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Standing Up for Your Values

Posted By: Randy GageDecember 12, 2018

Oh the stories I could tell…

I just walked away from $20,000 a month.  Not the first time.  Probably won’t be the last.  When I opened a consulting company in Central Europe, the first client that wanted to hire us was a multi-billion-dollar tobacco company.  Turned them down without an interview.  And recently I lost a $2 million consulting project.  What happened in all these cases? 

Values.

More specifically, the very unique and clear set of values I live my life by.  (I don’t promote or proselytize them, but they work for me.)  In each of these cases I felt like I had to walk away from big money, to keep my self-respect, and remain congruent with the values I believe in.

Maybe you think I’m such a wealthy guy that I can shrug off money like this and live in my sanctimonious little cave, without any consequences.  And while I don’t deny I’m quite blessed and not sleeping under a bridge – let me assure you, that losing that kind of dosh definitely impacts how I roll.

I was recently speaking with an event promoter and they asked me to create a new presentation for their event, based on the story about losing the $2 million consulting contract.  They wanted me to share what I would change, so that in a similar situation in the future, I wouldn’t lose that contract. (And of course the lesson for the attendees, what they could do, so they would never lose the contract in a similar situation.)  The promoter was gopsmacked when I told her I would never change anything, and in another similar situation, I will probably lose the contract again.

Because here’s what happened…

The president of a very large company attended a seminar I conducted in the Middle East.  Afterwards, we spent many hours on the phone, agreeing to a $2 million consulting agreement where I would assist his company in creating a long-term growth strategy, rebranding it, and moving the HQ to Dubai.  We had several follow up phone calls, he read the contract, and we agree to meet in four days to sign the deal and get started.

And then it all got derailed.  How?

His company is headquartered in a certain Islamic country. And he discovered after our calls that the government was wiretapping him (as they do a lot of their citizens), when they contacted him and told him in no uncertain terms that they didn’t want his company working with me.  (For new readers to this blog and my books, I’ve written extensively about the dangers of organized religions, and the serious threats posed by extremist governments, such as the one in charge of that particular country.)  And my potential client knew that if he continued with my contract, he would face serious consequences from his government.

How could I have prevented this from happening?

Easy.  I could just bite my tongue.  Hint at, but never criticize powerful institutions and governments that I think are dangerous and anti-humanity, and thus anti-prosperity.  There are lots of “politically safe” ways to do work like mine.  But I wouldn’t be providing the best possible value to those that follow my work.  Because I hold that relationship with you as sacred, I’m not willing to compromise on things like that.  So I’ve lost income in the past, and will almost certainly lose more in the future.

It’s easy to stand up for principles or values when it’s in the abstract.  But what happens when it really costs you?

Most people like to say they live by certain principles and hold definite values.  But how often is that really true?  I ask, because personally I believe they are a huge part of the prosperity equation.

So what about you?  Have you really done the critical thinking about which values are important to who you are, and who you want to become?  And are you willing to pay the price they require?

-RG

4 comments on “Standing Up for Your Values”

  1. Good for you Randy... I'm of two minds about this.. when I see George Clooney or Jen Aniston doing ads.. I wanna puke, like how much money do you need? But then, that's their right and if you got offered a boat load of money for a day of your time why not take it?? But as Ray Charles said, you can only sleep In one bed, drive one car, have one or two women at a time, why the need for all this excess?? I'm not into baubles.. just spent $300 on good clothe deals on black Friday on myself and felt a little uncomfortable so obviously I got to work more on my prosperity stuff.. but I'm into experiences.. not bling.. find it vulgar.. as long as I can travel and eat well and have a good time I'm happy..

  2. I feel sorry for that tobacco company. I like smoking a lot.

    As a construction company owner, I always hate building common houses. Why? Because all of the materials what need for building a house is highly poisonous. I talk about concrete, paints, glues, insulation and whatever you just can imagine. This all requires to build a modern house. The production of this materials is also highly toxic. You hardly find any material, what doesn't require killing the part of the nature. So in a way I like making homes for people or institutions, in other way, I hate supporting companies who produce death (no, I don't think the same about tobacco, it is just fine). To overcome this, I want to make hobbit houses, where you use completely natural materials. It is very hard to do, but very interesting and special thing professionally. Unfortunately, there is not so much demand for stuffs like this in my country. So what to do?

