the optimism needed to succeed. Focusing on finding SOLUTIONS makes you CAP-able of APPLYING pressure.

As a company, we are CAP-able of APPLYING pressure and Winning AGAIN!!

Dirk Gorman
Founder & CEO
Empire Surgical

http://empiresurgical.com/thedailygrind/

The 24-hour “news” cycle loves to jump all over stories of disingenuous leaders constantly barraging us with the likes of Rick Pitino, David Letterman, Steve Phillips and several other higher profile notables and their indiscretions.

These individuals are hideous role models for any college intern or college athlete because of their REFUSAL to recognize that their responsibility as a leader is to properly ACT (Accessible to all, Communicate the 5W’s & “how”, and are Transparent).

Empire will never look to the 24-hour drive by media for our education. We search and find our own. Knowing that like - minded, actions, accomplishments etc.- finds like, we have long been associated with Coach Dave Masur, Head Coach of St John’s soccer. In that same spirit and elk, we come across Coach Kevin Stallings, Head Coach of Vanderbilt basketball.

Coach Stallings and Vanderbilt University had promised the players and recruits a basketball trip to Australia. It had been planned for over a year. When the other greedy disingenuous corporate and political leaders crashed our economy last year, many college funds were significantly reduced. The economic crisis forced Vanderbilt to cut back on many programs and promises and the basketball team’s trip to Australia was one of them.

Having done an excellent job over his nine-year career at Vanderbilt, Coach Stallings had earned a contractual $100K raise. In a time of tremendous economic turmoil for individuals and their families, the lure and security of a $100k raise must have felt significant. Yet Coach Stallings passed on accepting his raise so he and the University could keep their commitment to the basketball team and take the promised Australian trip.

To effectively lead, you must ACT to gain the trust and support of your people!! There is no question that Coach Stallings is passionate about his commitment to educate and inspire the Vanderbilt Basketball team to great heights. He not only gives the sermon but also transparently lives it!!!

Sacrifice and inconvenience are always required to achieve notable goals. Coach Stallings knows the leader is required “TO” not “EXEMPT FROM!!” Hopefully, his actions help propel the Vanderbilt Team back into the NCAA tournament this year and maybe the drive by media can grace us with a story about real LEADERS who ACT!!

Dirk Gorman
Founder & CEO
Empire Surgical

http://empiresurgical.com/thedailygrind/

I always pay particular attention, with appreciation and amazement, when observing severely overweight individuals pushing themselves to run in Central Park or on the side of The Belt Parkway. I know how difficult running has been on me, mentally and physically, and immediately wonder how much pain these individuals must be enduring.

The guts these people demonstrate are always inspiring as they expose their struggle publicly in pursuit of improved health. In my eyes, this is so much more impressive than someone who is already in great shape and effortlessly strides through the park.

Last night, “The Biggest Loser,” grabbed my attention for this very reason. In 25 minutes, the crux of the show and reason for its success was apparent. Participants had lost their way experiencing tragedy, depression, or both.

They feel so helpless that they can’t get themselves back to being energetic, healthy, and optimistic. The desire is there but lack the path to ignite it. The show, trainers and exposure of being broadcast nationally on TV serve as the “ignition” switch to help them become CAP-able of accomplishing these goals.

The COMMITMENT begins by getting on the show. The show’s trainers and doctors dictate the ACTION (4Ps) for each participant. The 4Ps (Plan, Practice, Prevail, Perfect) are initiated and the struggle and sacrifice to accomplish improved health are set in motion.

Last night’s episode included the show’s previous record holder, Dane, for the most weight lost on the show, 100lbs in 8 weeks. Dane was brought back to congratulate Rudy, the new record holder, who lost 100lbs in just 7 weeks.

Dane was asked what he was up to since leaving the show. He energetically replied that he and 12 former participants were running a triathlon tomorrow morning. Dane and the others were now CAP-able of training and running on their own, let alone for a triathlon.

The COMMITMENT made to the effort and the ACTIONABLE steps they participated in during the show allowed them to each create their own PASSION required to become and remain energetic, healthy and optimistic.

The PASSION their COMMITMENT and ACTIONS helped create not only saved their lives, but also, has carried them well past the show and is now propelling them through life. The once horrific obstacles that had paralyzed their forward momentum have become manageable speed bumps on the road to success.

The CAP process had empowered these individuals to become CAP-able to APPLY the pressures in life versus DROWNING in the pressures of life.

If CAP can propel “The Biggest Loser” to overcome these huge obstacles, how high can CAP propel you?

Become CAP-able TODAY!!!

Dirk Gorman
Founder & CEO
Empire Surgical

http://empiresurgical.com/thedailygrind/