On 30th May 2007 two of the greatest achievers in our digital generation (Bill Gates and Steve Jobs) came together on stage for a rare interview, they both opened themselves up to broad questioning which allowed us to see what they're really made of.
Whether you love(d) or hate(d) these guys you have to admit that they certainly understand what it takes to create an abundance of success through their passion, dedication and learnt skills.
They both went from being college drop-outs to earning billion's of Dollars in a cutthroat industry which as you can guess is no easy task. In fact our racing goals and dreams seem quite small and simple to pull off in comparison to what they achieved so with this in mind I want you to learn from them, on this occasion focusing on what the late Steve Jobs said.
It is quite easy to see how alike you are to Steve, OK he may have been in a different industry but essentially your inner values and personal missions are similar. You want success in your chosen field, you want to be leading and outperforming your rivals, you want to be seen as the best around and to bring something new to your industry.
Steve's tips are relevant to Motorsport now
During this onstage interview Steve Jobs gave some great success tips that he has learned along the way and I feel that they are very applicable to driver's nowadays. You are competing in a 'Business Sport' so advice from successful businessmen is a must if you want to last in this sport.
So here they are, take all you can from these tips and apply them where you can.
Tip 1 - "You have to have a lot of passion for what you're doing"
This may sound obvious but passion, burning desire and sheer love for what we do has been fading in racing recently. Instead we are seeing more over-privileged drivers on our grids who have the 'Pay to Play' approach and racing isn't truly in their blood.
Sure they really enjoy and like racing but they do not fully love it, it doesn't burn in their veins virtually every waking minute and it isn't their obsession.
Does it matter?
Do we really need to love it?
Hell yes it matters because this sport will throw so much s**t at you and it will test you ever step of the way.
If you don't NEED racing in your life you will just run the other way when things get too tough.
Most drivers do this, if they can't pay their way to the top then they are not willing to generate the money by themselves, they are not willing to stick their neck out and do whatever it takes to make it happen.
OK this is partly due to the fact that our drivers are so young today so they don't know how to generate money and have less people skills but still, if a teenage driver has that boiling passion within them to make it happen then no matter what their age, they will find a way.
That is what you need if you want to succeed in this sport and if you possess this inner energy then you are already way ahead of pretty much all the other drivers out there.
Tip 2 - "You've gotta be a really good talent scout"
On face value you may think that being a good talent scout is not applicable to you, but once again you need to remind yourself that racing has changed in the last few years.
Racing is more of a business now so it is more important to have your own personal team of people helping you, plus you also need to select the right people. Just for starters you may need the following assistance:
1) A trustworthy and effective Manager - You need a Manager who will protect you from the sharks that are out there, who will get you the best deals, who will help organise your career and set up future partnership deals that will benefit you down the road. Then if you are really lucky they will help you in attracting sponsorship / investment. The Manager is often the person who puts out the 'fires' in your career and deals with the bombardment of obstacles that are thrown your way, your Manager is your right hand man.
2) Personal Performance Trainers - These people are dedicated to making you better at what you do. They are usually coaches within the driving, fitness and mental worlds.
3) Marketing company - A company that builds your brand, who updates and designs your websites, who talks to the press, who generates sponsorship leads through their clients, who organises fund raising events, etc.
4) A Lawyer - It's always good to have a lawyer or solicitor who can help you with your contracts and give advice to you when a problem occurs (legal problems always crop up at some point).
These are just to name a few areas / people that you will need if you are serious about making it big in this business but something else you must prioritise is that these individuals must share your passion, they must be highly good at what they do and have the desire for reaching your dream.
It is your job, no one else's, to make sure that you have the correct people driving your career, without them you will be less effective and spending energy on areas that you know little about.
This tip is really important, if you get the correct people behind you then you will stand much more of a chance.