    I drive big cars, partly, because I need big cars for work, partly, because it is a lot easier to drive, and partly, because in my country, on the road you find yourself in a mad max scene, where you fight for your life. It is much easier to do with a big car, than a small one. But, big cars consume more fuel. I can afford it, but I just hate that I generate more fumes. It is not the smoking, what gives you lung cancer, it is the fumes from the cars and the parts of their brake system. So again, what I can do?

    Avoiding looking like a bloody-mouthed vegetarian, how many life costs just to have an ordinary dinner? You basically supporting Nazi camps for animals, without the needing of the nutriments, what a meat can give you (I know, I know... I must be wrong, because back to the school the teacher said the opposite... I know). It is really nothing more. Same with the christmas tree. Just a primitive blood-bath, nothing more.

    I try to avoid buying anything, what made from plastic. This is just an other shitty material, made by humans. Almost everything is made from that, including most of the foods nowadays. It is very interesting, that fast food makers, like KFC and McKillers wasn't hanged on a tree already.

    So the point is, if you don't want to support shitty companies, who bring death to the world, you should buy nothing except, say... vegetables and fruits?. But correct my if I am wrong.

    Of course, if I become a billionaire, I can do many things against them, this may solve many of my problems. It is simple.

  3. I love you, Randy Gage.

    And to answer your question at the end, while I don't know that I've ever sat down and done critical thinking specifically on my values, I do feel like I naturally know, and do, what I deem as right (for me). Have I been and will I in the future be willing to pay the price they require? Yeah. No doubt.

Leave a Reply to Dániel Kőszegi Cancel reply

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  • 4 comments on “Standing Up for Your Values”

    1. Good for you Randy... I'm of two minds about this.. when I see George Clooney or Jen Aniston doing ads.. I wanna puke, like how much money do you need? But then, that's their right and if you got offered a boat load of money for a day of your time why not take it?? But as Ray Charles said, you can only sleep In one bed, drive one car, have one or two women at a time, why the need for all this excess?? I'm not into baubles.. just spent $300 on good clothe deals on black Friday on myself and felt a little uncomfortable so obviously I got to work more on my prosperity stuff.. but I'm into experiences.. not bling.. find it vulgar.. as long as I can travel and eat well and have a good time I'm happy..

    2. I feel sorry for that tobacco company. I like smoking a lot.

      As a construction company owner, I always hate building common houses. Why? Because all of the materials what need for building a house is highly poisonous. I talk about concrete, paints, glues, insulation and whatever you just can imagine. This all requires to build a modern house. The production of this materials is also highly toxic. You hardly find any material, what doesn't require killing the part of the nature. So in a way I like making homes for people or institutions, in other way, I hate supporting companies who produce death (no, I don't think the same about tobacco, it is just fine). To overcome this, I want to make hobbit houses, where you use completely natural materials. It is very hard to do, but very interesting and special thing professionally. Unfortunately, there is not so much demand for stuffs like this in my country. So what to do?

      I drive big cars, partly, because I need big cars for work, partly, because it is a lot easier to drive, and partly, because in my country, on the road you find yourself in a mad max scene, where you fight for your life. It is much easier to do with a big car, than a small one. But, big cars consume more fuel. I can afford it, but I just hate that I generate more fumes. It is not the smoking, what gives you lung cancer, it is the fumes from the cars and the parts of their brake system. So again, what I can do?

      Avoiding looking like a bloody-mouthed vegetarian, how many life costs just to have an ordinary dinner? You basically supporting Nazi camps for animals, without the needing of the nutriments, what a meat can give you (I know, I know... I must be wrong, because back to the school the teacher said the opposite... I know). It is really nothing more. Same with the christmas tree. Just a primitive blood-bath, nothing more.

      I try to avoid buying anything, what made from plastic. This is just an other shitty material, made by humans. Almost everything is made from that, including most of the foods nowadays. It is very interesting, that fast food makers, like KFC and McKillers wasn't hanged on a tree already.

      So the point is, if you don't want to support shitty companies, who bring death to the world, you should buy nothing except, say... vegetables and fruits?. But correct my if I am wrong.

      Of course, if I become a billionaire, I can do many things against them, this may solve many of my problems. It is simple.

    3. I love you, Randy Gage.

      And to answer your question at the end, while I don't know that I've ever sat down and done critical thinking specifically on my values, I do feel like I naturally know, and do, what I deem as right (for me). Have I been and will I in the future be willing to pay the price they require? Yeah. No doubt.

    Leave a Reply to Dániel Kőszegi Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


    Warning: Undefined variable $key in /nas/content/live/randygagedev/wp-content/plugins/honeypot-comments/honeypot-comments.php on line 63

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